RUI: Nuclear Science with Undergraduate Researchers: Studies of Nuclei at the Extremes and New Applications of Nuclear Techniques

基础核物理研究与原子核的结构和行为有关的问题。特别是，关于核力的具体形式的问题和关于宇宙中重元素是如何形成的问题是令人感兴趣的。这项工作的一个组成部分将涉及作为MONA(模块中子阵列)合作的一部分，在稀有同位素束设施测量非常丰富的、不稳定的核的结构。这些测量使理论家能够改进核力的模型。第二个组成部分将是测量放射性丰富的中子核如何衰变，作为阿贡国家实验室太阳(求和NaI)合作的一部分。这些信息对于完全理解中子星合并和超新星中重元素是如何形成的是必要的。Hope College 1.7 MV粒子加速器将研究一系列应用问题，该加速器能够进行粒子诱导X射线光谱分析、粒子诱导伽马射线光谱分析和卢瑟福背散射光谱分析。这些分析工具可用于测量各种液体和固体样品中存在的元素和整体结构。最后，该奖项将支持一项面向K-12学生地区的核科学教育推广计划。希望学院核能集团积极参与了两个大型合作项目：一个是模块中子阵列(MONA)合作(由Paul Guye和其他FRIB研究人员以及来自多个PUI机构的研究人员领导)，另一个是Summing NaI(SUN)小组(由Artemis Spyrou、FRIB研究人员和其他国内和国际合作者领导)。作为这项工作的一部分，核小组还将与LPC-Caen核结构小组(RIKEN武士合作的一部分)合作。希望本科生参与计划、运行实验、数据分析、探测器开发、探测器建设、多中子识别算法开发和稿件准备。特别是，核集团对MONA触发逻辑和SUN带目标控制负有主要责任。目前有两个PAC批准的MONA实验即将在FRIB上进行：一个集中在非结合的30F上，另一个集中在53Ca的非结合状态上。除了将与Cariu在Argonne国家实验室进行的一系列太阳实验外，特别值得注意的是基于模块化全吸收光谱仪(MTAS)的实验(PAC1)和基于73As的REA实验，其中的反宇宙射线屏蔽装置的一部分是先前在霍普学院建造的。霍普学院的学生研究人员将继续参与、分析(专门提取β强度函数)，并发布这些机会的结果。核能集团还将与希望内外的其他研究小组合作，使用粒子诱导X射线发射光谱(PIXE)、粒子诱导伽马射线发射光谱(PIGE)和卢瑟福背向散射光谱(RBS)以及包括微聚焦能力的Hope 1.7 MV加速器对样品进行表征。这将包括尝试提高对含有PIG的水中全氟辛烷磺酸污染的检测下限。最后，PIs将与Explore学术外展合作希望与K-12学生合作。该项目推进了未来NSF投资的十大想法之一“宇宙之窗：多信使天体物理学时代”的目标。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Fundamental nuclear physics deals with questions related to the structure and behavior of nuclei. In particular, questions about the specific form of the nuclear force and questions about how heavy elements are formed in the universe are of interest. One component of this work will involve measuring the structure of very neutron-rich, unstable nuclei at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams as part of the MoNA (Modular Neutron Array) collaboration. These measurements allow theorists to refine models of the nuclear force. A second component will be to measure how radioactive neutron-rich nuclei decay with CARIBU as part of the SuN (Summing NaI) collaboration at Argonne National Laboratories. This information is needed for a complete understanding of how heavy elements are formed in neutron star mergers and supernovas. A range of applied questions will be investigated with the Hope College 1.7 MV particle accelerator, which is capable of particle-induced x-ray spectroscopy, particle induced gamma-ray spectroscopy, and Rutherford backscatter spectroscopy. These analytic tools can be applied to measure the elements present in and overall structure of a wide variety of liquid and solid samples. Lastly, this award will support a nuclear science educational outreach program to area under served K-12 studentsThe Hope College Nuclear Group is very involved with two large collaborations: One is the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) collaboration (led by Paul Gueye and other FRIB researchers along with researchers from a number of PUI institutions) and the other is the Summing NaI (SuN) group (led by Artemis Spyrou, FRIB researchers, and other national and international collaborators). The Nuclear group will also collaborate with the LPC-Caen Nuclear Structure Group (part of the SAMURAI collaboration at RIKEN) as part of the scope of this work. Hope undergraduates will participate in planning, running experiments, data analysis, detector development, detector construction, multi-neutron identification algorithm development, and manuscript preparation. In particular, the Nuclear Group has major responsibility for MoNA trigger logic and SuN tape target control. Currently there are two PAC-approved MoNA experiments upcoming at FRIB: one focused on unbound 30F and the other on unbound states in 53Ca. In addition to a number of SuN experiments to be conducted with CARIBU at Argonne National Laboratories, of special note is a Modular Total Absorption Spectrometer (MTAS) based experiment with beams around 128Ag at FRIB (PAC1 ) and a ReA experiment, based on 73As, of which part of the setup, the anti-cosmic ray shield, was previously constructed at Hope College. Student researchers at Hope College will continue to participate, analyze (specializing on extraction of beta intensity functions), and publish results from these opportunities. The Nuclear Group will also work with other research groups, inside and outside of Hope, to characterize samples with Particle Induced X-ray Emission spectroscopy (PIXE), Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission spectroscopy (PIGE), and Rutherford Backscatter spectroscopy (RBS) along with the Hope 1.7 MV accelerator, which includes microfocusing ability. This will include attempts to improve detection limits of PFAS contamination in water with PIGE. Lastly the PIs will partner with the ExploreHope Academic Outreach to work with K-12 students.This project advances the objectives of "Windows on the Universe: the Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics", one of the 10 Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments.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.