Research in Experimental Nuclear Physics

这笔赠款的资金将用于支持核子结构和基本对称性测试的项目。将支持两个具体项目。一个是开发一种灵敏的、分段的快中子探测器，使用捕获门控光谱学的方法，在这种方法中，入射的中子通过在塑料闪烁体中散射而减慢，然后在He-3比例计数器中捕获。该项目将为敏感的地下实验提供有关中子通量和能量分布的信息，并进一步发展用于国土安全应用的中子探测器技术，并将为马里兰研究生提供博士论文。第二个项目是在费米国家加速器实验室（FNAL）使用质子-质子和质子-氘核碰撞产生μ子对的“Drell-Yan”过程测量核子和原子核中的反夸克分布。该基金支持一名在目标系统、数据采集和数据分析方面领先的博士后研究人员。该小组的研究通过为研究生和本科生提供出色的研究机会而产生更广泛的影响。在中子项目中，额外的更广泛的影响是中子探测技术的进一步发展，用于基础物理实验和国土安全。学生将接触到核物理概念，并获得开发硬件的实践经验。他们可以为实验做出重大贡献，并有机会访问和参与主要国家实验室的项目，在这种情况下是FNAL和国家标准与技术研究所（NIST）。

Funds from this grant will be used to support projects in nucleon structure and in tests of fundamental symmetries. Two specific projects will be supported. One is the development of a sensitive, segmented detector for fast neutrons, using the method of capture-gated spectroscopy where incident neutrons are slowed through scattering in a plastic scintillator and then captured in He-3 proportional counters. The project will provide information about the neutron flux and energy distributions for sensitive underground experiments and further the technology for neutron detector for Homeland Security applications, and will result in a Ph.D. thesis for a Maryland graduate student. The second project is a measure of antiquark distributions in nucleons and nuclei at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) using the "Drell-Yan" process of muon pair production from proton-proton and proton-deuteron collisions. This grant supports a postdoctoral researcher who is leading efforts in target systems, data acquisition and data analysis. The broader impact of this group's research is through outstanding research opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students. In the neutron project, the additional broader impact is further development of neutron detection technology for fundamental physics experiments and for Homeland Security. Students are exposed to nuclear physics concepts and provided with hands-on experience developing hardware. They can make significant contributions to the experiments, and have the opportunity to visit and participate in programs at major national laboratories, in this case FNAL and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).