RUI: Fundamental and Applied Nuclear Physics with Undergraduates

Hope College, Holland MI

Investigators

Abstract

A Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) grant has been awarded to the Hope College Nuclear Group (under the direction of Dr. Paul DeYoung and Dr. Graham Peaslee) by the National Science Foundation to support a variety of undergraduate research projects for the next three years. The research activities will center on understanding the properties of unstable nuclei far from stability, which are essential for understanding the fundamental nuclear force, modeling the formation of heavy elements in supernovae, and testing a wide variety of nuclear theories and models. In addition, we will be developing novel applications of nuclear physics techniques to questions in other scientific fields, which can lead to valuable new scientific information in these areas. Involving undergraduate students in all of these efforts educates them, excites them, and gives them tremendous preparation for graduate work. Specifically the Hope College Nuclear Group currently is planning to characterize the structure of several radioactive nuclei, including 16Be, 13Li, 5H, and 9C. These studies will be done at the National Superconducting Cyclotron with the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) and the University of Notre Dame with the ND neutron wall. At the Hope College Ion Beam Analysis Laboratory, the nuclear group will use nuclear scattering and x-ray spectrometry along with accelerator and detector technology to determine metalloprotein stoichiometry, to characterize the trace-element constituents of glass, and to determine the geological provenance of sand grains. Rutherford backscattering will also be used to characterize electropolymers and conduct in-situ measurements of protein fragments in gels. Undergraduate students will participate in all aspects of the experiments: planning, detector development, experiment setup, data taking, analysis, and dissemination. This grant will also provide support for a postdoctoral associate as part of a trial effort to train future researchers that can effectively involve undergraduate students in the setting of a primarily undergraduate institution. **