Studies of Nuclear Reactions and Structure

该项目专注于核物理、结构和反应的基础研究。大部分实验工作将在佛罗里达州立大学校园内的约翰·D·福克斯超导实验室完成。该设施包括一个9兆伏特串列范德格拉夫加速器和一个超导线性加速器助推器，RESOLUT稀有离子能力，以及一组高分辨率康普顿抑制的伽马探测器。来自加速器系统的光束还将用于两个单独资助的实验--ANASE圆柱形主动目标探测器(与路易斯安那州立大学的物理学家合作)和用于表征表面科学中材料的精密卢瑟福背散射系统(与FSU国家高磁场实验室合作)。这笔赠款下进行的许多研究将解决天体物理学中的重要问题，例如，新星爆炸在核合成中的作用，以及快速中子捕获(R)过程预期路径上和附近的非常富含中子的核的性质告诉我们这一过程的地点和条件，该过程产生了大约三分之一的原子量超过60的核。其他需要研究的核结构问题包括：壳层结构如何随着大量的中子过剩而变化，钨和汞同位素的完整光谱，非常轻的粒子不稳定的核，以及反铁核的转动带。该计划的另一部分涉及使用相对论重离子对撞机(RHIC)的PHENIX探测器研究带有重味道探测器的夸克-胶子等离子体的性质。这些研究应该会提高对天体物理学的理解，而天体物理学在一定程度上依赖于核结构和反应的知识。这种影响在更奇异的过程中应该是最强烈的，这些过程产生了宇宙中的许多元素。RHIC的研究探索宇宙开始时的条件。我们的研究小组非常致力于为K-12学生以及本科生和研究生提供科学接触和培训。我们多次参观实验室，组织周六上午物理讲座/演示计划，在科学暑期学校为高三学生提供真实的实验室体验，评判科学博览会，并向当地学校做演讲。我们培养的博士研究生的质量远远超过了每年约3000人的数量。这是因为研究生在我们实验室获得的实践经验为他们提供了最好的实验室体验的所有高科技方面的培训。除了更明显的设计、准备、执行和分析核物理实验的技能外，我们实验室的学生还参与了从串联加速器内部工作、操作超导直线加速器、最先进的电子学、低温到高真空技术的一切工作。因此，我们的毕业生具有很高的就业能力，并为研究、教育、国防、国家安全、医药和工业做出了宝贵贡献。

This project focuses on fundamental research in nuclear physics structure and reactions. Much of the experimental work will be done in the John D. Fox Superconducting Laboratory on the Florida State University campus. The facility consists of a 9 MegaVolt tandem Van de Graaff accelerator and a superconducting.Linear Accelerator booster, the RESOLUT rare ion capability, and an array of high-resolution Compton-suppressed gamma detectors. Beams from the accelerator system will also be used for two separately funded experiments - the ANASEN cylindrical active target detector (in collaboration with physicists at Louisiana State University) and a precision Rutherford back scattering system for characterizing materials in surface science (in collaboration with the FSU National High Magnetic Field Laboratory).Much of the research to be performed under this grant will address important issues in astrophysics, such as the role of Nova explosions in nucleosynthesis and what the properties of very neutron-rich nuclei on and near the expected path of the rapid neutron capture (r) process tell us about the sites and conditions of this process which produced about 1/3 of the nuclei with atomic weights above 60. Other nuclear structure issues to be studied include how the shell structure changes with large neutron excess, complete spectroscopy in the Tungsten and Mercury isotopes, very light particle-unstable nuclei, and rotational bands in trans-Fermium nuclei. Another part of the program involves study of the properties of the quark-gluon plasma with heavy flavor probes using the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC).These studies should improve the understanding of astrophysics, which depends in part on knowledge of nuclear structure and reactions. The influence should be strongest on the more exotic processes, which have produced many of the elements in the universe. Studies at RHIC probe the conditions at the beginning of the universe.Our research group is very dedicated to providing scientific exposure and training to K-12 students, as well as undergraduates and graduate students. We present many tours of the laboratory, organize a Saturday Morning Physics lecture/demonstration program, provide real laboratory experience for high school juniors in a science summer school, judge science fairs, and make presentations to local schools. The quality of our training of Ph.D. graduate students goes well beyond the numbers of about 3 per year. This is because the hands-on experience graduate students get in our laboratory provides them with the best possible training in all high-tech aspects of the laboratory experience. Besides the more obvious skills in designing, preparing, performing, and analyzing nuclear physics experiments, students in our laboratory participate in everything from working inside the tandem accelerator, operating the superconducting LINAC, state-of-the-art electronics, cryogenics to high-vacuum technology. As a result, our graduates are highly employable and make valuable contributions to research, education, homeland defense, national security, medicine, and industry.