Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Nuclear Physics

S. F. Hicks; T. D. Nguyen; D. T. Jackson; S. G. Block; S. T. Byrd; M. T. Nickel; J. R. Vanhoy; E. E. Peters; A. P.D. Ramirez; M. T. McEllistrem; S. Mukhopadhyay; S Yates

doi:10.1016/j.phpro.2017.09.024

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Nuclear Physics

S. F. Hicks, T. D. Nguyen, D. T. Jackson, S. G. Block, S. T. Byrd, M. T. Nickel, J. R. Vanhoy, E. E. Peters, A. P.D. Ramirez, M. T. McEllistrem, S. Mukhopadhyay, S Yates

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

Abstract

University of Dallas (UD) physics majors are offered a variety of undergraduate research opportunities in nuclear physics through an established program at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (UKAL). The 7-MV Model CN Van de Graaff accelerator and the neutron production and detection facilities located there are used by UD students to investigate how neutrons scatter from materials that are important in nuclear energy production and for our basic understanding of how neutrons interact with matter. Recent student projects include modeling of the laboratory using the neutron transport code MCNP to investigate the effectiveness of laboratory shielding, testing the long-term gain stability of C₆D₆ liquid scintillation detectors, and deducing neutron elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for ¹²C. Results of these student projects are presented that indicate the pit below the scattering area reduces background by as much as 30%; the detectors show no significant gain instabilities; and new insights into existing ¹²C neutron inelastic scattering cross-section discrepancies near a neutron energy of 6.0 MeV are obtained.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	323-331
Number of pages	9
Journal	Physics Procedia
Volume	90
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phpro.2017.09.024
State	Published - 2017
Event	Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, CAARI 2016 - Fort Worth, United States Duration: Oct 30 2016 → Nov 4 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors.

Funding

This work was supported in part by grants from Department of Energy NNSA/SSAA Grant DE-NA0002931, the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-1606890, and Donald Cowan Physical Sciences Institute at the University of Dallas. The authors would like to thank UK accelerator engineer Harvey Baber for his continued support for our program and his expertise in keeping the accelerator running even on holiday weekends.

Funders	Funder number
Department of Energy NNSA
SSAA	DE-NA0002931
National Science Foundation Arctic Social Science Program	PHY-1606890
National Science Foundation Arctic Social Science Program
National Science Foundation Arctic Social Science Program

Keywords

MCNP calculations
Undergraduate research
neutron cross sections

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1016/j.phpro.2017.09.024

Cite this

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title = "Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Nuclear Physics",

abstract = "University of Dallas (UD) physics majors are offered a variety of undergraduate research opportunities in nuclear physics through an established program at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (UKAL). The 7-MV Model CN Van de Graaff accelerator and the neutron production and detection facilities located there are used by UD students to investigate how neutrons scatter from materials that are important in nuclear energy production and for our basic understanding of how neutrons interact with matter. Recent student projects include modeling of the laboratory using the neutron transport code MCNP to investigate the effectiveness of laboratory shielding, testing the long-term gain stability of C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors, and deducing neutron elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for 12C. Results of these student projects are presented that indicate the pit below the scattering area reduces background by as much as 30\%; the detectors show no significant gain instabilities; and new insights into existing 12C neutron inelastic scattering cross-section discrepancies near a neutron energy of 6.0 MeV are obtained.",

keywords = "MCNP calculations, Undergraduate research, neutron cross sections",

author = "Hicks, \{S. F.\} and Nguyen, \{T. D.\} and Jackson, \{D. T.\} and Block, \{S. G.\} and Byrd, \{S. T.\} and Nickel, \{M. T.\} and Vanhoy, \{J. R.\} and Peters, \{E. E.\} and Ramirez, \{A. P.D.\} and McEllistrem, \{M. T.\} and S. Mukhopadhyay and S Yates",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 The Authors.; Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, CAARI 2016 ; Conference date: 30-10-2016 Through 04-11-2016",

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doi = "10.1016/j.phpro.2017.09.024",

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AU - Nguyen, T. D.

AU - Jackson, D. T.

AU - Block, S. G.

AU - Byrd, S. T.

AU - Nickel, M. T.

AU - Vanhoy, J. R.

AU - Peters, E. E.

AU - Ramirez, A. P.D.

AU - McEllistrem, M. T.

AU - Mukhopadhyay, S.

AU - Yates, S

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - University of Dallas (UD) physics majors are offered a variety of undergraduate research opportunities in nuclear physics through an established program at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (UKAL). The 7-MV Model CN Van de Graaff accelerator and the neutron production and detection facilities located there are used by UD students to investigate how neutrons scatter from materials that are important in nuclear energy production and for our basic understanding of how neutrons interact with matter. Recent student projects include modeling of the laboratory using the neutron transport code MCNP to investigate the effectiveness of laboratory shielding, testing the long-term gain stability of C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors, and deducing neutron elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for 12C. Results of these student projects are presented that indicate the pit below the scattering area reduces background by as much as 30%; the detectors show no significant gain instabilities; and new insights into existing 12C neutron inelastic scattering cross-section discrepancies near a neutron energy of 6.0 MeV are obtained.

AB - University of Dallas (UD) physics majors are offered a variety of undergraduate research opportunities in nuclear physics through an established program at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (UKAL). The 7-MV Model CN Van de Graaff accelerator and the neutron production and detection facilities located there are used by UD students to investigate how neutrons scatter from materials that are important in nuclear energy production and for our basic understanding of how neutrons interact with matter. Recent student projects include modeling of the laboratory using the neutron transport code MCNP to investigate the effectiveness of laboratory shielding, testing the long-term gain stability of C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors, and deducing neutron elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for 12C. Results of these student projects are presented that indicate the pit below the scattering area reduces background by as much as 30%; the detectors show no significant gain instabilities; and new insights into existing 12C neutron inelastic scattering cross-section discrepancies near a neutron energy of 6.0 MeV are obtained.

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KW - neutron cross sections

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Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Nuclear Physics

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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