Nuclear Commons^™

Lithium Tetraborate As A Neutron Scintillation Detector: A Review, Elena Echeverria, John W. Mcclory, Lauren Samson, Katherine Shene, Juan A. Colon Santana, Yaroslav V. Burak, Volodymyr T. Adamiv, Ihor M. Teslyuk, Lu Wang, Wai-Ning Mei, Kyle A. Nelson, Douglas S. Mcgregor, Peter A. Dowben, Carolina C. Ilie, James C. Petrosky, Archit Dhingra

Faculty Publications

The electronic structure and translucent nature of lithium tetraborate (Li₂B₄O₇) render it promising as a scintillator medium for neutron detection applications. The inherently large neutron capture cross-section due to ¹⁰B and ⁶Li isotopes and the ease with which Li₂B₄O₇ can be enriched with these isotopes, combined with the facile inclusion of rare earth dopants (occupying the Li⁺ sites), are expected to improve the luminescent properties, as well as the neutron detection efficiency, of Li₂B₄O₇. The electronic structure of both doped …

Beyond Standard Model: Electromagnetic Origin Of Strong Interaction Between Composite Structures Made Of Basic Elementary ±E/3 Charges, Polievkt Perov

College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Works

Interaction between spinning composite structures of quarks is considered. In simple variants of the quark structures, one basic elementary particle of charge of magnitude |e|/3 is on the axis of rotation and several basic particles of an opposite sign are revolving in the circular orbit about the axis. Each charge in the structure contributes to the electric field and electric potential around the structure. But only revolving basic particles contribute to the spin and to the magnetic moment of the structure. Equations for the axial electric field and the electric potential of each structure at points on its axis are …

Nuclear Power: Extremely Dangerous, Perfectly Safe, Or Somewhere In Between?, Jackson Still

Quest

Multiple Genre Argument

Research in progress for ENGL 1301: Composition I

Faculty Mentor: W. Scott Cheney, Ph.D.

Standard research papers and five-paragraph essays can train students to blend quotations and organize paragraphs, but advanced writing in the disciplines and the workplace requires much more robust and nuanced thinking. To this end, the Multiple Genre Argument (MGA) pushes students into new writing situations where they create fictional genres to supplement traditional research—a challenging and often confusing task. Learning new skills requires becoming more comfortable with encountering this kind of difficulty and uncertainty. In their book Writing Analytically, David Rosenwasser and Jill …

Radiative Alpha Capture On Carbon-12, Ling Gan

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we used Effective Field Theory (EFT) to calculate the radiative ALPHA capture on 12C . This reaction is considered the “holy grail” in nuclear astrophysics because it determines the relevant abundance of 16O and 12C . We considered the E1 transition from initial p-wave at energy around the Gamow energy E_G =0.3MeV.The theoretical formula for the cross section is obtained by fitting the EFT parameters to the phase shift and S-factor data. We find the Effective Range Expansion (ERE) parameters describing the ALPHA-wave phase shift are fine tuned. The shallow bound state and the resonance ALPHA-wave …

Quantum Computers For Nuclear Physics, Muhammad F. Yusf

Theses and Dissertations

We explore the paradigm shift in quantum computing and quantum information science, emphasizing the synergy between hardware advancements and algorithm development. Only now have the recent advances in quantum computing hardware, despite a century of quantum mechanics, unveiled untapped potential, requiring innovative algorithms for full utilization. Project 1 addresses quantum applications in radiative reactions, overcoming challenges in many-fermion physics due to imaginary time evolution, stochastic methods like Monte Carlo simulations, and the associated sign problem. The methodology introduces the Electromagnetic Transition System and a general two-level system for computing radiative capture reactions. Project 2 utilizes Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) to …

Characterization Of Isomeric States In Neutron-Rich Nuclei Approaching N = 28, Timilehin Hezekiah Ogunbeku

Theses and Dissertations

The investigation of isomeric states in neutron-rich nuclei provides useful insights into the underlying nuclear configurations, and understanding their occurrence along an isotopic chain can inform about shell evolution. Recent studies on neutron-rich Si isotopes near the magic number N = 20 and approaching N = 28 have revealed the presence of low-lying states with intruder configurations, resulting from multiple-particle, multiple-hole excitations across closed shell gaps. The characterization of these states involves measuring their half-lives and transition probabilities.

In this study, a new low-energy (7/2⁻₁) isomer at 68 keV in ³⁷Si was accessed via beta decay …

Development Of Back-Scatter And Pile-Up Identification For Ucna+, Amelia Greathouse

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The UCNA Experiment at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) uses

an electron spectrometer to observe angular correlations between the neutron spin and the momenta of beta particles emitted during the process of beta (β) decay. Combined with neutron lifetime measurements, these observations probe physics beyond the standard model. In recent years there has been an effort to modernize the equipment to reduce the physical limitations of the experiment. The new prototype helps to reduce error via use of silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs) and the SiPMs also have a greater quantum efficiency than the photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). However, there is …

Radiation Exposure Calibration Of The Al2o3:C With Radium-226 And Cesium-137 Using The Osl Method, Selma Tepeli Aydin

All Theses

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry was utilized to calibrate Al₂O₃:C powder dosimeters, available commercially as the nanoDot® from Landauer Inc., and compare the dosimeter response to radium-226 (²²⁶Ra) and cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs). The signal from the OSL was quantified using a microSTARii^® OSL reader also produced by Landauer Inc. Dose-response curves were developed for ²²⁶Ra and ¹³⁷Cs experiments (5 dosimeters each) at thirteen absorbed doses. Individual dosimeter response was tracked by serial number. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine if there were significant differences between the intercepts of the …

A Deeper Understanding Of The R Process, Mengke Li

All Dissertations

The overarching aim of my PhD research is to deepen our understanding of r-process nu- cleosynthesis. The initial phase of my work involved developing a Machine Learning-based nuclear mass model, specifically tailored to predict nuclear masses crucial for r-process nucleosynthesis. This model was then applied to simulate the r-process, focusing on neutron-rich nuclei significant to nucleosynthesis. The simulations yielded r-process abundance patterns, extending up to thorium and uranium, that align qualitatively with the observed solar system abundance patterns, with the characteristic peaks well positioned. Advancing our study further, we introduced a novel graph-based methodology named GrRproc for calculating r-process abundances. …

Nuclear Charge Radius Determination Of Iridium Using Euv Spectroscopy Of Highly Charged Ions, Adam Hosier

All Dissertations

Highly charged ions have emerged on the scene of atomic physics because of their compressed electron cloud enhancing various physical phenomena. While transitions in ions and highly charged ions provide valuable information to different communities, their application in nuclear charge radius measurements becomes increasingly prominent. In this work, we report the extreme ultra-violet spectroscopy of Na-like ions and x-ray spectroscopy of Cu-like, Co-like, and Ni-like ions that explore nuclear charge distributions and the identification of new transitions, respectively.

In the first part of this work, extreme ultra-violet spectroscopy of highly charged ions of Na-like osmium and iridium was performed using …

Actinide Behavior In Soft Ligand Environments And Higher Oxidation States Of Neptunium In Aqueous Media With Solid-State Synthesis Of Np(Vii) Compounds, Kelly Floyd Seeley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The fundamental properties of Uranium and Neptunium were investigated with Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD) to study the behavior or 5f electrons with chalcogen, alkali metals, and alkaline earth metals. Two novel compounds were generated: NaCuUS₃ and NaCuNpS₃. There are several crystal structures that form in the family of AMM’Q (A = s-block, M = d-block, M’ = d-block or f-block, and Q = chalcogen), with oxidation states of A¹⁺, M¹⁺, M’⁴⁺, and Q^2- ions from the family of type I compounds. Work was continued to …

Lung Dosimetry Model Of Inhaled 222rn For Workers At Selected Building Material Factories In Erbil City, Iraq, Sardar Qader Othman, Ali Hassan Ahmed, Sarbaz Ibrahim Mohammed

Polytechnic Journal

Radon gas can cause lung harm, leading to extensive research on the biological effects of radon exposure in human lungs under various environmental conditions. The study estimates radon progeny doses for workers in Erbil city's building materials industries, focusing on alpha particle energy deposition, particle clearance, and lung deposition. Using a home condition of 1 Bq.m-3, radon progeny particle-absorbed doses in the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveolar-interstitial sections, and lungs were determined in the first scenario. The 1 Bq.m-3 is replaced with the radon level for each factory to prepare its atmosphere in the second scenario. For the first scenario, the …

Study Of Radon Concentrations In Some Of Public Ground Water Wells, Sana'a - Yemen, Ahmed Khalid Abdul-Rahim, Najwa Ahmed Al-Maqtari

Hadhramout University Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences

This study aims to assess radon-222 concentration levels in public ground water wells in Sana'a city, Yemen. Forty-three well water samples were collected from the study area. The alpha spectroscopy method was used to measure the samples using a RAD7 detector. The radon concentrations were in the range from 0.82 ± 0.38 Bq/L to 38.73 ± 2.98 Bq/L. A moderate correlation of radon levels with aquifer type was observed. Also, weak correlations of radon levels with electric conductivity, pH, and temperature, and no correlation with measured heavy metals were observed. Annual effective dose rates () were calculated and were found …

Towards Sustainable Nuclear Waste Management: A Study Of Philippine Geological Disposal Alternatives, King Harold A. Recto, Alyssa Inocencio, Kevin Lester Lobo

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The study delves into the complex area of nuclear waste disposal in the Philippine setting. It described the probable situations that were under consideration, exploring the fundamental motivating factors leading to these situations. These included the crucial aspects of categorizing radioactive waste, the range of management choices accessible, and the various disposal strategies developed for various waste tiers. Each alternative was considered in light of a variety of factors, including technological, environmental and practical. The also explored the landscape of implementation with emphasis on the inventory of radioactive waste and a roadmap outlining the course of action. In essence, the …

Strong Evidence For 9N And The Limits Of Existence Of Atomic Nuclei, R. J. Charity, J. Wylie, S. M. Wang, T. B. Webb, K. W. Brown, G. Cerizza, Z. Chajecki, J. M. Elson, J. Estee, D. E. M. Hoff, S. A. Kuvin, W. G. Lynch, Juan J. Manfredi, N. Michel, D. G. Mcneel, P. Morfouace, W. Nazarewicz, C. D. Pruitt, C. Santamaria, S. Sweany, J. Smith, L. G. Sobotka, M. B. Tsang, A. H. Wuosmaa

Faculty Publications

The boundaries of the chart of nuclides contain exotic isotopes that possess extreme proton-to-neutron asymmetries. Here we report on strong evidence of ⁹N, one of the most exotic proton-rich isotopes where more than one half of its constitute nucleons are unbound. With seven protons and two neutrons, this extremely proton-rich system would represent the first-known example of a ground-state five-proton emitter. The invariant-mass spectrum of its decay products can be fit with two peaks whose energies are consistent with the theoretical predictions of an open-quantum-system approach; however, we cannot rule out the possibility that only a single resonancelike peak …

Whittle, Charles Edward, Jr., 1931-2012 (Sc 3698), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3698. Well-illustrated biographical volume on the life, career and family of Charles E. Whittle, Jr., a Brownsville, Kentucky native who served as a physics professor at Western Kentucky University and at Centre College, and as a senior scientist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Perception Of Nuclear Security As A Barrier To Female Representation In Africa, Primerose Ruhukwa

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Women are strongly underrepresented in the nuclear energy sector, particularly in the field of Nuclear security. Regardless of several government efforts to increase the number of women in this field, which include gender balance polices, education, and awareness campaigns, the nuclear security industry remains a male-dominated field. The reason why nuclear security is shunned by most women in Africa is because of an incorrect perception of what nuclear security is. When a lay person hears the term nuclear, the first thing that comes to mind is nuclear weapons, and many are quick to judge, saying that Africa does not …

Phase Transitions And Thermal Stability Of The Magnetic Dual Chiral Density Wave Phase In Cold, Dense Qcd, William G. Gyory

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The correct description of strongly interacting matter at extreme densities and low temperatures remains poorly understood. We analyze the magnetic dual chiral density wave (MDCDW) phase, an inhomogeneous chiral condensate that arises in cold, dense quark matter in a magnetic field. We first review the background theory and derive the free energy of the condensate. Then we show how the phase transitions can be studied using a generalized Ginzburg-Landau expansion, and we derive a convenient all-orders formula for the coefficients. Using these tools, we compute the order parameters, critical temperature, and threshold temperature over a range of chemical potentials and …

Centrality Effects On Heavy-Flavor Quark Production And Invariant Yield In Phenix Proton–Gold Collisions At Center-Of-Mass Energy 200 Gev, And Assembly, Testing, Calibration, And Installation Of The Sphenix Hadronic Calorimeters, Daniel Richford

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Hadrons created in heavy-ion collisions interact with the open color-charge of the quark-gluon plasma through their constituent quarks. The medium imparts substantial modifications to heavy-flavor hadrons' momentum spectra. For collisions of small systems, the centrality of those collisions affects both the production of heavy-quarks and the medium modifications that the heavy-quarks experience. This analysis uses the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, which collected data from proton--gold collisions in 2015, with a trigger to preference the collection of the five-percent most-central collisions. This analysis uses the distance-of-closest-approach of electron tracks to study semileptonic decays from charm and bottom …

Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning For Radiation Localization, Benjamin Scott Totten

Dissertations and Theses

For the safety of both equipment and human life, it is important to identify the location of orphaned radioactive material as quickly and accurately as possible. There are many factors that make radiation localization a challenging task, such as low gamma radiation signal strength and the need to search in unknown environments without prior information. The inverse-square relationship between the intensity of radiation and the source location, the probabilistic nature of nuclear decay and gamma ray detection, and the pervasive presence of naturally occurring environmental radiation complicates localization tasks. The presence of obstructions in complex environments can further attenuate the …

Direct Measurement Of The 114cd(N, Gamma)115cd Cross Section In The 1 Ev To 300 Kev Energy Range, Kofi Tutu Addo Assumin-Gyimah

Theses and Dissertations

The large thermal cross section of cadmium makes it ideal for many practical applications where screening of thermal neutrons is desired. For example, in non-destructive assay techniques, or for astrophysical studies of the s-process. All such applications require precise knowledge of the neutron-capture cross section on cadmium. Although there are some data on neutron-capture cross sections particularly at thermal energies and at energies relevant for astrophysics, there is very little data at most other energies. Further, the evaluated cross sections from the ENDF and JENDL databases disagree at high energies. Therefore, there is a critical need for precise knowledge of …

Inverse Mappers For Qcd Global Analysis, Manal Almaeen

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Inverse problems – using measured observations to determine unknown parameters – are well motivated but challenging in many scientific problems. Mapping parameters to observables is a well-posed problem with unique solutions, and therefore can be solved with differential equations or linear algebra solvers. However, the inverse problem requires backward mapping from observable to parameter space, which is often nonunique. Consequently, solving inverse problems is ill-posed and a far more challenging computational problem.

Our motivated application in this dissertation is the inverse problems in nuclear physics that characterize the internal structure of the hadrons. We first present a machine learning framework …

Deep Virtual Pion Pair Production, Dilini Lakshani Bulumulla

Physics Theses & Dissertations

This experiment investigates the deep virtual production of both σ− and ρ− mesons, with a particular focus on the microscopic structure of the σ mesons. While the ρ meson is an ordinary qq¯ pair, the σ meson is composed of not only the typical qq¯ pair, making it a topic of controversy for nearly six decades. Although the existence of the σ− meson is now well established, its microscopic structure remains poorly understood. The primary objective of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the σ meson by analyzing its deep virtual production. The main focus of this …

Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy Of One-Neutron Knockout From 72se, Alyssa Himmelreich

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

We studied single-neuron excitations of the exotic nucleus ⁷¹Se with the one-neutron knockout reaction from a ⁷²Se beam at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. We measured gamma rays de-exciting states in ⁷¹Se using the Gretina gamma-ray tracking array and the momentum of the ⁷¹Se reaction product with the S800 Magnetic Spectrograph. We utilize a supercomputer to run multiple simulations and fit them to our gamma-ray spectrum. Using gamma-ray yields and level schemes, we can determine the number of times each excited state was populated by neutron knockout. We deduced cross sections for populating single-neutron excitations of …

A Statistical Framework For Automating Resonance Detection: Modelling Pion Proton Collision Activity, Shahnaz Abdul Hameed

2023 REYES Proceedings

In this paper, we analyze π− − p elastic collision data from the Particle Data Group (PDG), by creating a general framework to study resonance activity: automating peak detection, extrapolating, parametrizing thresholds, filtering resonances and further comparing and extracting characteristics, to identify Delta (Δ) baryons. We then analyse experimental Energy vs Phase-Shift (δ) data for the collision π+ +π− → π− +π+, model the T matrix from a curve fitted polynomial representation of the K⁻¹ matrix, simulate its Riemann sheets and analyse it to identify the characteristics of ρ⁰(770) meson, as well as estimate their uncertainties. …

Fractional Charge Concept Opened Gates For New Ideas On Composition Of Matter, Polievkt Perov

College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Works

Before the concept of quarks with fractional electric charges was introduced, the electron charge magnitude e was considered as the smallest amount of charge in nature so the charge of any object could be only an integer number of ± e. Then it was suggested that the proton and neutrons are composed of quarks with the fractional charges, combined in such a way that the total charge of a proton occurred to be that same known charge +e, and the charge of a neutron was zero. We suggest expanding that fruitful concept of fractional charges to build structural models of …

New Reaction Of Neutron-Proton Conversion, Polievkt Perov

College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Works

Using our models of composite particles as consisting just of two types of elementary basic charges, +e/3 and -e/3, we suggest that in any nuclear reaction the total numbers of basic charges of each of the two types are conserved. That means that in any nuclear reaction, the basic elementary charges present in the reactants can join in different combinations to form the products of the reaction. This is like a balanced chemical equation where the number of atoms of each element is conserved. We apply this suggested principle of conservation of basic elementary charges in any nuclear reaction to …

Measurement Of The Β-Decay Properties Of A=105 Isotopes Using The Modular Total Absorption Spectrometer And The Development Of The Beta Spectrum Module, Thomas J. Ruland

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nuclear reactors produce an extremely diverse population of beta-decaying isotopes. Accurate and precise knowledge of the beta-decay properties of these isotopes is vital to safe reactor operations as well as informing next-generation reactor design. These beta-decay properties not only impact the design and operation of nuclear reactors, but they influence the expected antineutrino flux and spectrum measured from nuclear reactors. Historical measurements of many of these isotopes are subject to a systematic bias referred to as the Pandemonium Effect, because the low-efficiency, high-precision detectors used to perform the measurements results in misinterpreting weak gamma cascades from high- energy levels as …

Pairing And Rotation-Induced Nuclear Exotica In Covariant Density Functional Theory, Saja Teeti

Theses and Dissertations

Covariant density functional theory (CDFT) is one of the modern theoretical tools for describing the nuclear structure physics of finite nuclei. Its performance is defined by underlying covariant energy density functionals (CEDFs). In this dissertation and within the framework of the CDFT, different physical properties of the ground and the excited states of rotating and non-rotating nuclei have been investigated.

A systematic global investigation of pairing properties based on all available experimental data on pairing indicators has been performed for the first time in the framework of covariant density functional theory. It is based on separable pairing interaction of Ref.\ …

Electron And Other Quarks As Particles Made Of Elementary Particles Of Charge E/3 And Mass Me/6, Polievkt Perov

College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Works

We suggest that the first-generation quarks are not elementary particles, but structures made of a basic elementary particle of charge e/3 and its antiparticle, interacting via an electrostatic force. The structures are suggested for d-quark as consisting of one positive and two negative basic elementary charges, for u-quark as a structure with one negative and three positive basic charges, for an electron as a quark with one positive and four negative basic charges, and for one more quark made of one positive and one negative basic charge. All the suggested structures are in a spinning motion and are stable. The …