RUI: Nuclear Physics at Hope College With Undergraduates: New Science Enhancing the STEM Workforce

宇宙中元素的丰度，特别是那些原子序数大于铁的元素，取决于各种各样富含中子的原子核的核性质，其中许多是在超新星和中子星合并中形成的。这些原子核的性质是由强核力和弱核力决定的，PI和他的学生将通过研究中子滴线附近富含中子的原子核的结构来探索核力的具体微妙之处。此外，核物理技术和技术将与霍普学院的加速器相结合，以表征各种各样的样品，从电沉积薄膜到超导体再到环境样品。本科生研究人员将在所有这些努力中发挥核心作用。与MoNA合作项目的其他研究人员一起，对be -13的最低自旋和奇偶能级（1/2负）的能量进行测量已经获得批准，并将于2020年用光谱仪进行测量。霍普学院的研究人员将尽快参与第二次合作实验，重点是F-28。这两项实验都需要将MoNA转移到国家超导回旋加速器实验室的新仓库中。希望研究人员能继续分析Ni-61、Ni-63和Rb-71的β衰变，这是天体物理学的兴趣所在。Summing NaI （SuN）探测器配备了一个移动的磁带目标，周围是霍普学院制造的β探测器。希望研究人员能参加国家科学实验室和阿贡国家实验室批准的几个实验，特别强调那些需要太阳探测器的实验（包括Sm， Br， I， Sn等的研究）。最后，当地的霍普加速器将用于应用粒子诱导伽马射线发射、粒子诱导x射线发射和卢瑟福后向散射光谱，与霍普和外部的其他研究小组合作，对一系列样品进行表征。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The abundance of the elements in the universe, especially those with atomic number greater than iron, depend on the nuclear properties of a wide variety of neutron-rich nuclei, many of which are formed in supernovas and neutron star mergers. The properties of these nuclei are determined by the strong and weak nuclear forces and the PI and his students will explore the specific subtleties of the nuclear force by studying the structure of neutron-rich nuclei near the neutron dripline. In addition, nuclear physics techniques and technology will be combined with the Hope College accelerator to characterize a wide variety of samples ranging from electrodeposited films to superconductors to environmental samples. Undergraduate researchers will play a central role in all of these efforts.Along with other researchers in the MoNA Collaboration, a measurement of the energy of the lowest spin and parity level (1/2 minus) in Be-13 has been approved and will be made with the spectrometer in 2020. As soon as possible, Hope College researchers will participate in a second collaboration experiment with a focus on F-28. Both of these experiments will require moving MoNA into a new vault at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Hope researchers will continue to analyze the beta decay of Ni-61, Ni-63 and Rb-71, which are of astrophysical interest. The Summing NaI (SuN) detector has been equipped with a moving tape target surrounded by a beta detector fabricated at Hope College. Hope researchers will participate in several approved experiments at the NSCL and Argonne with special emphasis on those requiring the SuN detector (including studies of Sm, Br, I, Sn, and others). Lastly, the local Hope accelerator will be used to apply particle-induced gamma-ray emission, particle-induced x-ray emission, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy to characterize a range of samples in partnership with other research groups from Hope and outside.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.