Manchester Nuclear Physics Consolidated Grant Request
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Nuclear Physics aims to understand the structure and dynamics of nuclear systems. It is the key to understanding the Universe from the first microseconds of its inception when the quark-gluon plasma prevailed, through its history of star and galaxy formation where nuclear reactions play an essential role both in the generation of energy and the creation of elements. The field also has applications that benefit society in diverse areas, from medicine and security to power production, and a strong impact on other fields of science.
Atomic nuclei are a unique quantal laboratory in which microscopic as well as mesoscopic features, driven by effective two-body and three-body forces, can be studied. They are complex many-body systems, but often display unexpected regularities and simple excitation patterns that arise from underlying shell structure, pairing and collective modes of excitation. Such properties are also exhibited by simpler mesoscopic systems (for example, metallic clusters, quantum dots, and atomic condensates) the understanding of which draws heavily on techniques developed and honed in nuclear physics. A fundamental challenge is to understand nuclear properties ab-initio from the interplay of the strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces between individual nucleons. In recent years, enormous progress has been made with such programmes for light nuclei. For heavier nuclei, shell, cluster and other beyond mean field many-body techniques, based on effective interactions, provide essential frameworks for correlating experimental data, yet still lack the refinement to reliably predict nuclear properties as one moves more than a few nucleons from well-studied stable nuclei.
We plan to make measurements of transfer reactions, particle and gamma decays, state lifetimes, ground-state and isomer properties using lasers, and neutron-induced reactions to yield data with which to study the development of nuclear shapes, the evolution of nuclear structure in exotic isotopes and the reactions important for the s and r nucleosynthetic pathways.
We also aim to make connections between the interactions of nucleons and the underlying theory that describes the strong force, Quantum Chromodynamics. Key quantities are the polarisabilities that describe how the structures of nucleons respond to external electric and magnetic fields. We are developing theoretical tools to determine these from experiments on the scattering of photons from hydrogen and other light nuclei. The latter are needed to learn about the the properties of the neutron since it is an unstable particle, and are also interesting for the testing of nuclear forces in few-body systems and for the calculation of muonic atom Lamb shifts.
See the Case for Support for more details about the proposed research.
Atomic nuclei are a unique quantal laboratory in which microscopic as well as mesoscopic features, driven by effective two-body and three-body forces, can be studied. They are complex many-body systems, but often display unexpected regularities and simple excitation patterns that arise from underlying shell structure, pairing and collective modes of excitation. Such properties are also exhibited by simpler mesoscopic systems (for example, metallic clusters, quantum dots, and atomic condensates) the understanding of which draws heavily on techniques developed and honed in nuclear physics. A fundamental challenge is to understand nuclear properties ab-initio from the interplay of the strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces between individual nucleons. In recent years, enormous progress has been made with such programmes for light nuclei. For heavier nuclei, shell, cluster and other beyond mean field many-body techniques, based on effective interactions, provide essential frameworks for correlating experimental data, yet still lack the refinement to reliably predict nuclear properties as one moves more than a few nucleons from well-studied stable nuclei.
We plan to make measurements of transfer reactions, particle and gamma decays, state lifetimes, ground-state and isomer properties using lasers, and neutron-induced reactions to yield data with which to study the development of nuclear shapes, the evolution of nuclear structure in exotic isotopes and the reactions important for the s and r nucleosynthetic pathways.
We also aim to make connections between the interactions of nucleons and the underlying theory that describes the strong force, Quantum Chromodynamics. Key quantities are the polarisabilities that describe how the structures of nucleons respond to external electric and magnetic fields. We are developing theoretical tools to determine these from experiments on the scattering of photons from hydrogen and other light nuclei. The latter are needed to learn about the the properties of the neutron since it is an unstable particle, and are also interesting for the testing of nuclear forces in few-body systems and for the calculation of muonic atom Lamb shifts.
See the Case for Support for more details about the proposed research.
Planned Impact
Trained manpower at postgraduate and postdoctoral levels is in great demand in nuclear, software and instrumentation industries. Young scientists trained within academic nuclear physics are the only source of independent expertise in areas concerning radioactivity and radiation detection. The importance of this expertise can only increase in the future as the UK moves into its new nuclear build programme. The Nuclear Industrial Strategy recognises the key enablers will be an increase in nuclear R&D and development of nuclear skills. Handling and disposal of nuclear wastes, reactor decommissioning and advanced reactor designs will become even more important issues in society. The research undertaken will also directly inform the teaching of undergraduates at Manchester who will benefit from advanced courses involving examples from topical, current research issues.
Since nuclear physics is the fundamental science underpinning the nuclear sector, our expertise developed in research projects such as these allows us to host for two major postgraduate training programmes: the Coordinating Centre for NTEC (Nuclear Technology Education Consortium involving 8 UK universities providing Masters-level courses to the nuclear industry) and the EPSRC Industrial Doctorate Centre for Nuclear Engineering (a consortium of 8 universities). We deliver core and options modules for NTEC, and we are quickly expanding other KT activities (eg IAEA MSc course in nuclear security; leading involvement in a European project to design nuclear safety culture courses across the European nuclear sector; and nuclear codes training courses).
All members of the group, including academics, research fellows, PDRAs and PhD students, undertake public engagement activities. The members of the academic staff have a strong track record in outreach and have built up experience and a good reputation that can be used to good effect; research staff and students are less experienced, yet highly committed, and training is encouraged. Through our participation in the Dalton Nuclear Institute, we collaborate with a number of local and national institutions as well. Dr John Roberts, a Nuclear Fellow partly-funded by our Group's income from education & training courses, is a member of the Nuclear Physics Group and coordinates our activities in this area. For example, we are running an annual course on nuclear energy for KS4 pupils. In collaboration with other UK nuclear physics groups, we organise an annual Teach the Teachers workshop that covers nuclear energy, nuclear medicine and nuclear physics. Dr Roberts lectures to teachers on The Prince's Teaching Institute's Subject Days and these are very well received by the participants. Members of the group are also active in various CERN-based public engagement activities.
Group members have also been able to influence UK and International Policy on nuclear related issues via participation in select committee activities and by representing the UK at a variety of international meetings related to the nuclear industry and skills.
Nuclear data and technological expertise in the group will be used to make measurements relevant to the nuclear industry by improving a variety of important nuclear cross sections. This will feed into the Joint European Fission-Fusion database, used throughout the nuclear industry to improve safety and economics of current and future operations, and of the design of advanced reactors and geological disposal facilities.
Group members are involved in several projects to improve SPECT imaging at the Christie hospital, with potential to commission commercial software. The group has supported medical research using short-lived positron emitters at the Wolfson Medical Imaging Centre, by joint supervision of MPhys and MSc students.
See Pathways to Impact for more details.
Since nuclear physics is the fundamental science underpinning the nuclear sector, our expertise developed in research projects such as these allows us to host for two major postgraduate training programmes: the Coordinating Centre for NTEC (Nuclear Technology Education Consortium involving 8 UK universities providing Masters-level courses to the nuclear industry) and the EPSRC Industrial Doctorate Centre for Nuclear Engineering (a consortium of 8 universities). We deliver core and options modules for NTEC, and we are quickly expanding other KT activities (eg IAEA MSc course in nuclear security; leading involvement in a European project to design nuclear safety culture courses across the European nuclear sector; and nuclear codes training courses).
All members of the group, including academics, research fellows, PDRAs and PhD students, undertake public engagement activities. The members of the academic staff have a strong track record in outreach and have built up experience and a good reputation that can be used to good effect; research staff and students are less experienced, yet highly committed, and training is encouraged. Through our participation in the Dalton Nuclear Institute, we collaborate with a number of local and national institutions as well. Dr John Roberts, a Nuclear Fellow partly-funded by our Group's income from education & training courses, is a member of the Nuclear Physics Group and coordinates our activities in this area. For example, we are running an annual course on nuclear energy for KS4 pupils. In collaboration with other UK nuclear physics groups, we organise an annual Teach the Teachers workshop that covers nuclear energy, nuclear medicine and nuclear physics. Dr Roberts lectures to teachers on The Prince's Teaching Institute's Subject Days and these are very well received by the participants. Members of the group are also active in various CERN-based public engagement activities.
Group members have also been able to influence UK and International Policy on nuclear related issues via participation in select committee activities and by representing the UK at a variety of international meetings related to the nuclear industry and skills.
Nuclear data and technological expertise in the group will be used to make measurements relevant to the nuclear industry by improving a variety of important nuclear cross sections. This will feed into the Joint European Fission-Fusion database, used throughout the nuclear industry to improve safety and economics of current and future operations, and of the design of advanced reactors and geological disposal facilities.
Group members are involved in several projects to improve SPECT imaging at the Christie hospital, with potential to commission commercial software. The group has supported medical research using short-lived positron emitters at the Wolfson Medical Imaging Centre, by joint supervision of MPhys and MSc students.
See Pathways to Impact for more details.
Organisations
- University of Manchester (Lead Research Organisation)
- Western Michigan University (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Munich (Collaboration)
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) (Collaboration)
- Daresbury Laboratory (Collaboration)
- University of Leuven (Collaboration)
- Argonne National Laboratory (Collaboration)
- University of Jyväskylä (Collaboration)
- European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) (Collaboration)
Publications
Contessi L
(2021)
Emergent four-body parameter in universal two-species bosonic systems
in Physics Letters A
Martinez Palenzuela Y
(2018)
Enhancing the extraction of laser-ionized beams from an arc discharge ion source volume
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Ertoprak A
(2020)
Evidence for octupole collectivity in $$^{172}{\mathrm {Pt}}$$
in The European Physical Journal A
Ralet D
(2019)
Evidence of octupole-phonons at high spin in 207Pb
in Physics Letters B
MacGregor P
(2021)
Evolution of single-particle structure near the N = 20 island of inversion
in Physical Review C
Parr E
(2020)
Excited states in Ra 217 populated in the a decay of Th 221
in Physical Review C
Barbagallo M
(2018)
Experimental setup and procedure for the measurement of the 7Be(n,p)7Li reaction at n_TOF
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Tang T
(2022)
Experimental study of the isomeric state in N 16 using the N g , m 16 ( d , He 3 ) reaction
in Physical Review C
Gamba E
(2018)
Fast-timing Measurements in $^{100}$Zr Using LaBr$_{3}$(Ce) Detectors Coupled with Gammasphere
in Acta Physica Polonica B
Gamba E
(2019)
Fast-timing measurements in the ground-state band of Pd 114
in Physical Review C
Rudigier M
(2020)
FATIMA - FAst TIMing Array for DESPEC at FAIR
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Majola S
(2020)
First candidates for ? vibrational bands built on the [ 505 ] 11 / 2 - neutron orbital in odd- A Dy isotopes
in Physical Review C
Tang TL
(2020)
First Exploration of Neutron Shell Structure below Lead and beyond N=126.
in Physical review letters
Urban W
(2019)
First observation of ? -soft and triaxial bands in Zr isotopes
in Physical Review C
Urban W
(2020)
First observation of excited states in the Ce 96 154 nucleus: Rigid rotation at Z = 58
in Physical Review C
Sosnin N
(2020)
Fission fragment atomic number measurements using Bragg detectors
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Walet N
(2021)
Flat bands, strains, and charge distribution in twisted bilayer h - BN
in Physical Review B
Bazak B
(2019)
Four-Body Scale in Universal Few-Boson Systems.
in Physical review letters
Hammen M
(2018)
From Calcium to Cadmium: Testing the Pairing Functional through Charge Radii Measurements of ^{100-130}Cd.
in Physical review letters
Croese J
(2021)
High-accuracy liquid-sample ß -NMR setup at ISOLDE
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Koszorús Á
(2023)
High-precision measurements of the hyperfine structure of cobalt ions in the deep ultraviolet range.
in Scientific reports
Garcia Ruiz R
(2018)
High-Precision Multiphoton Ionization of Accelerated Laser-Ablated Species
in Physical Review X
Heylen H
(2021)
High-resolution laser spectroscopy of Al 27 - 32
in Physical Review C
Frömmgen N
(2019)
Hyperfine structure and nuclear magnetic moments of the praseodymium isotopes135,136,137Pr
in Hyperfine Interactions
Yordanov D
(2020)
Instrumentation for high-resolution laser spectroscopy at the ALTO radioactive-beam facility
in Journal of Instrumentation
Nichols M
(2023)
Investigating radioactive negative ion production via double electron capture
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Yang X
(2018)
Investigating the large deformation of the 5 / 2 + isomeric state in Zn 73 : An indicator for triaxiality
in Physical Review C
Piersa M
(2018)
Investigation of Low-lying States in $^{133}$Sn Populated in the $\beta $ Decay of $^{133}$In Using Isomer-selective Laser Ionization
in Acta Physica Polonica B
Stamatopoulos A
(2020)
Investigation of the Pu 240 ( n , f ) reaction at the n_TOF/EAR2 facility in the 9 meV-6 MeV range
in Physical Review C
Boso A
(2019)
Isospin dependence of electromagnetic transition strengths among an isobaric triplet
in Physics Letters B
Cederwall B
(2020)
Isospin Properties of Nuclear Pair Correlations from the Level Structure of the Self-Conjugate Nucleus ^{88}Ru.
in Physical review letters
Vormawah L
(2018)
Isotope shifts from collinear laser spectroscopy of doubly charged yttrium isotopes
in Physical Review A
Udrescu S
(2021)
Isotope Shifts of Radium Monofluoride Molecules
Udrescu SM
(2021)
Isotope Shifts of Radium Monofluoride Molecules.
in Physical review letters
Vernon AR
(2020)
Laser spectroscopy of indium Rydberg atom bunches by electric field ionization.
in Scientific reports
Day Goodacre T
(2021)
Laser Spectroscopy of Neutron-Rich Hg 207 , 208 Isotopes: Illuminating the Kink and Odd-Even Staggering in Charge Radii across the N = 126 Shell Closure
in Physical Review Letters
Gorges C
(2019)
Laser Spectroscopy of Neutron-Rich Tin Isotopes: A Discontinuity in Charge Radii across the N=82 Shell Closure.
in Physical review letters
Nara Singh B
(2018)
Level structure above the 17 + isomeric state in Tm 83 69 152
in Physical Review C
Goldkuhle A
(2019)
Lifetime measurements in Ti 52 , 54 to study shell evolution toward N = 32
in Physical Review C
Lewis M
(2019)
Lifetime measurements of excited states in 163W and the implications for the anomalous B(E2) ratios in transitional nuclei
in Physics Letters B
Cederwall B
(2018)
Lifetime Measurements of Excited States in ^{172}Pt and the Variation of Quadrupole Transition Strength with Angular Momentum.
in Physical review letters
Giles M
(2018)
Lifetime measurements of lowest states in the p g 7 / 2 ? ? h 11 / 2 rotational band in I 112
in Physical Review C
Heery J
(2021)
Lifetime measurements of yrast states in $$^{\mathbf {178}}$$Pt using the charge plunger method with a recoil separator
in The European Physical Journal A
Harding R
(2020)
Magnetic Moments of Short-Lived Nuclei with Part-per-Million Accuracy: Toward Novel Applications of ß -Detected NMR in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology
in Physical Review X
Kuang W
(2021)
Magnetization Signature of Topological Surface States in a Non-Symmorphic Superconductor.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Mendoza E
(2018)
Measurement and analysis of the Am 241 neutron capture cross section at the n_TOF facility at CERN
in Physical Review C
De Groote R
(2020)
Measurement and microscopic description of odd-even staggering of charge radii of exotic copper isotopes
in Nature Physics
Praena J
(2018)
Measurement and resonance analysis of the S 33 ( n , a ) Si 30 cross section at the CERN n_TOF facility in the energy region from 10 to 300 keV
in Physical Review C
Lederer-Woods C
(2019)
Measurement of 73Ge(n,?) cross sections and implications for stellar nucleosynthesis
in Physics Letters B
Description | Manchester Nuclear Physics Consolidated Grant 2020 |
Amount | £1,362,208 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/V001116/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2021 |
End | 09/2025 |
Title | Open Dataset for publication: Half-life determination of 215At and 221Ra with high-purity radioactive ion beams - IS637 |
Description | This material is provided as a supplementary open data for the publication in preparation "Half-life determination of 215At and 221Ra with high-purity radioactive ion beams" and contains all the source files regarding this publication and determination of 215At half-life. The data were collected in July and November 2018 during IS637 experiment at ISOLDE, CERN. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/8262523 |
Title | Open Dataset for publication: Half-life determination of 215At and 221Ra with high-purity radioactive ion beams - IS665 |
Description | The dataset for publication in preparation: Half-life determination of 215At and 221Ra with high-purity radioactive ion beams Includes the data analysed for results given in the publication from the IS665 experimental campaign at ISOLDE (CERN). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/8262559 |
Description | Argonne National Laboratory |
Organisation | Argonne National Laboratory |
Department | Physics Division |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Intellectual input, performing experiments, data analysis, writing publications |
Collaborator Contribution | Facility provision and intellectual input |
Impact | Publications. |
Description | CRIS Collaboration |
Organisation | University of Leuven |
Department | Institute for Nuclear and Radiation Physics |
Country | Belgium |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have designed and constructed the beam line and laser laboratory. We developed new techniques and designed equipment upgrades. We have provided staff and equipment. |
Collaborator Contribution | They have provided funding for equipment and manpower. |
Impact | See publication list. |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | HELIOS |
Organisation | Argonne National Laboratory |
Department | Physics Division |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Gas detector system and electronics, intellectual input |
Collaborator Contribution | Intellectual input, silicon detector arrays, electronics |
Impact | Publications |
Description | HELIOS |
Organisation | Western Michigan University |
Department | Department of Physics |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Gas detector system and electronics, intellectual input |
Collaborator Contribution | Intellectual input, silicon detector arrays, electronics |
Impact | Publications |
Description | ISOLDE |
Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
Department | ISOLDE Radioactive Ion Beam Facility |
Country | Switzerland |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Scientific ideas and planning |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific ideas and planning |
Impact | Continuing scientific collaboration in potential future projects. |
Start Year | 2007 |
Description | Jyvaskyla |
Organisation | University of Jyvaskyla |
Department | Accelerator Laboratory |
Country | Finland |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Intellectual input - apparatus. |
Collaborator Contribution | Facility provision / beam time |
Impact | Academic outputs |
Description | STFC Daresbury |
Organisation | Daresbury Laboratory |
Department | Nuclear Physics Support Group |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Detector development |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint grant application, electronics and daq, target manufacture. |
Impact | Publications. Equipment production. |
Description | TUM |
Organisation | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) |
Department | Faculty of Physics |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Physics ideas, analysis, writing papers. |
Collaborator Contribution | Beam time, access to experimental facilities. |
Impact | Research papers |
Start Year | 2011 |
Description | TUM |
Organisation | Technical University of Munich |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Physics ideas, analysis, writing papers. |
Collaborator Contribution | Beam time, access to experimental facilities. |
Impact | Research papers |
Start Year | 2011 |
Company Name | Artemis Analytical |
Description | Artemis Analytical provides carbon dating analysis that uses quantum technology with the aim of reducing time waiting for results. |
Year Established | 2016 |
Impact | The company has yet to start trading. At the moment we have filed two patents to protect inventions that built on research at CERN during the fellowship. The company is in the process of securing its IP position, conducting market research and structural planning and seeking equity investment. It is hoped to start trading in 2018. |
Website | https://www.artemis-analytical.com/ |