Catalyst Award: Nuclear Science at Virginia State University, Building Connections to FRIB Science

催化剂项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCU）提供支持，努力建立教师的研究能力，以加强科学，技术，工程和数学本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教师的研究能力，改善研究和教学机构，并参与研究经验的本科生。弗吉尼亚州立大学的项目旨在建立一个核科学研究小组，该小组将在密歇根州立大学的稀有同位素束设施（FRIB）研究氧同位素的中子非束缚态。（1）分析过去与国家航空和宇宙莫纳进行的测量数据（模块化中子阵列）在国家超导回旋加速器实验室（NSCL）的合作和（2）一个新的分段目标的发展，以探测富中子核的结构。前者（1）将检查过去对各种衰变通道的测量，以提取有关27O能级结构的信息。它将涉及计算机编程来分析和可视化数据，以及使用GEANT4工具包进行模拟来解释结果。该数据集是在第一次实验中记录的，该实验利用了一种新的分段靶，旨在增加放射性同位素束（RIB）实验的统计数据，从而使用不变质谱技术研究中子未结合系统。后者（2）将有助于为升级目标系统的设计、测试和建造提供信息，即莫纳实验多层有源目标（MAME），该系统将使用基于气体电子倍增器（GEM）的探测器来跟踪传出的反应和衰变碎片。GEANT4模拟将作为设计过程的一部分开发，并用于未来使用MAME的实验的数据分析。由此产生的设备将提供一个新的工具，用于测量中子束缚系统，从而有助于正在进行的调查丰富的原子核结构。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得的支持，通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. The project at Virginia State University seeks to establish a nuclear science research group that will investigate neutron-unbound states of oxygen isotopes at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University.This proposed work focuses on two areas: (1) analysis of data from past measurements performed with the MoNA (the Modular Neutron Array) Collaboration at National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) and (2) the development of a new segmented target to probe the structure of neutron rich nuclei. The former (1) will examine past measurements of various decay channels in order to extract information about the 27O level structure. It will involve computer programming to analyze and visualize the data as well as perform simulations using the GEANT4 toolkit to interpret the results. This data set was recorded during the first experiment to utilize a new segmented target designed to increase statistics for Radioactive Isotope Beam (RIB) experiments to study neutron-unbound systems using the invariant mass spectroscopy technique. The latter (2) will help inform the design, testing and construction of an upgraded target system, the Multilayered Active target for MoNA Experiments (MAME), that will use a gas electron multiplier (GEM) based detector to track the outgoing reaction and decay fragments. A GEANT4 simulation will be developed as part of the design process and for use in the data analysis of future experiments that will use MAME. The resulting device will provide a new tool for measuring neutron-unbound systems thus contributing to the ongoing investigation of the rich structure of atomic nuclei.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.