This project engages Ursinus College undergraduates in experimental nuclear structure research. The project is part of an ongoing collaboration with colleagues at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) and Florida State University (FSU). The proposed work will contribute to the understanding of the evolution of shell structure and core polarization in neutron-rich calcium isotopes beyond 48Ca and the collapse of the N = 28 shell in 42Si via inverse-kinematics proton scattering measurements at the NSCL.
The broader impact of the project includes maintaining an active research program in nuclear structure on the Ursinus College campus. Ursinus College is a national liberal arts college of about 1700 students with a long history of strength in the sciences. This project will provide students opportunities to apply their knowledge of physics outside the classroom, gain practical skills in data acquisition and analysis, observe and participate in the operation of a nuclear accelerator facility, and present their work to colleagues. The project will span three years and support two students for 8-10 weeks per summer. Participants will travel to the NSCL to perform experiments and analyze the data at Ursinus. They will present their results to the Ursinus community as part of the Ursinus College Summer Fellows Program and to the nuclear physics community at American Physical Society/Division of Nuclear Physics meetings.
