RUI: Study of Light Exotic Nuclei Near the Neutron Dripline

Westmont College, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

This experimental nuclear physics research program is focused primarily on determining the properties of neutron-rich exotic nuclei at or just beyond the neutron dripline. In the lightest mass region (Z < 9) relatively little is known about the properties of unbound nuclear ground and excited states. Experiments designed to determine these properties are carried out using the Coupled Cyclotron Facility (CCF) at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University, along with the coupled MoNA-LISA arrays (Modular Neutron Array and the Large-area multi-Institutional Scintillator Array) in conjunction with the Sweeper Magnet. A central component of this research program is undergraduate student participation in every aspect of the research. Students participate in the experimental runs, including in preparation beforehand and in the analysis afterward. Results from the this research program will advance knowledge of nuclear structure far from stability. Opportunities for undergraduates to participate in this cutting-edge research, and to interact with the larger nuclear physics community, provide the kind of experiences that help recruit future generations of nuclear scientists.