RUI: Studies of Neutron-Rich Rare Isotopes With the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) Detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL)

Concordia College At Moorhead, Moorhead MN

Investigators

Abstract

Concordia College will participate in the investigation of neutron-rich nuclei using the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) in experiments with fast rare isotopes at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Concordia College at Moorhead is a member of the MoNA Consortium and has played a leading role in testing and assembling the MoNA detector modules. Concordia undergraduate students will participate in experiments at the NSCL using the MoNA detector and perform analysis at Concordia College on the data taken during these experiments. MoNA is planned to come online in the Spring of 2003. Concordia College will be part of the effort to use MoNA to begin a program of study of nuclear systems along the neutron drip-line. The high detection efficiency (70%) and modular design of MoNA will allow the study of the structure of short-lived nuclei via selected break-up reactions. Once the sweeper magnet, currently being constructed at Florida State University, becomes operational MoNA will be used to explore the break-up of very neutron-rich nuclei in coincidence with the charged fragments being deflected by the sweeper magnet. The neutron-unbound ground states of nuclei far from stability will be studied using sequential particle decay spectroscopy. In addition studies of multi-neutron halos and collective excitations in neutron-rich systems using the MoNA detector and the sweeper will be explored.