Examining Nuclear Structure with Fast Neutrons

原子核比人眼所能看到的要小数十亿倍，所以我们不能仅仅通过拍照来了解它的性质和结构。在UKAL，我们使用粒子加速器来产生核反应，产生伽马射线，这是我们希望研究的原子核的特征。从这些伽马射线中，我们可以形成原子核的图像，并了解中子和质子是如何在原子核内相互作用的。此外，本科生、研究生和研究生水平的学生在参加这些研究的同时获得了世界一流的教育。我们项目的毕业生将获得实践经验，成为训练有素的核科学家，能够为我们国家的能源、医疗和安全需求做出重要贡献。肯塔基大学加速器实验室（UKAL）研究项目的主要目的是解决核结构方面的开放问题和核科学相关领域的突出问题，我们可以对此做出独特的贡献。这个基础广泛的研究计划包括几个前沿领域的选定研究：与中微子双β衰变相关的核结构；经历形状转变的核；变形结构与形态共存；核结构对支持基本对称性研究的贡献。实验室最独特的能力是利用单能量快中子束进行非弹性散射实验，研究原子核中的低能集体模式。利用中子的非弹性散射，我们能够获得在其他设施无法获得的信息。我们实验室的实验创新包括利用多普勒频移衰减法根据快中子的非弹性散射测量重核寿命的能力的发展。这些进步，加上我们实验室生产高质量、时间束的单能中子的独特能力，使我们能够解决重要问题，并在核结构物理和基本对称性方面做出有意义的贡献。我们还开辟了其他研究领域，并与其他核加速器实验室的合作者进行了补充实验。各级教育仍然是我们实验室活动的重点，在一个小型加速器实验室的研究允许每天对年轻科学家进行指导。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。

The nucleus is billions of times smaller than is visible with the human eye and so we cannot merely take a photograph to understand its properties and structure. At UKAL, we employ a particle accelerator to produce nuclear reactions that create gamma rays which are characteristic of the nucleus we wish to study. From these gamma rays, we can develop an image of the nucleus of an atom and gain an understanding of how the neutrons and protons interact within it. In addition, students at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels gain a world-class education while participating in these studies. Graduates of our program receive hands-on experience and emerge as well-trained nuclear scientists who are capable of important contributions to our national energy, medical, and security needs.The primary aim of the research program at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (UKAL) is to address open questions in nuclear structure and outstanding problems in related areas of nuclear science to which we can uniquely contribute. This broad-based research program includes selected studies in several forefront areas: nuclear structure relevant to neutrinoless double-beta decay; nuclei undergoing shape transitions; deformed structures and shape coexistence; nuclear structure contributions in support of studies of fundamental symmetries. The most unique capability of the laboratory is the availability of a mono energetic beam of fast neutrons to do inelastic scattering experimenst to investigate low-energy collective modes in nuclei. With the inelastic scattering of neutrons, we are able to obtain information which is not accessible at other facilities. Experimental innovations in our laboratory include the development of capabilities for measuring lifetimes in heavy nuclei with the Doppler-shift attenuation method following the inelastic scattering of the fast neutrons. These advances, coupled with the unique capabilities of our laboratory for the production of high-quality, time-bunched monoenergetic neutrons, have permitted us to address important questions and make meaningful contributions in nuclear structure physics and fundamental symmetries. We have also opened other areas of study and engaged in complementary experiments with collaborators at other nuclear accelerator laboratories. Education at all levels continues to be an emphasis in our laboratory activities and research at a small accelerator laboratory permits the mentoring of young scientists on a daily basis.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.