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和关于宇宙中重元素是如何形成的问题引起了人们的兴趣。作为MoNA（模块化中子阵列）合作的一部分，这项工作的一个组成部分将涉及测量稀有同位素束设施中非常富含中子的不稳定核的结构。这些测量结果使理论学家能够改进核力的模型。作为阿贡国家实验室SuN （Summing NaI）合作项目的一部分，第二个组成部分将是测量放射性富中子核如何与CARIBU一起衰变。这些信息对于完全理解重元素是如何在中子星合并和超新星中形成的是必要的。一系列的应用问题将研究与霍普学院1.7 MV粒子加速器，它能够粒子诱导x射线光谱学，粒子诱导伽马射线光谱学和卢瑟福后向散射光谱学。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，该奖项将支持为K-12学生提供服务的地区的核科学教育推广计划。希望学院核小组非常参与两个大型合作：一个是模块化中子阵列（MoNA）合作（由Paul Gueye和其他FRIB研究人员以及一些PUI机构的研究人员领导），另一个是suming NaI （SuN）小组（由Artemis Spyrou领导，FRIB研究人员和其他国内和国际合作者）。核小组还将与LPC-Caen核结构小组（RIKEN SAMURAI合作的一部分）合作，作为这项工作的一部分。希望本科生参与策划、实验运行、数据分析、探测器研制、探测器搭建、多中子识别算法开发、稿件编写等工作。特别是，核集团主要负责MoNA触发逻辑和SuN磁带目标控制。目前，有两个pac批准的MoNA实验即将在FRIB进行：一个专注于未结合的30F，另一个专注于53Ca的未结合状态。除了在阿贡国家实验室用CARIBU进行的一系列太阳实验外，特别值得注意的是一个基于模块化全吸收光谱仪（MTAS）的实验，在FRIB （PAC1）上使用128Ag左右的光束，以及一个基于73As的ReA实验，其中部分装置，反宇宙射线屏蔽，以前是在霍普学院建造的。霍普学院的学生研究人员将继续参与、分析（专门研究β强度函数的提取），并从这些机会中发表结果。核小组还将与希望公司内外的其他研究小组合作，利用粒子诱导x射线发射光谱（PIXE）、粒子诱导伽马射线发射光谱（PIGE）和卢瑟福后向散射光谱（RBS），以及包括微聚焦能力的希望公司1.7 MV加速器，对样品进行特征分析。这将包括尝试提高水中PFAS污染的检出限。最后，pi将与探索希望学术推广合作，与K-12学生合作。该项目推进了“宇宙之窗：多信使天体物理学时代”的目标，这是美国国家科学基金会未来投资的十大理念之一。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。

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.