RUI: Collaboration to Enhance Participation of Minority and Undergraduate Students in Nuclear Science

该奖项支持一项合作核物理研究计划，该计划将进一步加深我们对中子与质子比率高的核素的了解，这些核素很有趣，因为它们表现出在稳定核素中观察不到的行为。 实验将在国家超导回旋加速器实验室（NSCL）进行，并为即将建成的稀有同位素束设施做好“第一天”的准备。 实验包括：研究处于激发态的重核，在它们碎裂之前不久，探索和表征铍核的特定状态，测量镁激发态的分离能，以及研究和开发一种新的粒子探测器。 本科生和研究生将与几所美国机构的教师合作，进一步开展这项工作，并学习宝贵的高技术技能。这些项目将通过同行审查进行评估，并通过在国家会议上的介绍进行传播。该奖项的PI是MoNA-LISA合作的成员，他们计划的实验将利用NSCL合作开发的设备（模块化中子阵列和大面积闪烁阵列）的能力。 富中子核素的寿命非常短，并通过瞬发中子发射而衰变，这使得MoNA-LISA系统成为研究这些核的理想工具。 项目包括分析数据，实施新的技术，以更好地识别和解决异构核状态，测量中子在富中子核中的非束缚态，表征相对论束与目标相互作用后的预碎裂动力学，以及研究和开发一种新的基于气体电子倍增器的分段目标。 未来的实验重点是更高的Z核素，可能与目前的实验装置。 学生将学习在研究的各个方面，包括探测器的建设，数据收集和分析，以及传播利用宝贵的技能。

This award supports a collaborative nuclear physics research program that will further our knowledge of nuclides with high ratios of neutrons to protons, which are interesting because they exhibit behavior not observed in stable nuclides. Experiments will be carried out at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) and be "day-one" ready for the upcoming Facility for Rare Isotope Beams when construction is complete. The experiments include: investigating heavy nuclei in excited states shortly before they fragment, exploring and characterizing particular states of beryllium nuclei, measuring separation energies of excited states of magnesium, as well as research and development of a new particle detector. Undergraduate and graduate students will collaborate with faculty at several US institutions to further this work and learn valuable highly technical skills. The projects will be evaluated through peer review and disseminated through presentations at national conferences, Ph.D. theses, and journal articles.The PIs of this award are members of the MoNA-LISA collaboration, and the experiments they have planned will exploit the capabilities of the equipment that was developed at NSCL by the collaboration (a modular neutron array and a large area scintillation array). Neutron-rich nuclides are very short-lived and decay by prompt neutron emission, making the MoNA-LISA system the ideal tool to investigate these nuclei. Projects include analyzing data, implementing novel techniques to identify better and resolve isomeric nuclear states, measuring neutron-unbound states in neutron-rich nuclei, characterizing pre-fragmentation dynamics after relativistic beams interact with targets, as well as research and development toward a new gas electron multiplier based segmented target. Future experiments focus on higher Z nuclides that are possible with the current experimental setup. The students will learn valuable skills utilized in all facets of research including detector construction, data collection and analysis, and dissemination.