Nuclear Structure and Reactions: Theory and Experiment
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Surrey
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Nuclear physics research is undergoing a transformation. For a hundred years, atomic nuclei have been probed by collisions between stable beams and stable targets, with just a small number of radioactive isotopes being available. Now, building on steady progress over the past 20 years, it is at last becoming possible to generate intense beams of a wide range of short-lived isotopes, so-called "radioactive beams". This enables us vastly to expand the scope of experimental nuclear research. For example, it is now realistic to plan to study in the laboratory a range of nuclear reactions that take place in exploding stars. Thereby, we will be able to understand how the chemical elements that we find on Earth were formed and distributed through the Universe.
At the core of our experimental research is our strong participation at leading international radioactive-beam facilities. While we are now contributing, or planning to contribute, to substantial technical developments at these facilities, the present grant request is focused on the exploitation of the capabilities that are now becoming available.
Experimental progress is intimately linked with theory, where novel and practical approaches are a hallmark of the Surrey group. An outstanding feature, which is key to our group's research plans and is unique in the UK, is our powerful blend of theoretical and experimental capability.
Our science goals are aligned with current STFC strategy for nuclear physics, as expressed in detail through the Nuclear Physics Advisory Panel. We wish to understand the boundaries of nuclear existence, i.e. the limiting conditions that enable neutrons and protons to bind together to form nuclei. Under such conditions, the nuclear system is in a delicate state and shows unusual phenomena. It is very sensitive to the properties of the nuclear force. For example, weakly bound neutrons can orbit their parent nucleus at remarkably large distances. This is already known, and our group made key contributions to this knowledge. What is unknown is whether, and to what extent, the neutrons and protons can show different collective behaviours. Also unknown, for most elements, is how many neutrons can bind to a given number of protons. It is features such as these that determine how stars explode. To tackle these problems, we need a more sophisticated understanding of the nuclear force, and we need experimental information about nuclei with unusual combinations of neutrons and protons to test our theoretical ideas and models. Therefore, theory and experiment go hand-in-hand as we push forward towards the nuclear limits.
An overview of nuclear binding reveals that about one half of predicted nuclei have never been observed, and the vast majority of this unknown territory involves nuclei with an excess of neutrons. Much of our activity addresses this "neutron-rich" territory, exploiting the new capabilities with radioactive beams.
Our principal motivation is the basic science, and we contribute strongly to the world sum of knowledge and understanding. Nevertheless, there are more-tangible benefits. For example, our radiation-detector advances can be incorporated in medical diagnosis and treatment. In addition, we provide an excellent training environment for our research students and staff, many of whom go on to work in the nuclear power industry, helping to fill the current skills gap. On a more adventurous note, our special interest in nuclear isomers (energy traps) could lead to novel energy applications. Furthermore, we have a keen interest in sharing our specialist knowledge with a wide audience, and we already have an enviable track record with the media.
At the core of our experimental research is our strong participation at leading international radioactive-beam facilities. While we are now contributing, or planning to contribute, to substantial technical developments at these facilities, the present grant request is focused on the exploitation of the capabilities that are now becoming available.
Experimental progress is intimately linked with theory, where novel and practical approaches are a hallmark of the Surrey group. An outstanding feature, which is key to our group's research plans and is unique in the UK, is our powerful blend of theoretical and experimental capability.
Our science goals are aligned with current STFC strategy for nuclear physics, as expressed in detail through the Nuclear Physics Advisory Panel. We wish to understand the boundaries of nuclear existence, i.e. the limiting conditions that enable neutrons and protons to bind together to form nuclei. Under such conditions, the nuclear system is in a delicate state and shows unusual phenomena. It is very sensitive to the properties of the nuclear force. For example, weakly bound neutrons can orbit their parent nucleus at remarkably large distances. This is already known, and our group made key contributions to this knowledge. What is unknown is whether, and to what extent, the neutrons and protons can show different collective behaviours. Also unknown, for most elements, is how many neutrons can bind to a given number of protons. It is features such as these that determine how stars explode. To tackle these problems, we need a more sophisticated understanding of the nuclear force, and we need experimental information about nuclei with unusual combinations of neutrons and protons to test our theoretical ideas and models. Therefore, theory and experiment go hand-in-hand as we push forward towards the nuclear limits.
An overview of nuclear binding reveals that about one half of predicted nuclei have never been observed, and the vast majority of this unknown territory involves nuclei with an excess of neutrons. Much of our activity addresses this "neutron-rich" territory, exploiting the new capabilities with radioactive beams.
Our principal motivation is the basic science, and we contribute strongly to the world sum of knowledge and understanding. Nevertheless, there are more-tangible benefits. For example, our radiation-detector advances can be incorporated in medical diagnosis and treatment. In addition, we provide an excellent training environment for our research students and staff, many of whom go on to work in the nuclear power industry, helping to fill the current skills gap. On a more adventurous note, our special interest in nuclear isomers (energy traps) could lead to novel energy applications. Furthermore, we have a keen interest in sharing our specialist knowledge with a wide audience, and we already have an enviable track record with the media.
Planned Impact
Here we address more specifically the wider community who may benefit from our basic research.
A key current topic is that of nuclear security. Here our advanced experimental and theoretical techniques may help to address the needs of the security industry. In this regard we are well connected with AWE plc, including collaborative PhD students.
We have recently developed strong links with the National Physical Laboratory, where we enhance their capabilities in radionuclide metrology.
Sustainable energy production is another vital issue for society, and nuclear energy has an important role to play. We have made fundamental advances that lead to a better understanding of decay heat in nuclear reactors. Furthermore, our basic studies of both reaction processes and the structure of unstable nuclei may be important for future nuclear energy technologies.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment is of great importance. Our radiation-detector advances can lead to improved imaging systems, that benefit cancer and other medical treatments.
A key current topic is that of nuclear security. Here our advanced experimental and theoretical techniques may help to address the needs of the security industry. In this regard we are well connected with AWE plc, including collaborative PhD students.
We have recently developed strong links with the National Physical Laboratory, where we enhance their capabilities in radionuclide metrology.
Sustainable energy production is another vital issue for society, and nuclear energy has an important role to play. We have made fundamental advances that lead to a better understanding of decay heat in nuclear reactors. Furthermore, our basic studies of both reaction processes and the structure of unstable nuclei may be important for future nuclear energy technologies.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment is of great importance. Our radiation-detector advances can lead to improved imaging systems, that benefit cancer and other medical treatments.
Organisations
Publications
Wimmer K
(2014)
Elastic breakup cross sections of well-bound nucleons
in Physical Review C
Tostevin J
(2014)
Systematics of intermediate-energy single-nucleon removal cross sections
Tostevin J
(2014)
Systematics of intermediate-energy single-nucleon removal cross sections
in Physical Review C
Wimmer K
(2014)
Elastic breakup cross sections of well-bound nucleons
Papuga J
(2014)
Shell structure of potassium isotopes deduced from their magnetic moments
in Physical Review C
Sellahewa R
(2014)
Isovector properties of the Gogny interaction
in Physical Review C
Jolie J
(2015)
Test of the SO(6) selection rule in 196Pt using cold-neutron capture
in Nuclear Physics A
Cipollone A
(2015)
Chiral three-nucleon forces and the evolution of correlations along the oxygen isotopic chain
in Physical Review C
Straumal B
(2015)
Amorphization of Nd-Fe-B alloy under the action of high-pressure torsion
in Materials Letters
Browne F
(2015)
Gamma-ray Spectroscopy in the Vicinity of $^{108}$Zr
in Acta Physica Polonica B
Mcfadden Johnjoe
(2015)
Good Vibrations
in SCIENTIST
Tain JL
(2015)
Enhanced ?-Ray Emission from Neutron Unbound States Populated in ß Decay.
in Physical review letters
Cáceres L
(2015)
Nuclear structure studies of F 24
in Physical Review C
Godbeer AD
(2015)
Modelling proton tunnelling in the adenine-thymine base pair.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
Rios A
(2015)
Covariance analysis of finite temperature density functional theory: symmetric nuclear matter
in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics
Collins SM
(2015)
The half-life of ²²7Th by direct and indirect measurements.
in Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine
Britton R
(2015)
Coincidence corrections for a multi-detector gamma spectrometer
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Tu X
(2015)
Study of projectile fragmentation reaction with isochronous mass spectrometry
in Physica Scripta
Fernández-Domínguez B
(2015)
Spectroscopic study of the exotic nucleus P 25
in Physical Review C
Stroberg S
(2015)
Neutron single-particle strength in silicon isotopes: Constraining the driving forces of shell evolution
in Physical Review C
Alexander T
(2015)
Isomeric Ratios in $^{206}$Hg
in Acta Physica Polonica B
Taprogge J
(2015)
ß decay of Cd 129 and excited states in In 129
in Physical Review C
Collins SM
(2015)
Precise measurements of the absolute ?-ray emission probabilities of (223)Ra and decay progeny in equilibrium.
in Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine
Johnson R
(2015)
Spin dependence of the incident channel distorted wave in the theory of the A ( d , p ) B reaction
in Physical Review C
Browne F
(2015)
Lifetime measurements of the first 2 + states in 104,106Zr: Evolution of ground-state deformations
in Physics Letters B
Sethi J
(2015)
Spectroscopy of the Low-lying States Near the High Spin Isomer in $^{108}$Ag
in Acta Physica Polonica B
Wilson E
(2015)
Core excitations across the neutron shell gap in 207Tl
in Physics Letters B
Timofeyuk N
(2015)
Widths of low-lying nucleon resonances in light nuclei in the source-term approach
in Physical Review C
Akber A
(2015)
Increased isomeric lifetime of hydrogen-like Os 192 m
in Physical Review C
Briz J
(2015)
Shape study of the N = Z nucleus Kr 72 via ß decay
in Physical Review C
Timofeyuk N
(2015)
Convergence of the hyperspherical-harmonics expansion with increasing number of particles for bosonic systems. II. Inclusion of the three-body force
in Physical Review A
Larijani C
(2015)
Progress towards the production of the 236gNp standard sources and competing fission fragment production
in Radiation Physics and Chemistry
Jones K
(2015)
Recent Direct Reaction Experimental Studies with Radioactive Tin Beams
in Acta Physica Polonica B
Doherty D
(2015)
Nuclear transfer reaction measurements at the ESR-for the investigation of the astrophysical 15 O( a , ? ) 19 Ne reaction
in Physica Scripta
Goddard P
(2015)
Fission dynamics within time-dependent Hartree-Fock: Deformation-induced fission
in Physical Review C
Jiao C
(2015)
Shape-coexisting rotation in neutron-deficient Hg and Pb nuclei
in Physical Review C
Margerin V
(2015)
Inverse Kinematic Study of the (26g)Al(d,p)(27)Al Reaction and Implications for Destruction of (26)Al in Wolf-Rayet and Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars.
in Physical review letters
Collins SM
(2015)
Direct measurement of the half-life of (223)Ra.
in Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine
Matta A
(2015)
New findings on structure and production of He 10 from Li 11 with the ( d , He 3 ) reaction
in Physical Review C
Tain J
(2015)
A decay total absorption spectrometer for DESPEC at FAIR
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Najem M
(2015)
Neutron production from flattening filter free high energy medical linac: A Monte Carlo study
in Radiation Physics and Chemistry
Zakari-Issoufou AA
(2015)
Total Absorption Spectroscopy Study of (92)Rb Decay: A Major Contributor to Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum Shape.
in Physical review letters
Alharbi T
(2015)
Lifetime of the yrast I p = 5 - state and E 1 hindrance in the transitional nucleus Ce 58 136
in Physical Review C
Morales A
(2015)
First measurement of the ß -decay half-life of 206 Au
in EPL (Europhysics Letters)
Description | The grant has funded experimental work at RIKEN, TRIUMF, Argonne, GANIL and other international laboratories and theoretical collaborations with RIKEN, MSU, GSI and other major centres. New isomeric states in exotic nuclei were discovered and much-improved measurements of nuclear astrophysical cross sections were determined. |
Exploitation Route | Outputs are published in the leading scientific journals and will feed into improved nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure theories. |
Sectors | Other |
URL | http://www.nucleartheory.net/NPG/recent_publications.htm |