New approaches to the study of shape coexistence
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
100 years after the discovery of the atomic nucleus by Sir Ernest Rutherford at the University of Manchester, much is still left to research on the heart of matter. The nuclear landscape is vast, with 300 stable isotopes and 3000 known radioactive isotopes. Nuclear models predict that about as many are yet to be discovered. Those models are also used to predict the many properties of the most exotic nuclei, out of reach of the laboratory studies. Those nuclei are of great importance in stellar processes responsible for the creation of matter as we know it in the universe. However, models often disagree with one another and their predictions have to be asserted with experimental evidence. Of particular interest is the shape of the nucleus as its observation is independent of the model used in extracting the data. In this research proposal, we shall investigate the phenomenon of shape coexistence in the heavy isotopes around mercury, lead, polonium, and radon, where spherical and deformed shapes compete with one another at low energy. In order to gather the required information, we shall perform experiments at international rare ion beam facilities such as CERN-ISOLDE. The study of ground- and excited-state properties in exotic isotopes of polonium and radon shall highlight features of interest. Finally, technical developments towards new experimental techniques will be made with the Heidelberg Test Storage Ring (TSR) facility, for its implantation at CERN-ISOLDE.
Organisations
- University of Manchester (Lead Research Organisation)
- Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (Collaboration)
- Comenius University in Bratislava (Collaboration)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU) (Collaboration)
- University of Greifswald (Collaboration)
- National Physical Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Slovak Academy of Sciences (Collaboration)
- Lohengrin (Institut Laue-Langevin) (Collaboration)
- THE CHRISTIE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (Collaboration)
- Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (Collaboration)
- European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) (Collaboration)
- Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Collaboration)
- National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) (Collaboration)
- Max Planck Society (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Dresden (Collaboration)
- IPN Orsay - Nuclear structure (Collaboration)
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (Collaboration)
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI) (Collaboration)
- Istanbul University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF YORK (Collaboration)
- University of Leuven (Collaboration)
- KU Leuven (Fellow)
Publications
Truesdale V
(2016)
ß -delayed fission and a decay of At 196
in Physical Review C
Van Beveren C
(2015)
Internal decay of the ( 10 - ) intruder state in Tl 184
in Physical Review C
Venhart M
(2017)
New systematic features in the neutron-deficient Au isotopes
in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics
Venhart M
(2017)
Application of the Broad Energy Germanium detector: A technique for elucidating ß -decay schemes which involve daughter nuclei with very low energy excited states
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Vernon A
(2019)
Simulation of the relative atomic populations of elements 1 = Z =89 following charge exchange tested with collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy of indium
in Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy
Vernon A
(2020)
Optimising the Collinear Resonance Ionisation Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at CERN-ISOLDE
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Welker A
(2017)
Precision electron-capture energy in 202Pb and its relevance for neutrino mass determination
in The European Physical Journal A
| Description | Through this research, we have developed new tools to study the properties of radioactive nuclei, using solid state detectors and lasers. We have used those tools at CERN to study very exotic radioactive nuclei only produced in the laboratory, and have extracted several of their properties (e.g. lifetime, decay energies). By comparing those with theoretical models, we have been able to constrain the predictions of the models on radioactive nuclei that so exotic they cannot be produced in the laboratory, although we suspect that they are essential in the astrophysical processes responsible for nucleosynthesis (the process through which matters is produced in the universe). |
| Exploitation Route | My findings have already been exploited by other researchers, either by theorists to challenge the nuclear models, or by other experimental teams to complement their research. Furthermore, recent technical advances in my research will provide input into the design of new facilities for the production of medical radioisotopes. Finally, the results presented can be used in the study of trace elements in natural sample, for geological or oceanographical studies, as well as in threat reduction and nuclear non-proliferation activities. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Education,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Security and Diplomacy,Other |
| URL | http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/thomas.cocolios/Website_perso/Home.html |
| Description | My findings have contributed to further the understanding of the structure of matter. This has impact in the modelling of nucleosynthesis (the origin of matter in the universe) and also in the modelling of nuclear process for man-made activity (such as in the energy sector). New developments are additionally under way for medical applications of radioisotopes. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Education,Energy,Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | IOP Nuclear Physics Group |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | http://www.iop.org/activity/groups/subject/np/ |
| Description | Royal Society Research Grant |
| Amount | £13,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RG130726 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2014 |
| End | 02/2015 |
| Description | STFC Ernest Rutherford Research Grant |
| Amount | £160,910 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/L002868/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2014 |
| End | 01/2017 |
| Description | CRIS |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | Engineering: Sources, Targets and Interactions (EN-STI) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Manchester proposed the original idea, made the design and constructed the setup The Spokesperson is from Manchester My contribution is to be the convener for the Decay Spectroscopy programme I am directly contributing a full-time PhD student with minimum 1 year LTA and some equipment |
| Collaborator Contribution | Additional equipment (e.g. lasers) and manpower |
| Impact | Scientific publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | CRIS |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | ISOLDE Radioactive Ion Beam Facility |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Manchester proposed the original idea, made the design and constructed the setup The Spokesperson is from Manchester My contribution is to be the convener for the Decay Spectroscopy programme I am directly contributing a full-time PhD student with minimum 1 year LTA and some equipment |
| Collaborator Contribution | Additional equipment (e.g. lasers) and manpower |
| Impact | Scientific publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | CRIS |
| Organisation | IPN Orsay - Nuclear structure |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Manchester proposed the original idea, made the design and constructed the setup The Spokesperson is from Manchester My contribution is to be the convener for the Decay Spectroscopy programme I am directly contributing a full-time PhD student with minimum 1 year LTA and some equipment |
| Collaborator Contribution | Additional equipment (e.g. lasers) and manpower |
| Impact | Scientific publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | CRIS |
| Organisation | Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz |
| Department | LARISSA |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Manchester proposed the original idea, made the design and constructed the setup The Spokesperson is from Manchester My contribution is to be the convener for the Decay Spectroscopy programme I am directly contributing a full-time PhD student with minimum 1 year LTA and some equipment |
| Collaborator Contribution | Additional equipment (e.g. lasers) and manpower |
| Impact | Scientific publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | CRIS |
| Organisation | University of Leuven |
| Department | Institute for Nuclear and Radiation Physics |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Manchester proposed the original idea, made the design and constructed the setup The Spokesperson is from Manchester My contribution is to be the convener for the Decay Spectroscopy programme I am directly contributing a full-time PhD student with minimum 1 year LTA and some equipment |
| Collaborator Contribution | Additional equipment (e.g. lasers) and manpower |
| Impact | Scientific publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | ISOLTRAP |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | ISOLDE Radioactive Ion Beam Facility |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Convener for the Tape Station programme New decay spectroscopy setup for alpha decay 1 full-time PhD student including minimum 1 year LTA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full experimental setup Full operation support |
| Impact | Scientific publications on my research themes Extended collaboration with other partners at ISOLDE |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | ISOLTRAP |
| Organisation | Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Convener for the Tape Station programme New decay spectroscopy setup for alpha decay 1 full-time PhD student including minimum 1 year LTA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full experimental setup Full operation support |
| Impact | Scientific publications on my research themes Extended collaboration with other partners at ISOLDE |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | ISOLTRAP |
| Organisation | Istanbul University |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | Turkey |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Convener for the Tape Station programme New decay spectroscopy setup for alpha decay 1 full-time PhD student including minimum 1 year LTA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full experimental setup Full operation support |
| Impact | Scientific publications on my research themes Extended collaboration with other partners at ISOLDE |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | ISOLTRAP |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Convener for the Tape Station programme New decay spectroscopy setup for alpha decay 1 full-time PhD student including minimum 1 year LTA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full experimental setup Full operation support |
| Impact | Scientific publications on my research themes Extended collaboration with other partners at ISOLDE |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | ISOLTRAP |
| Organisation | National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) |
| Department | Centre for Nuclear Sciences and Material Sciences (CSNSM) |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Convener for the Tape Station programme New decay spectroscopy setup for alpha decay 1 full-time PhD student including minimum 1 year LTA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full experimental setup Full operation support |
| Impact | Scientific publications on my research themes Extended collaboration with other partners at ISOLDE |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | ISOLTRAP |
| Organisation | Technical University of Dresden |
| Department | Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Convener for the Tape Station programme New decay spectroscopy setup for alpha decay 1 full-time PhD student including minimum 1 year LTA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full experimental setup Full operation support |
| Impact | Scientific publications on my research themes Extended collaboration with other partners at ISOLDE |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | ISOLTRAP |
| Organisation | University of Greifswald |
| Department | Institute of Physics |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Convener for the Tape Station programme New decay spectroscopy setup for alpha decay 1 full-time PhD student including minimum 1 year LTA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full experimental setup Full operation support |
| Impact | Scientific publications on my research themes Extended collaboration with other partners at ISOLDE |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | MEDICIS |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | CERN - Other |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have studied the impact of the predicted collections at the CERN MEDICIS facility on the radiation levels in the experimental area. Suggestions on a series of collection chambers have been made. Partnership between CERN MEDICIS and The Christie have been explored. Links between CERN MEDICIS and The National Physical Laboratory have been initiated. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CERN MEDICIS is building the facility. KU Leuven will provide an essential piece of equipment (dipole magnet). The National Physical Laboratory will study Good Manufacturing Practices. The Christie will be an end user of the isotopes produced at CERN MEDICIS. |
| Impact | An NTEC Master Thesis has been produced on this subject. The partnership between NPL and CERN MEDICIS has been cemented, resulting in a tangible lasting involvement of the UK in this international collaboration. An experimental programme involving CERN MEDICIS and The Christie has been cemented with the submission of a Letter of Intent to the CERN ISOLDE & nToF Committee (INTC) for the award of beam time at CERN. The final aim of this collaboration is use the general progress from fundamental nuclear research towards medical applications with radioisotopes. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | MEDICIS |
| Organisation | National Physical Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have studied the impact of the predicted collections at the CERN MEDICIS facility on the radiation levels in the experimental area. Suggestions on a series of collection chambers have been made. Partnership between CERN MEDICIS and The Christie have been explored. Links between CERN MEDICIS and The National Physical Laboratory have been initiated. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CERN MEDICIS is building the facility. KU Leuven will provide an essential piece of equipment (dipole magnet). The National Physical Laboratory will study Good Manufacturing Practices. The Christie will be an end user of the isotopes produced at CERN MEDICIS. |
| Impact | An NTEC Master Thesis has been produced on this subject. The partnership between NPL and CERN MEDICIS has been cemented, resulting in a tangible lasting involvement of the UK in this international collaboration. An experimental programme involving CERN MEDICIS and The Christie has been cemented with the submission of a Letter of Intent to the CERN ISOLDE & nToF Committee (INTC) for the award of beam time at CERN. The final aim of this collaboration is use the general progress from fundamental nuclear research towards medical applications with radioisotopes. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | MEDICIS |
| Organisation | The Christie NHS Foundation Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We have studied the impact of the predicted collections at the CERN MEDICIS facility on the radiation levels in the experimental area. Suggestions on a series of collection chambers have been made. Partnership between CERN MEDICIS and The Christie have been explored. Links between CERN MEDICIS and The National Physical Laboratory have been initiated. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CERN MEDICIS is building the facility. KU Leuven will provide an essential piece of equipment (dipole magnet). The National Physical Laboratory will study Good Manufacturing Practices. The Christie will be an end user of the isotopes produced at CERN MEDICIS. |
| Impact | An NTEC Master Thesis has been produced on this subject. The partnership between NPL and CERN MEDICIS has been cemented, resulting in a tangible lasting involvement of the UK in this international collaboration. An experimental programme involving CERN MEDICIS and The Christie has been cemented with the submission of a Letter of Intent to the CERN ISOLDE & nToF Committee (INTC) for the award of beam time at CERN. The final aim of this collaboration is use the general progress from fundamental nuclear research towards medical applications with radioisotopes. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | MEDICIS |
| Organisation | University of Leuven |
| Department | Institute for Nuclear and Radiation Physics |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have studied the impact of the predicted collections at the CERN MEDICIS facility on the radiation levels in the experimental area. Suggestions on a series of collection chambers have been made. Partnership between CERN MEDICIS and The Christie have been explored. Links between CERN MEDICIS and The National Physical Laboratory have been initiated. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CERN MEDICIS is building the facility. KU Leuven will provide an essential piece of equipment (dipole magnet). The National Physical Laboratory will study Good Manufacturing Practices. The Christie will be an end user of the isotopes produced at CERN MEDICIS. |
| Impact | An NTEC Master Thesis has been produced on this subject. The partnership between NPL and CERN MEDICIS has been cemented, resulting in a tangible lasting involvement of the UK in this international collaboration. An experimental programme involving CERN MEDICIS and The Christie has been cemented with the submission of a Letter of Intent to the CERN ISOLDE & nToF Committee (INTC) for the award of beam time at CERN. The final aim of this collaboration is use the general progress from fundamental nuclear research towards medical applications with radioisotopes. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | Belgian Nuclear Research Centre |
| Department | ISOL@MYRRHA |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | Comenius University in Bratislava |
| Department | Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | Engineering: Sources, Targets and Interactions (EN-STI) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | ISOLDE Radioactive Ion Beam Facility |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU) |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | IPN Orsay - Nuclear structure |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | Joint Institute of Nuclear Research |
| Country | Russian Federation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | Lohengrin (Institut Laue-Langevin) |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI) |
| Country | Russian Federation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | Slovak Academy of Sciences |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | University of Leuven |
| Department | Nuclear Spectroscopy Group |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Windmill |
| Organisation | University of York |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the integration of the alpha-detection setup at ISOLDE. Principal Investigator on 50% of the research programme. Operational support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Experimental setup (detectors, lasers) |
| Impact | High-impact scientific publications New beams at ISOLDE for other research programmes (e.g. polonium, astatine) |
| Description | Hangout with CERN on pear-shaped nuclei and astatine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 1,000 people watched the webcast live, ~10,000 watched it since The interest for the activities at ISOLDE was deemed so high that the following episode was dedicated to ISOLDE as well. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8Jdu9O2RhU |
| Description | I'm a scientist, get me out of here! |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Several hundreds students got the opportunity to ask questions directly through live chat sessions and offline about science and life as a scientist. A very positive response was received from the students who might in return seriously consider studying science. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://imascientist.org.uk |
| Description | India-UK workshop on physics at ISOLDE |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | 20 Indian participants and 5 UK participants exchanged on various topics of interest for ISOLDE. Ideas have been expressed to collaborate on similar projects that will be followed up in meetings and travels to India later this year. I presented specifically on the themes of laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry at ISOLDE and led the forum on atomic techniques for nuclear spectroscopy. Prof Jon Billowes has been invited to BARC in May to discuss the details of a possible collaboration on the laser spectroscopy research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | LEGO Mindstorm workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | As of end February 2016, 6 schools workshops delivered by physics undergraduates have engaged ~120 secondary school pupils under age 14 in explaining the nuclear research being carried out at CERN and teaching basic programming, in the context of challenging pupils to complete a task with a Lego Mindstorms robot. Follow-up comment emailed by a parent: "[My child] really enjoyed the STEM activity. He had a real excitement about the event both leading up to it and afterwards. I think he particularly enjoyed the fact that they had some independence on their project, with support from the STEM team. He also really appreciated how science can be used in the workplace, how it can be a career and the sort of areas it can impact on." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
| Description | Official CERN tour guide |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Groups of students and members of the general public frequently visit CERN (>100,000 visitors per year). When they request to visit ISOLDE, we offer introduction lectures and guided tours of the facility. Those happen weekly and the duty is shared between the members of the group present at CERN on those occasions. Some participants to those visits as physics undergraduate students have since decided to continue their research in nuclear physics with a specific request to work with our group at ISOLDE. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 |
| URL | http://outreach.web.cern.ch/outreach/ |
| Description | Ogden Trust Physicist of the Year Award Lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 26 students were presented with an award and made Fellows of the Ogden Trust, giving them access to the Ogden Trust networking and scholarships in physics. The students and their families attended the lecture and made contact with me afterwards. One student obtained on that occasion a summer placement at The University of Manchester, School of Physics & Astronomy. All students are now eligible for scholarships to study Physics at university. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.ogdentrust.com/about-us/news/post/1217-awards-season |
| Description | Random Walk in Physics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 30 3rd-year undergraduate students attended the lecture and interacted with me afterwards. 2 students requested specifically to perform their summer internship within the Nuclear Physics Group. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | STFC Career event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to doctoral students about the path to academic research an on how to best position oneself towards success in academia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |