RUI: Undergraduate Research on Neutron-Rich Nuclei

该奖项支持奥古斯塔纳学院(一家仅面向本科生的小型文科机构)的研究，以了解具有许多过剩中子的放射性原子核的结构。密歇根州立大学(MSU)的国家超导回旋加速器实验室(NSCL)用这些过剩的中子产生放射性束流。光束入射到目标上，核反应的产物在各种亚原子粒子探测器中进行测量。该项目的一个重要部分是让本科生参与这些实验和开发必要的探测器仪器。本科生的研究经验对许多未来的技术职业和研究生都很重要。这一奖项的资金支持本科生和首席研究员在NSCL设计和运行实验，分析数据，并就结果进行演讲和撰写论文。对奇异核系统的实验是必要的，以限制现代理论模型。作为这个项目的一部分，所研究的原子核是不受中子束缚的，这意味着一个原子核在形成后不久就会释放出一个中子。由于原子核非常不稳定，NSCL的放射性核离子束被用于这些实验。中子发射后剩下的带电粒子被清扫磁铁弯曲成一套带电粒子探测器。发射的中子由MONA-LISA(模块化中子阵列和大面积多机构闪烁体阵列)探测。这项建议中的研究涉及非束缚中子核系统的数据分析和正在进行的设备开发。关于24o(d，p)反应的新数据将被用来研究25o的负宇称态。由奥古斯塔纳核集团组装、测试和安装的奥古斯塔纳-MSU望远镜是这次实验的关键设备。此外，PI将为未来的实验设计、建造和使用新的分段靶标系统。

This award supports research at Augustana College (a small, undergraduate-only, liberal arts institution) to understand the structure of radioactive nuclei that have many excess neutrons. The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University (MSU) produces radioactive beams with these excess neutrons. The beams are incident upon a target and the products of the nuclear reactions are measured in a variety of subatomic particle detectors. An important part of the project is the involvement of undergraduate students in these experiments and in development of the necessary detector instrumentation. Undergraduate research experience is important for many future technical careers as well as for graduate school. The funds for this award support the work of the undergraduates and the principle investigator to design and run experiments at NSCL, to analyze data, and to give talks and write papers on the results.Experiments on exotic nuclear systems are necessary to place constraints on modern theoretical models. The nuclei studied as part of this project are neutron-unbound, which means that a neutron is emitted from a nucleus shortly after formation. Since the nuclei are so unstable, the radioactive nuclear ion beam at NSCL is utilized for these experiments. The charged particle left over after neutron emission is bent by the Sweeper Magnet into a suite of charged particle detectors. The emitted neutron is detected by the MoNA-LISA (Modular Neutron Array and the Large-area multi-Institutional Scintillator Array). The research in this proposal involves data analysis of neutron-unbound nuclear systems and on-going equipment development. New data on the 24O(d,p) reaction will be taken to study negative parity states in 25O. The Augustana-MSU hodoscope, assembled, tested and installed by the Augustana nuclear group, is a key device for this experiment. In addition, the PI will work on the design, construction, and use of a new segmented target system for future experiments.