Studies of Nuclear Reactions and Structure

该项目侧重于核物理结构和反应的基础研究。 大部分的实验工作将在约翰D.位于佛罗里达州立大学校园的福克斯超导实验室。 该设施包括一个9兆伏的串列货车德格拉夫加速器和一个超导直线加速器助推器、RESOLUT稀有离子能力和一组高分辨率康普顿抑制伽马探测器。 来自加速器系统的光束也将用于两个单独资助的实验--ANASEN圆柱形主动目标探测器（与路易斯安那州立大学的物理学家合作）和用于表征表面科学中材料的精密卢瑟福背散射系统（与FSU国家高磁场实验室合作）。这项拨款下进行的大部分研究将涉及天体物理学的重要问题，例如新星爆炸在核合成中的作用，以及中子的性质，在快速中子俘获（R）过程的预期路径上和附近的富核告诉我们该过程的位置和条件，该过程产生了约1/3的原子量大于60的核。 其他需要研究的核结构问题包括壳层结构如何随着大的中子过剩而变化，钨和汞同位素的完整光谱学，非常轻的粒子不稳定核，以及trans-Fermium核的旋转带。 该计划的另一部分涉及使用相对论重离子对撞机（RHIC）上的PHENIX探测器，用重味探针研究夸克-胶子等离子体的性质。这些研究将提高对天体物理学的理解，这在一定程度上取决于对核结构和反应的了解。 这种影响在产生宇宙中许多元素的更奇异的过程中应该是最强烈的。RHIC的研究探索宇宙起源的条件。我们的研究小组非常致力于为K-12学生以及本科生和研究生提供科学知识和培训。 我们提出了许多实验室的图尔斯，组织周六上午物理讲座/演示程序，提供真实的实验室经验，高中三年级学生在科学暑期学校，判断科学博览会，并向当地学校做演讲。我们培养博士的质量。研究生的数量远远超过每年3人左右。 这是因为研究生在我们实验室获得的实践经验为他们提供了实验室经验的所有高科技方面的最佳培训。 除了在设计，准备，执行和分析核物理实验更明显的技能，学生在我们的实验室参与一切从串列加速器内工作，操作超导LINAC，国家的最先进的电子，低温高真空技术。 因此，我们的毕业生就业率很高，并为研究、教育、国土防御、国家安全、医学和工业做出了宝贵贡献。

This project focuses on fundamental research in nuclear physics structure and reactions. Much of the experimental work will be done in the John D. Fox Superconducting Laboratory on the Florida State University campus. The facility consists of a 9 MegaVolt tandem Van de Graaff accelerator and a superconducting.Linear Accelerator booster, the RESOLUT rare ion capability, and an array of high-resolution Compton-suppressed gamma detectors. Beams from the accelerator system will also be used for two separately funded experiments - the ANASEN cylindrical active target detector (in collaboration with physicists at Louisiana State University) and a precision Rutherford back scattering system for characterizing materials in surface science (in collaboration with the FSU National High Magnetic Field Laboratory).Much of the research to be performed under this grant will address important issues in astrophysics, such as the role of Nova explosions in nucleosynthesis and what the properties of very neutron-rich nuclei on and near the expected path of the rapid neutron capture (r) process tell us about the sites and conditions of this process which produced about 1/3 of the nuclei with atomic weights above 60. Other nuclear structure issues to be studied include how the shell structure changes with large neutron excess, complete spectroscopy in the Tungsten and Mercury isotopes, very light particle-unstable nuclei, and rotational bands in trans-Fermium nuclei. Another part of the program involves study of the properties of the quark-gluon plasma with heavy flavor probes using the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC).These studies should improve the understanding of astrophysics, which depends in part on knowledge of nuclear structure and reactions. The influence should be strongest on the more exotic processes, which have produced many of the elements in the universe. Studies at RHIC probe the conditions at the beginning of the universe.Our research group is very dedicated to providing scientific exposure and training to K-12 students, as well as undergraduates and graduate students. We present many tours of the laboratory, organize a Saturday Morning Physics lecture/demonstration program, provide real laboratory experience for high school juniors in a science summer school, judge science fairs, and make presentations to local schools. The quality of our training of Ph.D. graduate students goes well beyond the numbers of about 3 per year. This is because the hands-on experience graduate students get in our laboratory provides them with the best possible training in all high-tech aspects of the laboratory experience. Besides the more obvious skills in designing, preparing, performing, and analyzing nuclear physics experiments, students in our laboratory participate in everything from working inside the tandem accelerator, operating the superconducting LINAC, state-of-the-art electronics, cryogenics to high-vacuum technology. As a result, our graduates are highly employable and make valuable contributions to research, education, homeland defense, national security, medicine, and industry.