Using Fast Neutrons to Explore Nuclear Structure

肯塔基大学的核结构研究集中在核谱学、中子诱导和中子发射反应以及中子散射等及时相关的主题上。该实验计划旨在利用该大学加速器设施的中子生产能力和该实验室开发的独特探测能力。原子核结构研究主要着眼于探索近球形原子核中的多声子振动激发，研究新的核激发类型，确定质子和中子在集体模式中的作用，以及理解核壳结构和核形状转变的本质。用多普勒频移衰减法和伽马-伽马符合测量方法测量核能级寿命将在许多此类研究中发挥关键作用。将在特别适合加速器实验室的能力和设施的其他领域进行精心挑选的实验。本科生、研究生和研究生的教育仍然是我们实验室所有活动的组成部分。为学生提供支持性的专业经验是我们项目的一个持续的、至关重要的组成部分，毕业生成为准备充分的核科学家。多年来，我们实验室的研究设施一直向非博士授予机构的学生和教职员工以及其他研究型大学和国家实验室的科学家开放，并鼓励开展研究合作。这些同事经常利用我们独特的设施来获取可能对较大实验室或其他物理领域的实验设计至关重要的信息。我们实验室所做的研究直接适用于国家利益和国土安全问题。利用我们的加速器和研究设备的政府和工业合作伙伴的活动很好地代表了这些应用。

Nuclear structure research at the University of Kentucky is focussed on timely, related topics in nuclear spectroscopy, neutron-induced and neutron-emitting reactions, and neutron scattering. The experimental program is designed to take advantage of the neutron production capabilities at the University's accelerator facility and the unique detection capabilities that have been developed in this laboratory. Nuclear structure studies are primarily oriented toward exploring multiphonon vibrational excitations in nearly spherical nuclei, examining new types of nuclear excitations, defining the roles of protons and neutrons in collective modes, and understanding nuclear shell structure and the nature of nuclear shape transitions. Nuclear level lifetime measurements with the Doppler-shift attenuation method and gamma-gamma coincidence measurements, for which the methodologies have been developed in our laboratory, will play crucial roles in many of these studies. Carefully selected experiments in other areas which are particularly appropriate to the capabilities and facilities at the accelerator laboratory will be pursued. Education at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels continues to be an integral part of all activities in our laboratory. Providing a supportive professional experience for students is an ongoing, vital component of our program, and graduates emerge as well-prepared nuclear scientists. For many years, the research facilities of our laboratory have been made available to students and faculty from non-doctoral-granting institutions, as well as to scientists from other research universities and national laboratories, and research collaborations are encouraged. These colleagues frequently take advantage of our unique facilities to obtain information that may be crucial for the design of experiments at larger laboratories or in other areas of physics. Research performed in our laboratory is directly applicable to problems of national interest and homeland security. These applications are well represented by the activities of government and industrial partners who utilize our accelerator and research equipment.