RUI: Exploring Nuclear Structure through Collaborative Research

RUI：通过合作研究探索核结构

• 批准号: 1613429
• 负责人: Sharon Stephenson
• 金额: $ 2.8万
• 依托单位: Gettysburg College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-01 至 2018-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1613429&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Exploring; Nuclear; Structure; through

Atomic nuclei are made up of protons and neutrons. For the lighter elements the number of protons is very often equal to the number of neutrons in the nucleus. However, nuclei also exist in which there are extra neutrons, or neutron-rich nuclei, which are unstable and undergo nuclear decay. This project focuses on the study of these neutron-rich unstable nuclei and will investigate key questions in nuclear science related to the overall structure of nuclei: What are the fundamental properties of extremely neutron-rich matter and what is the limit of nuclear existence? The project will be carried out by Gettysburg College undergraduates and a faculty member with the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) Collaboration and Large area multi-Institutional Scintillation Array (LISA) at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). Gettysburg College students supported by this funding will learn significant new physics as they develop the tools necessary to be researchers in academia and industry. Undergraduate students and their faculty are advancing the field in various ways, ranging from how beams of rare isotopes interact with matter to the exciting possibility of two-neutron radioactivity. Objectives include creating He-9 two different ways experimentally at the NSCL to not only shed light on conflicting prior results but also to better understand the "halo" nucleus He-10. Measuring the lifetime of O-26 could confirm a new mode of radioactivity. An analysis project focusing on the production mechanism for projectile fragmentation will impact the physics community's currently limited understanding of beam production mechanics at radioactive beam facilities. All proposed work will involve undergraduate researchers.

原子核由质子和中子组成。对于较轻的元素，质子数通常等于原子核中的中子数。然而，原子核中也存在额外的中子，或富含中子的原子核，这些原子核不稳定，会发生核衰变。本项目重点研究这些富含中子的不稳定核，并将探讨核科学中与核整体结构相关的关键问题：极富中子物质的基本性质是什么？核存在的极限是什么？该项目将由葛底斯堡学院的本科生和国家超导回旋实验室（NSCL）的模块化中子阵列（MoNA）合作和大面积多机构闪烁阵列（LISA）的一名教员进行。葛底斯堡学院的学生将在这项基金的支持下学习重要的新物理学，同时开发成为学术界和工业界研究人员所必需的工具。本科生和他们的教师正在以各种方式推进这一领域，从稀有同位素束如何与物质相互作用到令人兴奋的双中子放射性可能性。目标包括在国家科学实验室用两种不同的实验方法制造氦-9，不仅可以阐明相互矛盾的先前结果，而且可以更好地理解氦-10的“晕”核。测量O-26的寿命可以确认一种新的放射性模式。一个聚焦弹丸破碎产生机制的分析项目将影响物理学界目前对放射性束流设施束流产生力学的有限理解。所有提议的工作都将涉及本科生研究人员。