RUI: Nuclear Physics at Hope College With Undergraduates: New Science Enhancing the STEM Workforce

Hope College, Holland MI

Investigators

Abstract

The abundance of the elements in the universe, especially those with atomic number greater than iron, depend on the nuclear properties of a wide variety of neutron-rich nuclei, many of which are formed in supernovas and neutron star mergers. The properties of these nuclei are determined by the strong and weak nuclear forces and the PI and his students will explore the specific subtleties of the nuclear force by studying the structure of neutron-rich nuclei near the neutron dripline. In addition, nuclear physics techniques and technology will be combined with the Hope College accelerator to characterize a wide variety of samples ranging from electrodeposited films to superconductors to environmental samples. Undergraduate researchers will play a central role in all of these efforts. Along with other researchers in the MoNA Collaboration, a measurement of the energy of the lowest spin and parity level (1/2 minus) in Be-13 has been approved and will be made with the spectrometer in 2020. As soon as possible, Hope College researchers will participate in a second collaboration experiment with a focus on F-28. Both of these experiments will require moving MoNA into a new vault at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Hope researchers will continue to analyze the beta decay of Ni-61, Ni-63 and Rb-71, which are of astrophysical interest. The Summing NaI (SuN) detector has been equipped with a moving tape target surrounded by a beta detector fabricated at Hope College. Hope researchers will participate in several approved experiments at the NSCL and Argonne with special emphasis on those requiring the SuN detector (including studies of Sm, Br, I, Sn, and others). Lastly, the local Hope accelerator will be used to apply particle-induced gamma-ray emission, particle-induced x-ray emission, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy to characterize a range of samples in partnership with other research groups from Hope and outside. 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.