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

基础核物理学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在稀有同位素束设施中测量非常富含中子的不稳定核的结构，这是莫纳（模块化中子阵列）合作的一部分。 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富中子核如何与CARIBU衰变，这是阿贡国家实验室SuN（Summing NaI）合作的一部分。 这些信息是完全理解中子星星合并和超新星中重元素是如何形成的所必需的。 一系列的应用问题将与希望学院1.7 MV粒子加速器，这是能够粒子诱导的X射线光谱，粒子诱导γ射线光谱，卢瑟福背散射光谱研究。 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，该奖项将支持核科学教育推广计划，以服务K-12学生的希望学院核集团非常参与两个大型合作：一个是模块化中子阵列（莫纳）合作（由Paul Gueye和FRIB的其他研究人员沿着来自PUI一些机构的研究人员领导），另一个是Summing NaI（SuN）小组（由Artemis Spyrou，FRIB研究人员和其他国家和国际合作者领导）。 作为这项工作的一部分，核小组还将与LPC-卡昂核结构小组（RIKEN SAMURAI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、探测器研制、探测器建造、多中子识别算法开发、论文准备等工作。 特别是，核集团主要负责莫纳触发逻辑和Sun磁带目标控制。 目前，FRIB即将进行两项PAC批准的莫纳实验：一项专注于未结合的30 F，另一项专注于53 Ca中的未结合状态。 除了在阿贡国家实验室与CARIBU进行的一些太阳能实验外，特别值得注意的是在FRIB（PAC 1）进行的基于模块化全吸收光谱仪的128 Ag光束实验和基于73 As的ReA实验，其中部分装置，即反宇宙射线屏蔽，以前在霍普学院建造。 希望学院的学生研究人员将继续参与，分析（专门研究β强度函数的提取），并发表这些机会的结果。 核小组还将与Hope内外的其他研究小组合作，利用粒子感应X射线发射光谱（PIXE）、粒子感应伽马射线发射光谱（PIGE）和卢瑟福背散射光谱（RBS）沿着Hope 1.7 MV加速器（包括微聚焦能力）来表征样品。 这将包括尝试提高PIGE水中PFAS污染的检测限。 最后，PI将与ExploreHope Academic Outreach合作，与K-12学生一起工作。该项目推进了“宇宙之窗：多信使天体物理学时代”的目标，这是NSF未来投资的10大创意之一。该奖项反映了NSF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。

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.