Nuclear Physics Group
University of Surrey
a. Research Strategy Statement
i. Aims and scope
In formulating its strategy, the Surrey group is keenly aware of the international
perspective. With radioactive-beam facilities now under development in Europe,
North America and Japan, it is realistic to seek answers to questions such as:
- What are the limits of nuclear existence?
- Are there new forms of nuclear matter in very loosely bound nuclear systems?
- How are the elements and isotopes found in the Universe formed?
In this context, the Surrey group’s strategy is based on a set of six key aims:
1. To probe and understand the limits of the nuclear landscape.
2. To understand and exploit the reactions needed to reach the limits.
3. To study and understand novel structures observed on approaching the limits.
4. To develop and exploit novel detector technologies for observing the limits.
5. To disseminate results through leading journals and conferences.
6. To provide excellent training, knowledge exchange and public engagement.
In pursuing these aims, Surrey group members seek leadership roles in the
international community, so as to influence the directions of the science. The scope of
the research embraces radioactive-beam physics, with emphasis on exotic nuclear
structures that reveal new phenomena and test the predictions of theory. The group
has strength in experimental research (γ-ray and charged-particle spectroscopy),
theoretical research (nuclear structure and reactions), and equipment development
(radiation detector technologies). Group members work together to exploit synergies
and skills overlapping the different aims. The Surrey group is unique in the UK in its
theory-experiment-techniques profile.
ii. How this programme will advance the field
The research of the Surrey group is at the forefront of the field, with unsolved issues
to address, and new discoveries in prospect, based on theoretical predictions. The
development and application of innovative techniques, ideas and theories will lead to
new breakthroughs. The group’s findings are, and will continue to be, published in
leading journals and presented at major conferences.
iii. How this programme fits within the international context
The programme of research forms part of a worldwide effort. While Surrey group
members have their own individual skills, and work together on many projects, the
enterprise is very much one of international collaboration. Although the UK has no
accelerators for nuclear physics research, there is a substantial contribution of
equipment to international facilities, in which the Surrey group has strong
participation. Group members take leadership roles in international projects.
iv. Highlights of past three years and relationship to proposed programme
Group members have published 180 refereed journal articles in the past three years
(since November 2004) including a letter to Nature, 8 Physical Review Letters and 11
Physics Letters. Surrey’s theoretical advances for the structure of the rarest nuclei
have stimulated and underpinned experimental campaigns to measure nucleon
knockout at the major fragmentation facilities worldwide [Fr05,Ga07,Sc07], reaching,
for example, the neutron-dripline nucleus 42Si with N/Z=2 [Fr05,Ba07], and probing
shell breakdown and changes in magic numbers. In Surrey-led experimental work, the
structure of the N=8 magic-number breakdown has been identified in 12Be [Pa06].
The influence of weak binding on fusion and breakup has been successfully modelled
[Di07]. Isomers give access to some of the most exotic heavier nuclides, and our latest
RISING results show the robustness of the N=82 shell closure for Z<50, with
significance for r-process nucleosynthesis [Ju07]. The group’s work at and beyond the
proton dripline includes studies of mirror symmetry [Ga06], challenging current
models of the nucleon-nucleon force. The group has also investigated the role of
mirror symmetry in nuclear reactions involving light elements and proposed a new
method of deducing cross sections [Ti03,Ti06,Ti07] now used for terrestrial
astrophysics experiments.
The proposed programme builds on the group’s record of success in exploring and
explaining nuclear phenomena at the limits of accessibility, with a focus on the
exploitation of the new capabilities with radioactive beams. The structure features of
special interest, in addition to the influences of weak binding, are shell-gap
breakdown and shape-changing effects. These are elaborated in the accompanying
programme descriptions.
v. Major goals over next five years (one aspect is selected from each programme)
1 Ground-state properties and metastable states of exotic nuclei: Identify and explain
the structure of r-process (or near r-process) nuclides at N~82 and 126.
2 Secondary reactions with exotic beams: Use radioactive-beam reactions to identify
and explain new shell gaps in N~20 and 40 islands of inversion.
3 High-spin phenomena: Identify and explain oblate rotors in the neutron-rich A~190
region.
4 Detector innovation: Develop practical and high-performance diamond and CdZnTe
radiation detectors.
5 Theory of nuclear dynamics: Identify new nuclear dynamics by developing and
exploring time-dependent microscopic structure models.
vi. Methodologies, techniques and facilities required to achieve programme aims
The experimental research of the group is based on charged-particle and γ-ray
spectroscopy, using state-of-the-art detector arrays (e.g. TIARA, RISING and, in the
future, AGATA) and magnetic spectrometers (e.g. VAMOS, CLARA, FRS). There is
a new venture using the Experimental Storage Ring at GSI. The detection systems are
coupled to heavy-ion accelerators, with a strong emphasis on the exploitation of
radioactive beams, associated with NuSTAR, SPIRAL, ISOLDE and ISAC. Detector
developments are carried out at Surrey in newly refurbished laboratories, and include
use of the Surrey Ion Beam facility. Detector systems are supported by design and
electronics effort at Daresbury.
The successful development of novel theoretical and computational models of nuclear
structure will be achieved by extending and linking together few-body and manybody approaches, and the integration of time-dependent structure models such as
TDHF with coupled-channel and semi-classical reaction models of nuclear fusion. We
will be exploiting the extensive Surrey-based theoretical expertise together with
specialist skills of PDRAs and utilising the existing computer cluster, for which we
are requesting ongoing maintenance costs and a programme of upgrades to ensure our
ability to carry out the various computationally challenging tasks.
vii. Added value of Rolling Grant
The Surrey group’s research strengths will be exploited cooperatively, in order to
achieve its aims to best effect. The following interactions are of high importance: the
interplay between experimental and theoretical research; the simultaneous
understanding of nuclear reactions and structure; the simultaneous use of gamma-ray
and charged-particle techniques; and the development of detector technologies with
new capabilities for nuclear science. Group members have active intra-group
collaborations in all these areas, and these interactions will be reinforced and
augmented through the provision of a common grant. Furthermore, the nature of the
science, with its dependence on large accelerator facilities at overseas laboratories, is
such that it requires planning on a 5-10 year timescale, which fits best with the
rolling-grant system.
viii. Support and recent investments from the University of Surrey
The Surrey group’s work has been substantially underpinned through a University
£1M HEFCE-SRIF grant, awarded in 2003, enabling detector-laboratory
refurbishment and computer upgrading. There is on-going University support for
computer networking and laboratory infrastructure. Most importantly, the University
has provided three new nuclear-structure lectureships since 2001: Oi and Stevenson
(theory), and Podolyak (experiment).
[currently 1160 words; the guideline is 1000 words, so some pruning may be
appropriate]
Programme 1: Ground State Properties and Metastable States of Exotic Nuclei
(Gelletly, Podolyák, Regan, Stevenson, Tostevin, Walker, Al-Khalili)
This work package focuses on the Surrey group's ongoing activity on the
studies of metastable (i.e. isomeric) and ground-state decays in exotic nuclei . Broadly
speaking this work can be divided up into two main sections: (i) the continuation of
existing programmes based on experiments already ran as part of the RISING
experimental campaign [Pi07] at GSI of which Regan is the collaboration
spokesperson; and (ii) future experiments which have been proposed and accepted by
the GSI PAC for running over the course of the rolling grant period (2008-2012).
This work follows a long-standing Surrey experimental programme, based at GSI, to
utilise the projectile-fragmentation production technique, combined with γ-ray
spectroscopy of decays from isomeric states to study heavy, exotic nuclei [(e.g.,
[Po00,Pf02,Gl04,Ca05b,Po06]).
The experimental programme at RISING uses relativistic projectilefragmentation reactions to synthesise and populate nuclei with highly exotic protonto-neutron ratios. The systems are then transported to a 'stopper', which can be either
passive or active, where γ-ray transitions depopulating either isomers and/or
following beta-decay can be measured using the RISING spectrometer. Since the start
of 2006, 11 separate RISING experiments have been performed at GSI of which 5
have had a Surrey-based academic as Spokesperson or Co-Spokesperson. Some of the
specific physics areas which have been covered in the recent Stopped RISING studies
include (with Surrey-based spokespersons in italics where applicable):
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
T=0,1 np pairing competition in heavy N=Z nuclei [Re06,Ga07c] (Regan);
Measurements of isospin symmetry and GT decays in Tz=-1 nuclei (Gelletly);
Identification of shell-model states in neutron-rich N=82 nuclei [Ju07];
Isomeric decays in neutron-rich N=126 nuclei (Podolyak);
Beta-delayed spectroscopy of neutron-rich nuclei with A>170-200 (Regan).
The data analysis and physical interpretation of themes b-d are ongoing and
will continue into the period of the rolling grant. In particular, the beta-delayed
spectroscopy of neutron-rich nuclei with A>170-200 is made up of two separate
experiments using the Surrey-built GSI 'active stopper' and in which Surrey group
PDRAs and students, managed by Podolyak and Regan are primarily responsible for
the analysis of these data. These experiments yield very rich, complex data sets which
require a computationally competent PDRA to lead the analysis, in conjunction with a
PhD student to focus on specific cases. The interpretation of the data on the isomeric
states and beta-delayed spectroscopy of heavy, rare-earth nuclei is underpinned by
theoretical support from both Tostevin (knock-out reaction theory [Fr05]) and
Stevenson (structure studies of nuclear shapes [St05]). There is also significant
ongoing theoretical input with respect to the development of calculations of 'cold
proton knockout' cross sections. This is led by Tostevin and has important links with
the experimental work on the preferential population of high-j intruder (seniority
isomer) states in near-doubly-magic systems in peripheral projectile-fragmentation
reactions. Tostevin's earlier successful theoretical work on nucleon knockout in lighter
systems is being extended to be applicable for heavier systems around 132Sn and 208Pb
[To07]. Stevenson has a strong track record of the development and use of models
based on mean-fields and effective interactions to explore and explain ground-state
properties of nuclei across the Segre chart, which underpins the physics focus of the
experimental programme [St01,St05]. The recent development [Br06] of a fully
triaxial Hartree-Fock code using modern variants of the Skyrme interaction allows the
determination of nuclear states of arbitrary shape.
The future programme at GSI/FAIR with regard to the studies of isomeric and
beta-delayed spectroscopy will begin with a new series of Stopped RISING
experiments which are expected to run by late 2008. Four experiments have been
approved at 'grade A' (i.e., 'must run') by the GSI PAC. The physics aims of these are,
in summary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Studies of beta-decaying isomers in 96,97,98Cd48,49,50.
Studies of single-particle states in 132In populated in the beta-decay of 132Cd.
Isomeric studies of neutron-rich lead nuclei (212Pb and heavier).
Isomeric and beta-decay studies along the N=126 line (202Pt126).
The Surrey experimental group is a mainstay of all of these proposals, with
Podolyak the Spokesperson for experiment 2. Regan continues the Spokesperson for
the entire collaboration. It is envisaged that the RISING Stopped Beam programme
will naturally evolve to become incorporated within the DESPEC project at FAIR
which is coordinated by Podolyak.
The current Surrey manpower for this aspect of the ongoing programme
consists of the allocation of a 1 PDRA and 2 project studentships (one theory, one
experimental) from the EPSRC RISING grant. This grant is scheduled to come to an
end in September 2009. We request here funding for a PDRA to overlap the end of
this grant period and 2 new PG studentships to allow the continuation of these threads
of the work from Oct. 2009 to the end of the grant period.
While the RISING-based research (leading to DESPEC) is the main focus of
our experimental effort in this work package, we also have additional significant
PAC-approved activities which complement the RISING research and will continue
through the rolling-grant period: specifically (i) isomer detection and manipulation in
the GSI experimental storage ring (ESR, leading to ILIMA) [Su07] led by Walker;
and isomer studies with the ISOL technique at TRIUMF [Ch06] and ISOLDE, led by
Walker and Podolyak respectively. The latter is currently supported by a bridging
grant (PI Podolyak), with one funded PDRA until June 2009.
In support of the ongoing experimental programme, theory support for
structure properties will continue to be developed, making use of developments of the
Skyrme mean-field techniques already in place and being developed in programme 5.
Specific developments for programme 1 are planned, such as the extension to
properly deal with odd nuclei and isomeric states, and will make use of a quota
studentship during the grant period.
Theory: Stevenson (7h), Tostevin (2h), Al-Khalili (2h), PhD (1)
Experiment: Regan (8h), Walker (8h), Podolyak (5h), Gelletly (4h), PDRA (1), PhD
(1), Prog/phys (0.33), Phys/exp (0.33)
Programme 2: Secondary reactions with exotic beams
(Catford, Podolyak, Walker, Tostevin, Johnson, Al-Khalili, Timofeyuk)
The programme identifies an integrated experimental and theoretical effort aimed at
the following objectives of the UK strategy:
 Advancing understanding of the evolution of nuclear structure with increasing
neutron and proton (N, Z) asymmetry, towards the limits of nuclear existence,
 Developing theories for novel direct reaction methods and reaction dynamics to
guide and challenge the experimental effort and provide detailed quantitative tests
of the best available nuclear structure calculations,
 Leading novel experiments that will, with theoretical interpretation, allow us to
apply structure models to understand an expanded region of the (N, Z) chart; and,
thus, improve the input to astrophysical scenarios and nucleosynthesis networks.
In exotic nuclei, single-nucleon level occupancies and the occurrence of pairs and
clusters of nucleons are among the most sensitive indicators of evolution of shell
structure and breakdown and emergence of shell gaps [Na98,Pa06,Ga06,Te06,
Ga07a,Ca05a]. This reveals, e.g. the impact of the tensor component of the nucleonnucleon force on quantum many-body systems. Such advances are enabled by
integrated theoretical and experimental campaigns, in which Surrey has demonstrated
leadership [Ca05ab,Ti03a,Ha03,To04].
We identify four areas that study particle- and hole-like states near the neutron and
proton Fermi surfaces: (i) transfer reactions (GANIL, TRIUMF, Oak Ridge, NSCL),
(ii) intermediate energy knockout reactions (GANIL, and collaborations with the
NSCL, RIKEN, GSI), (iii) inverse kinematics quasi-free scattering (with GSI), and
(iv) cluster breakup studies.
Area (i): Experimental effort will use the TIARA array [Ca05a,b] at GANIL, and
collaborations at TRIUMF and Oak Ridge. The TIARA collaboration also involves
Liverpool, Daresbury, Paisley, Birmingham, LPC, Orsay, Saclay and GANIL. Surreyled transfer experiments are approved at GANIL (34Si, using TIARA) and TRIUMF
(25Na, using TIGRESS and a new Si array designed with York). Essential in
radioactive beam science is to use the best available beams, and approved TRIUMF
experiments will complement 24,26Ne work at SPIRAL. Experiments using
fragmentation beams of N=Z and neutron rich nuclei, that combine TIARA, MUST2
and EXOGAM, are approved at GANIL. Follow-up work to the 25Ne experiment,
outlined to the TRIUMF PAC, is potentially an important future programme at the
facility. TIARA will require upgrading from resistive strip detectors to individual strip
ASIC electronics, to maintain its competitiveness and compatibility with MUST2.
Surrey will lead (i) the replacement detector design (with Micron Semiconductor) and
(ii) modification to detectors and chamber to add neutron tagging for (d,n) reactions.
The ASICs, target changer and the mounting mechanics to run using LISE at GANIL
will be the responsibility of Daresbury and Liverpool. New detectors for the two
barrels are shared between Surrey and Liverpool, and tested and commissioned at
Surrey. This upgrade will maintain the momentum of the MUST2 collaboration and
lead (in a future grant) to development of the next-generation GASPARD array for
SPIRAL2. GASPARD will be integrated strongly with the R3B/EXL project at FAIR.
Exploitation of TIARA will give the Surrey-led collaboration considerable weight in
these and related European projects. Theoretically, accurate transfer reaction
predictions for the testing of structure models and the indirect determination of
astrophysically interesting, and otherwise unobtainable, reaction rates will require
new methods of treating three-body and breakup effects in inverse kinematics
experiments on nuclear, deuteron and proton targets. The form of single nucleon
overlaps in very neutron rich nuclei [Ti03] and their implications for the interpretation
of single particle strengths (occupancy) and astrophysical reaction rates will be
explored theoretically.
Request is for 0.7 FTE experimental PDRA (design, performance and analysis of
these experiments). Two experimental project studentships will support the effort and
provide continuity in the analysis. 0.5 FTE PDRA effort is required for theoretical
developments linked also to Programme 5.
Area (ii): To reveal the role of changing shell gaps on the interplay of collective and
nucleonic effects [Fr06], and signatures of novel neutron pair correlations in heavier
nuclei, will require development of our quantitative one- and multi-nucleon removal
theories [To04,To06]. An improved theoretical description of the dominant inelastic
(stripping) nucleon removal process and of two-nucleon elastic breakup events is also
now necessary as higher quality and more exclusive data become available. Data
already reveal dynamical effects that demand treatment beyond the sudden
approximation. The potential of pickup reactions using fast secondary beams, to study
particle-like states of the projectile, shows promise as a complementary tool to lowenergy transfer [Ga07b] and will be explored theoretically with the aim of achieving
access to more exotic (and lower intensity) beams. Request is 1.0 FTE Theory PDRA.
Area (iii): Inverse kinematics, quasi-free knockout reactions on nucleon and light
targets are of high priority at GSI and at R3B/FAIR. Surrey theory expertise in
knockout and multiple scattering will be applied to interpreting tests and new data.
1.0 FTE project student is requested in this area.
Area (iv): Surrey maintains an active role in cluster studies. Experimentally, the group
collaborates within CHARISSA on resonant reactions studied in inverse kinematics
and have led breakup studies of exotic neutron/proton rich nuclei with stable and
radioactive beams. Strong links exist in both technology and physics with the transfer
programme. Theory has provided models of 3- and 4-body cluster states [Ar03, Ar04]
and new theoretical codes are now available to study possible condensate states.
The experimental PDRA on Programme 2 will spend  0.3 FTE on this area.
Advances in all Areas will require reassessment of the many-body interactions for
both exotic and isomeric beams with nuclear targets. While fundamental to reaction
studies, these remain poorly understood for nuclei far from stability. Both transfer and
knockout reactions [Pa06,Sc07] to unbound final states are also rapidly coming to the
fore in the most exotic systems, and need new few-body methodologies. We will also
investigate the potential of measurements that exploit gamma-particle correlations
and/or partially polarized beams or targets.
Theory: Al-Khalili (13h), Tostevin (12h), Johnson (5h), Timofeyuk (0.5), PDRA (1),
PhD (1)
Experiment: Catford (14.5h), Podolyak (3h), Walker (2.5h), PDRA (1), PhD (2),
Prog/phys (0.33), Phys/exp (0.33)
These still to be integrated into main list - care needed over a, b labels
[Ca05a] W.N. Catford et al., J. Phys. G 31 (2005) S1,655
[Ca05b] W.N. Catford et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 25 (2005) S1,251
[Ti03] N.K. Timofeyuk et al., Physical Review C 68 (2003) 021601(R).
[Ti03a] N.K. Timofeyuk et al., Physical Review Letters 91 (2003) 232501.
[Ga06] A. Gade et al., Physical Review C, 74 (2006) 021302(R).
[Ga07a] A. Gade et al., Physical Review Letters, 99 (2007) 072502.
[Ga07b] A. Gade et al., Physical Review C, submitted (2007).
Programme 3: High Spin Phenomena (Oi, Walker, Regan, Podolyak)
With increasing angular momentum, nuclear many-body systems undergo structural
changes from the superconducting phase. Unlike infinite systems, structural
transitions in nuclei happen gradually as a reflection of the finite-size effect. Until the
normal-conducting phase emerges at very high spin (the Mottelson-Valatin effect),
nuclei show a variety of many-body states as a consequence of the interplay between
collective and single-particle degrees of freedom.
One such interesting form of excited state is the oblate-deformed state at high spin.
For complex reasons, prolate deformation is favoured as the equilibrium shape of
low-spin nuclear states. Angular momentum can be an effective probe for the
investigation of why oblate deformation is hard to produce. The structural change
associated with the onset of oblate deformation is predicted to appear as a “giant
backbending” [Xu00,Oi01a,Wa06] at high spin (about 20 ℏ ) in neutron-rich hafnium
(Z=72) isotopes. However, it is not possible to reach the high-spin region for the
targeted neutron-rich systems, with the current experimental techniques based on
fusion-evaporation and deep-inelastic reactions with stable beams. New experimental
techniques making use of radioactive beams are required to be developed.
The nuclear shell structure can change in response to the isospin Tz=(N-Z)/2, as seen
in light systems, such as O and Mg. The change produces a new landscape in the
deformation evolution at high spin. The study of nuclei with the N=126 neutron
magic number is of particular interest. Understanding the nuclear structures around
the N=126 waiting points in the rapid nucleosynthesis (r-process) is essential and
imperative in explaining the abundance of heavy elements in the Universe. The
meltdown of one shell gap provides a trigger for large collectivity, as seen in the
superdeformed states of the doubly magic nucleus 40Ca [Oi07]. It is possible that, for
r-process nuclides, N=126 ceases to be a magic number and takes on large collectivity
even in the ground state, such as has been observed in the neutron-rich nuclide 32Mg.
It is therefore important to investigate whether the N=126 nuclides, such as 200W, are
spherical, triaxial, or superdeformed. Also in these heavily asymmetric nuclear
systems (N>>Z), non-uniform mass distributions between neutrons and protons can
be anticipated, as found in the neutron-rich carbon isotopes. This is a new shape
coexistence phenomenon, involving the isospin degree of freedom.
Fusion-evaporation reactions using neutron-rich radioactive beams can be also used to
produce ultra high-spin states. Together with the 4π gamma-ray detectors, such as
AGATA and Gammasphere, the search for the excited states above the yrast line
becomes possible. Such side-bands include wobbling motion, chiral twin bands,
magnetic rotations, and nuclear tidal waves. These high-spin phenomena are threedimensional nuclear rotations, for which the theoretical understanding is still at a
preliminary stage though some progress has been made [Oi03, Oi05a, Oi05b, Oi06].
Wobbling motion and nuclear chirality are particularly interesting topics right now,
because discrepancies from the theoretical models have been reported in recent
experiments. It is thus important to have a close theory-experiment relationship in
these topics.
Isomers can be a major tool for the study of nuclear structure in exotic nuclei [Wa99].
Microsecond half-lives provide sensitive time correlations: long enough for in-flight
ion-by-ion identification, and short enough to avoid random decay events. High-K
isomers are abundant in the Hf-W-Os region. This type of isomer has an axially
symmetric shape and possesses a quantum number “K”, corresponding to the
projection of the total angular momentum onto the symmetry axis. The quantum
selection rule for K allows a nucleus to be isomeric before decaying to the K=0
ground state. When high-K bands cross low-K bands, a different type of backbending
happens [Oi01b,Wa07b]. The original backbending explanation is based on rotational
alignment, where the structural transition happens between two low-K structures (gand s-bands). However, high-K components dominate when the Fermi level is in the
upper part of the shell. Therefore, by shifting the Fermi level, the new “tilted”
backbending may be produced. So far, a unified understanding of this effect has not
been achieved. Increasing Tz, through the use of neutron-rich beams, will allow an
experimental study of the evolution of the backbending mechanism in an isotope
chain, for comparison with theoretical calculations. The relevant band crossing
involves a drastic change in the K quantum number, that is, the isomeric “Kforbidden” transitions. To allow the transitions, the symmetry needs to be broken.
Currently, two modes are known to be important: tilted rotation and γ vibration.
Quantum mechanical approaches, such as the generator coordinate method (GCM),
are essential in dealing with these dynamical modes. Our theoretical study uses the
GCM and the 3D cranked Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method, with quantum-number
projection.
We have extensive theoretical and experimental experience with these topics. The key
objective is to reveal and explain the discussed high-spin phenomena through the
application of state-of-the-art techniques (theoretical and experimental). One aspect
that drives the programme is the peer-reviewed approval of experimental proposals
submitted to specific facilities. We have an excellent track record of gaining access to
beam time at leading accelerators (GSI, GANIL, LNL, JYFL, ANL and TRIUMF).
Specific near-term projects include the inelastic excitation of a 178Hf beam at ANL
(Gammasphere - submitted) in order to probe ΔK=16 mixing; using a radioactive 14C
beam at ANL (Gammasphere - being planned) to study high-K vibrations in 186Os;
and using deep-inelastic reactions to gain access to the doubly-mid-shell 170Dy region
(LNL, in progress). In the longer term, we plan to exploit radioactive beams at GSIFAIR, GANIL-SPIRAL2 and TRIUMF-ISAC2 to study high-spin states in neutronrich nuclei. Indeed, we have already initiated such studies with a 8He beam
[Po03,Ga05] but the heavy n-rich beams that are suitable for our physics programme
are not yet available. This activity is strongly linked to the accompanying programme
2. The exploitation of the AGATA gamma-ray spectrometer will be a key feature.
In the near term, we are planning AGATA experiments with stable beams, using
deep-inelastic reactions: (i) 48Ca beam on a 238U target at Legnaro, with PRISMA, to
study n-rich Ca isotopes where strong shell effects have been predicted; and (ii) 238U
beam on a 100Mo target, with VAMOS at GANIL, to investigate predicted
superdeformed shell effects in 100Mo at I~30. Both of these studies are included in the
UK AGATA physics case.
Theory: Oi (20h), PDRA (1)
Experiment: Regan (7h), Walker (4h), Gelletly (4h), Podolyak (2h), PDRA (1), PhD
(1), Prog/phys (0.33), Phys/exp (0.33)
Programme 4: Detector Innovation
(Sellin, Catford, Gelletly, Podolyak)
The Surrey group has expertise in the development of leading-edge detector solutions
for nuclear physics experimentation, with recent highlights including the development
of one of the first 3D sensitive co-axial Ge detectors (Regan, Sellin), the application
of digital pulse processing for liquid scintillators for n- discrimination and neutron
time of flight (TOF) measurements (Catford, Sellin), characterisation of silicon strip
detectors (Catford) and the development of novel semiconductor detectors such as
CdZnTe and diamond (Regan, Sellin). The detector development programme which
supports the Nuclear Physics Group activities combines both fundamental detector
physics related particularly to new material developments, and prototype detector
fabrication and characterisation.
In this work programme we specifically aim to develop three strands of detector
research, to support the physics programmes at GSI and GANIL.
a. Diamond detectors for fast timing and extreme radiation environments. The
recent availability of single-crystal synthetic diamond film makes possible ultra high
speed charged-particle detectors. Such devices can achieve ~100 ps timing resolution,
an order of magnitude faster than silicon detectors, with applications in TOF
measurements of high-energy heavy ions. Surrey has pioneered the recent
development of single-crystal diamond detectors in the UK [Lo07a, Lo07b], and has
unique facilities for fabrication and testing of custom diamond detectors. This detector
development activity will be strongly focussed on the proposed UK FAIR
collaboration (Surrey, York…).
b. Room temperature CdZnTe detectors for gamma-ray spectroscopy. The
performance of CdZnTe as room temperature X-ray and gamma-ray detectors has
made dramatic improvements in recent years [Se05b], and there is now considerable
interest in large-solid-angle compact CdZnTe arrays for in-beam gamma-ray
spectroscopy. The Surrey group will develop multi-element and pixellated CdZnTe
detectors for gamma spectroscopy at GSI and GANIL, using custom detector designs
and geometries which are not available from commercial suppliers. The group is the
UK’s leading centre for CdZnTe development, and is a member of the Basic
Technology ‘HEXITEC’ CdZnTe detector programme (Manchester, Durham RAL,
Surrey, QMW).
c. Digital pulse discrimination techniques. Exploitation of recent advances in high
speed waveform digitisers has opened up new opportunities for digital pulse-shape
discrimination and TOF methodologies, for example for n/ detection using large
volume liquid scintillators. This work will be developed for specific applications in
n/ measurements at the DEMON facility at GANIL.
Detector physics research within the group is led by Dr Paul Sellin and is supported
by an extensive suite of well-equipped detector laboratories, which have been recently
refurbished by a £1M HEFCE SRIF-2 grant. The group’s experimental facilities are
based on a suite of dedicated detector laboratories, including electro-optical
characterisation, radioisotope and neutron spectrocopy, X-ray generators and
dosimetry, and proton microbeam irradiation. The laboratories also include a
dedicated detector clean room for in-house fabrication of CdZnTe and diamond
detectors. Furthermore, the group has an excellent range of advanced instrumentation
systems for multi-channel and digital data acquisition. The University also contains
the Surrey Centre for Ion Beam Applications which has recently acquired a new £4M
2 MV tandetron accelerator and microbeam facility. This facilty is used extensively
by the group for the high-resolution mapping of charge transport in detector materials
using the technique of Ion Beam Induced Charge (IBIC) imaging [Se00].
The Surrey detector physics activity is set in the context of many international
collaborations, for example segmented Ge detectors (with XXX), CdZnTe detectors
(LETI Grenoble, Freiburg, Bologna, Warsaw) and diamond detectors (GSI, CEA
Saclay, ESRF). The group also has strong collaborations with UK based detector and
instrumentation companies, with formal collaborations currently in-place with De
Beers Diamonds (E6 Ltd), Oxford Instruments, DSTL, and Durham Scientific
Crystals.
Sellin (11h), Catford (4h), Gelletly (2.5h), Podolyak (1.5h), PDRA (1)
Programme 5: Theory of Nuclear Dynamics
(Stevenson, Tostevin, Al-Khalili, Johnson, Timofeyuk)
This programme will provide essential theoretical support to advance the goals of the
UK programme and the UK strategy, by
 Developing fundamental microscopic, few- and many-body models of nuclear
structure dynamics based on bare and effective inter-particle interactions,
 Developing models and understanding of novel collective phenomena in nuclear
motion in terms of collective, single-particle and cluster degrees of freedom,
 Developing time-dependent, coupled channels and semi-classical approaches to
dynamical and decoherence phenomena in collisions of many-body systems.
The applicants work closely with experimentalists in the UK and worldwide,
formulating new theoretical methods and guiding and interpreting cutting-edge
experiments. To maintain this role a coherent programme of theory developments is
proposed for the future exploitation of Programmes 1, 2 and 3. In common with the
UK and international strategy these developments address new physics of nuclei at the
boundaries of stability. Overlaps with other programme areas are identified below.
Area (i): Microscopic approach to collective motion Nuclei have a common
underlying interaction but nevertheless display single-particle, cluster and collective
behaviour - which can be individually and successfully modelled. A unified
description is necessary for a full understanding, e.g. to simultaneously understand the
Landau splitting in giant resonances while retaining the description of a vibrational
mode. Our expertise in the Time-Dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) technique is being
used to explore collective motion from a microscopic point of view [St07]. Bridging
PDRA support (until 01/10) will introduce a self-consistent treatment of pairing
which will be refined and exploited throughout the rolling grant period to assess the
role of the coupling of pairing vibrations to other collective degrees of freedom in
collisions and resonances. In concert with the improved sophistication of the mean
field runs a programme of developments of beyond-mean-field variational techniques
to enable the description of two-body observables. Initial work (DTG PhD student) is
underway to calculate mass fluctuations in a fully symmetry-unrestricted situation.
Further development, for new observables and a systematic study of the results, is
now possible. 1FTE PDRA support is requested in this area from 01/10.
Area (ii): Fusion Dynamics Understanding complete and incomplete fusion reaction
dynamics is fundamental to understanding the roles played by collective, dissociation,
and single-particle excitation mechanisms in collisions of weakly-bound and exotic
nuclei. Surrey expertise spans coupled channels [To01], semi-classical [Di07] and
time-dependent [St07] approaches and, combined, will provide a deeper
understanding of the interplay of these degrees of freedom, at collision energies near
the Coulomb barrier. Excitations of the colliding system to configurations beyond a
truncated model space (environment couplings) offer interesting parallels with
quantum information and decoherence phenomena which will be explored. 1 FTE
PDRA support is requested in this area.
Area (iii): Hyperspherical and cluster models At the limits of nuclear stability,
collective motions play an important role. In particular, the energies of nucleon pair
and cluster formation can perturb shell structures, generating new magic numbers. In
some cases this is predicted to result in non-standard behavior of single-particle wave
functions at large distances [Ti03b,Ti07a], with consequences for interpretation of
experimental data (and Programme 2). To describe this phenomenon requires linkage
of few- and many-body descriptions of nuclei. One such recent approach is the
Hyperspherical Cluster Model (HCM) [Ti07b] in which cluster degrees of freedom
are constructed from individual nucleon degrees of freedom. Applications impact
upon the experimental and theoretical effort in Programme 2 and wider UK efforts.
0.5 FTE PDRA and 1FTE project student support is requested.
Area (iv): Overlap functions An outstanding problem of nuclear theory is to connect,
in a precise way, nuclear reaction observables and the parameters of nuclear structure
models. This problem is fundamental to many direct reactions where the structure
information is encapsulated in the overlap function determined by the initial and final
nuclear states being probed. Nuclear structure information is usually extracted in the
form of Spectroscopic Factors (SF) and Asymptotic Normalization Constants
(ANCs), properties of the overlap function. Other properties of the overlap are
assumed to be given by systematics such as nuclear mean squared radii or simply
taken to have generic values. All of these issues must be re-thought when exotic
nuclei are involved. We plan to explore the problem in terms of the effective
interaction used in the nuclear model calculations. We will examine the sensitivity of
those features of the overlap function that are relevant to reactions to properties of the
effective interaction that are not constrained by static properties of nuclear levels. In
so doing we expect to gain understanding uncertainties in the SF and ANCs obtained
from experiment, building on the parallel advances in the theory of the reaction
mechanism of Programme 2. 1FTE project student support is requested.
Stevenson (12h), Tostevin (8h), Al-Khalili (7h), Johnson (5h), Timofeyuk (0.5),
PDRA (2), PhD (2)
c. Staff posts
Prof. Al-Khalili brings 18 years of research experience in nuclear theory,
including an EPSRC Advanced Research Fellowship, and specialises in few-body
scattering and direct reactions mechanisms. His published papers on halo nuclei have
between them been cited over 450 times (e.g. [Al06]). He has recently published work
in hadron physics (e.g. [Zh04]) and nuclear decay (e.g [Al06]). Alongside his
research, he currently devotes half of his time to science communication and public
engagement for which he was awarded the 2007 Royal Society Michael Faraday
Medal and Prize.
Al-Khalili's current, and ongoing, research interests will be focussed in
nuclear reaction studies at fragmentation energies [Programme 2, 60% of research
effort] where he will exploit the most appropriate probes for studying nuclei at the
limits of existence, such as elastic and inelastic scattering, charge exchange and
knockout reactions to study both ground states and isomeric states. He will continue
to devote time to work with on proton decay studies [under Programme 1, 10% of
research effort] with experimentalists from other UK groups [Jo06,Pa07] and will
look to develop research in new directions, such as the application of time-dependent
models to fusion reactions and to understand the role of quantum decoherence in such
reactions [Ed08] [Programme 5, 30% of research effort].
Al-Khalili will also devote a significant effort towards one of the Group's key
aims: wider dissemination and knowledge exchange aimed at promoting the Group's
research activities via a range of public engagement activities.
242 words
Prof. W.N. Catford has more than 25 years of postdoctoral research
experience and has published over 150 papers. His research is now primarily with
radioactive beams, including the first gamma-ray spectroscopy experiment using
fusion-evaporation with a radioactive beam [Ca97] and the first spectroscopic
measurement using transfer with a fragmentation beam [Wi01]. He also helped to
develop both the VAMOS and EXOGAM spectrometers [Ca98]. He has been
Chairman of the GANIL PAC since 2005 and a member since 2003. He sits on the
SPIRAL2 FP7 (ESFRI) and EXOGAM Steering Committees and the IAC for the
conference series Direct Reactions with Exotic Beams (DREB). He joined Surrey in
1990 after research positions at Oxford and the Australian National University. He
established and leads the international TIARA collaboration to study nucleon transfer
with radioactive beams [Ca05a], focussing on the key strategic research area of
changing shell structure for exotic nuclei. The various themes emerging from TIARA
comprise his main research programme, together with nucleon knockout [Pa06] and
cluster breakup experiments within the CHARISSA collaboration with Birmingham.
The recently established collaboration with the French MUST2 group is designed to
lead to further developments and experiments using TIARA/MUST2 and then the
next-generation GASPARD reaction array for SPIRAL2. Close physics and
technological links connect this work also to related experiments on transfer at
TRIUMF, plus future research on knockout/breakup with CHARISSA and
knockout/transfer with R3B/EXL at FAIR. Detector development and simulation at
Surrey begun under TIARA will underpin this future research. His research effort will
be under Programme 2 [80%], Programme 4 [20%].
257 words
Professor W.Gelletly was appointed Head of Physics in 1993 and was later
Head of the School of Physics and Chemistry (1996-2001) at Surrey. He has served
widely on government committees. In this context he has an interest in a wide range
of applications of nuclear physics [Nu05]. At present he is a member of the Board of
the Health Protection Agency and chairs its sub-committee on Radiation, Chemical
and Environmental hazards. His research expertise lies mainly in γ-ray and electron
spectroscopy. He has carried out experiments over a wide range of topics including
inter alia the photoelectric effect at high energy, searches for massive neutrinos, the
neutrino spectrum from a nuclear reactor, neutron-capture spectroscopy [Ap06], beta
decay [Po04,Na04] and prompt and delayed γ-decay from a range of nuclear reaction
types [Ga06]. In the last few years he has been spokesperson for experiments that
have run successfully at GSI, GANIL and ISOLDE. He has also been prominent in
pursuing the UK’s interest in developing and using beams of radioactive nuclei. In
this context he is currently the elected chairman of the NuSTAR collaboration at
FAIR and a member, following three years as chairman, of the SPIRAL 2 Science
Advisory Committee. His expertise and current interests mean that he will play a
leading role in programmes 1 and 2.
218 words
Prof. R.C. Johnson was appointed Emeritus Professor of Physics 2002
following 37 years, 16 as Professor, on the Surrey Academic Staff. He was Dean of
Science 1992-97 and Head of the Nuclear Physics Group 1971-92. He was elected
Fellow of the Institute of Physics in 1971 and of the American Physical Society in
1989 (Citation: "For clarifying and extending theories of spin dependence and
antisymmetry in nuclear reactions and for introducing the adiabatic theory of break-up
effects."). He has held visiting appointments at universities in USA, Japan and New
Zealand. He has supervised 29 higher degrees and published over 140 refereed papers.
Of the latter, 7, including a Phys.Rev.Letter [Ti03], have been published since
01/01/03. He was elected Chairman of the Nuclear Physics Board of EPS, 2003-2005,
and served on many Research Council and other European physics committees and
International Advisory Panels.
Professor Johnson’s main expertise is in the theory of nuclear reactions and
nuclear structure. The Johnson-Soper method [Jo05,Ti99] is widely used to analyse
transfer reactions involving deuterons [Le06]. Developments of this method will be
crucial for the analysis of experiments in programme 2 and will require extensions of
the Johnson-Soper method and the associated 3-body Hamiltonian to low energies. He
is an expert on multiple-scattering theory which will underpin theoretical work on the
scattering of isomeric states in connection with programme 1. Work led by Johnson,
Tostevin and Al-Khalili in collaboration with the Crespo (Lisbon) [Cr92] has laid the
foundation for a study of new effects which may arise in nucleon scattering because
of the special structure of isomeric states.
262 words
Dr M. Oi: My speciality is theoretical nuclear structure, particularly at high
spin. After about three years as a post-doctoral researcher, I was appointed to a
permanent lectureship at the University of Surrey in 2002. My research activity
during the last five years has been supported by two grants from EPSRC: Advanced
Fellowship and First grant. With these grants, my work has been dedicated to the
nuclear many-body problem at high spin. During this period, I wrote five papers as
the first author, e.g. [Oi03, Oi05a, Oi05b, Oi06], or the leading author (two of five are
single-author papers). Through these publications, I was invited to seven international
conferences and workshops, as well as one invitation to an international summer
school as a lecturer. In addition, requests to give seminars came from several
institutions and universities in the UK, France, Italy, and Japan. I gave about ten
seminars since 2003. International collaborations are also established with JAERI
(Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute); CNS (Centre for Nuclear Sciences) in
University of Tokyo; and Niigata University, Japan.
174 words
Dr Z. Podolyák has been an EPSRC Advanced Fellow (AF) since October
2001. He was awarded a three-year extension starting from November 2006. Prior to
his AF, he was an EPSRC funded PDRA at Surrey, following on from his former
research position at the INFN Laboratory in Legnaro, Italy. He spent the period
between September and December 2001 at GSI as a Visiting Research Scientist. His
main research interest lies in the structure of heavy nuclei with exotic proton-toneutron ratios [St05]. He has led experiments using deep-inelastic [Zh04b] and
projectile-fragmentation [Po00,Gl04,Po06] reactions to study the structure of heavy
neutron-rich nuclei. He plays an important role in nuclear structure and reaction
studies using the novel technique of relativistic projectile fragmentation combined
with gamma-ray spectroscopy, especially within the RISING collaboration. He has
co-authored more than 100 articles in refereed scientific journals and conference
proceedings. He has obtained facility time at laboratories such as GSI (Germany),
CERN-ISOLDE (Switzerland), Legnaro (Italy). His research is well aligned with
STFC priorities, being heavily involved at the present GSI facility and the next
generation European fragmentation facility at FAIR. He is currently spokesperson for
the HISPEC collaboration at FAIR.
192 words
Dr P.H. Regan joined the academic staff at Surrey in 1994 following postdoctoral positions at the University of Pennsylvania and the Australian National
University. He was promoted to Reader in 2005. He has published more than 150
papers in refereed journals and supervised 12 PhD students to date. He was elected a
Fellow of the Institute of Physics in 2000. He holds an Adjunct Professorship at the
University of Notre Dame and has been a Visiting Scientist at the WNSL-Yale
University from 2002 to the present. He has led the UK effort in the study of exotic
nuclei by isomeric and beta-delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy following projectile
fragmentation reactions. In this capacity he is the Spokesperson for the Stopped
RISING Experimental Programme at GSI [Re07,Pi07]. He has accrued wide
experience in the construction, design and implementation of nuclear spectroscopy
detection systems, including germanium detector arrays and a variety of ancillary
equipment. He is the Course Director for the Surrey MSc in Radiation and
Environmental Protection and also spends significant time making nuclear physics
research accessible to a wider audience. This has included contributions to the Daily
Telegraph Science Page, work as a Scientific Consultant for the BBC Radio 4
Frontiers in Science programme, and making over 50 mainstream television and radio
appearances on matters associated with nuclear physics and radiation science issues,
appearing on programmes including BBC1 News, BBC News 24, SKY-TV News,
CNN News and BBC radio. He sits on the STFC Education, Training and Careers
Committee.
247 words
Dr P.J. Sellin is a Reader in Physics, with 15 years experience in detector
physics research. His initial research was the development of the first double-sided
silicon strip detector for recoil tagging applications ([Se92] 72 citations). His current
interests concentrate on the development and characterisation of new semiconductor
materials for radiation detector applications, with a particular emphasis on
fundamental studies of charge transport and radiation induced defects and trapping
phenomena. With over 60 journal papers in detector physics, his interests cover 2
main themses: (1) high-Z gamma and X-ray detectors, principally CdZnTe, for
spectroscopy at room temperature; (2) synthetic diamond detectors for ultra-fast
timing applications and extreme radiation environments. He is currently on the
international organising committee of 3 international conferences: ”IEEE Room
Temperature Semiconductor Detector Workshop”, ”Position Sensitive Detector
Conference”, and ”Beam Injection and Modification of Semiconductors”.
Dr Sellin’s work has pioneered the use of micro-focus proton beams for
characterisation of wide bandgap detector materials [Se04,Lo04], which has most
recently been applied to the study of charge transport in both polycrystalline CVD
diamond [Se00] and single crystal synthetic diamond detectors [Lo07a,Lo07b]. His
group is actively involved in collaborations with GSI Darmstadt and CEA Saclay for
diamond detector development, principally for ultra high speed diamond detectors for
charged-particle time-of-flight studies and beam monitoring applications [Se05a]. His
group is also one of the leading European centres for CdZnTe and CdTe detector
research, participating with Freiburg, Bologna, Warsaw, LETI Grenoble to develop
high resolution X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy detectors for room-temperature
operation [Se05b]. He has also pioneered the first development of hydrocarbon-based
radiation detectors using organic materials, which has potential applications as a low
cost large area detector technology [Bo07], which resulted in a patent filing in 2007.
286 words
Dr P.D. Stevenson is a lecturer in nuclear structure theory at the University of
Surrey. His research interests centre around the use of effective interactions in meanfield-based models to describe and predict effects in nuclei across the periodic table
[St02,Pe05] and in nuclear matter and neutron stars [Ri03] in a unified way. He has
particular interests in collective motion, and techniques to go beyond the mean-field
description of nuclei. He works closely with experimentalists, and was successful in
forging joint EPSRC-funded projects with UK experimentalists, both at Surrey and
elsewhere [Jo06,Ca05b]. He is active in science communication, having given
popular lectures at science festivals, Café Scientifiques, the Royal Institution and
elsewhere. He organises the programme of IoP branch talks at Guildford and is
Recorder of the Physics and Astronomy section of the British Association for the
Advancement of Science, where he regularly promotes STFC funded projects.
146 words
Prof. J.A. Tostevin is a theorist with specialist expertise in developments of
novel methodologies for quantitative treatments of nuclear dynamical and nuclear
structure effects on the scattering and reactions of elementary and composite quantum
systems over a wide range of energies, e.g. [Di07,Ha03,To04]. He is an expert in the
physics of direct reactions and breakup phenomena and has published 150 papers in
these and related areas; including numerous, diverse recent applications to studies of
exotic nuclei. He leads the Nuclear Theory Group at Surrey, coordinates the European
theory network (TNET), within the EURONS project, and has trained 18 students to
higher (research) degrees. He has an outstanding record of productive interactions
with experimenters working at the forefront international facilities of radioactive
beams physics, including as an adjunct Professor at the NSCL/MSU and as (theory)
co-investigator on numerous approved experimental proposals at the NSCL and the
RIBF (RIKEN). Most recently he has led theoretical developments of fast one- and
two-nucleon removal reactions [Ha03,To04] that are now being exploited worldwide
as quantitative tools, e.g. [Ga04,Fr05,Ga07,Sc07], to explore the evolution of shell
structure, shell gaps, and of nucleon-nucleon and like-nucleon pair correlations in
highly asymmetric exotic nuclei at and near the driplines. His expertise (commitment)
will be directed toward the theoretical advances needed under Area 2 (60%) and in
Area 5 (40%) of the rolling grant proposal.
224 words
Prof. P.M. Walker brings more than 25 years of relevant research experience
in experimental nuclear physics, specialising in gamma-ray spectroscopy and highspin nuclear structure. He is an acknowledged expert on the physics of isomeric states
[Wa99]. In addition to his experimental work, he has led a number of related
theoretical studies; he has a particular current interest in nuclear shape effects and the
role of prolate-oblate shape coexistence [Wa06]. He has published 220 refereed
journal articles, and he regularly contributes feature articles in professional magazines
[Wa05,St06,Wa07]. He has recently forged links to areas of laser and plasma physics,
including the effect of isomeric states in astrophysical environments [Wa01]. He has
served on a number of advisory panels. He is a current member of the AGATA
steering committee, and spokesperson for the ILIMA collaboration of FAIR at GSI.
His research is well aligned with STFC priorities: he is heavily involved in
radioactive-beam developments at GSI, GANIL (SPIRAL) and TRIUMF (ISAC).
During the past few years he has been spokesperson for experiments that have run
successfully at all three of these facilities. In 2007 he was presented with the GENCO
membership award at GSI, and he is currently AWE William Penney Professor of
Nuclear Physics. He is a member of the new NPGP of STFC.
Walker’s expertise gives him a leading role in isomer research and high-spin physics,
hence his effort (0.5 FTE after tapering in existing commitments) is shared equally
between programmes 1 and 3.
[246 words]
Dr. N.K. Timofeyuk has 17 years of post-doctoral research experience in
nuclear structure and nuclear reaction theories, 9 of which have been spent in the
University of Surrey. Her PhD has laid a basis for a new popular direction in
experimental nuclear astrophysics, the so-called ANC method. In Surrey, she has
further developed this method using ideas of mirror symmetry [Ti03,Ti07]. This
method has been already used by experimentalists in China and Canada, and new
experiments are being considered by experimentalists from the UK and Russia. She
leads two other new directions, the development of many-body hyperspherical
formalism, and the investigation of abnormalities in single-particle motion near the
edge of nuclear stability. She has published nearly 40 peer-reviewed articles including
4 Phys. Rev. Letters and is a leader in most of her publications. Her current interests
lie in development of mathematical methods to solve the many-body problem for
nuclei near the edge of stability and to make them applicable to predict the cross
sections for nuclear reactions in stars. Her expertise in calculations of one-nucleon
overlaps will complement the expertise of the academic staff and will be crucial for
areas (ii) and (iii) of Programme 5 of the Rolling Grant. Her experience of work in
different areas will provide a unique opportunity to relate different aspects of the
Rolling Grant Programme, such as advanced microscopic structure calculations of
quantities that serve as inputs to nuclear reaction calculations, and improving reaction
theory to test such quantities.
245 words
Programme 1: Experimental PDRA
This PDRA will be responsible for the responsibility for the planning setting up and
analysis of the RISING and related experiments during the grant period. Four
experiments using the RISING gamma-ray array plus the DSSSD active stopper have
been approved by the GSI PAC and are expected to run from 2008 onwards. These all
have significant Surrey participation with Podolyak the spokesperson for one of these.
In addition the data analysis from Surrey-led RISING experiments which ran in early
2007 is ongoing . The PDRA will assist with day-to-day supervision of the PhD
students attached to the RISING and later, DESPEC project. Travel to GSI and
(physics) related experiments CERN will be required, plus planning and preparation
meetings. In the UK, analysis will be coordinated between the collaborators and
regular meetings will be required, following our present practice.
Programme 2: Experimental PDRA
The primary duty of this PDRA will be to take responsibility for the setting up,
analysis and dissemination of TIARA and related experiments and results. A series of
experiments at GANIL and TRIUMF is already approved and the major part of the
analysis will fall within the grant period. Further, follow-up experiments in the grant
period are planned. We note that the large task of setting up the array and electronics
for TIARA must be done entirely by our own collaboration, so an experienced
researcher is preferred. In addition, the TIARA array is scheduled for upgraded barrel
detectors and electronics and the PDRA will be expected to contribute to the design,
as well as to the testing and commissioning of these, along with the Experimental
Officer in Surrey. The PDRA will also assist with day-to-day supervision of the PhD
students attached to this project. Surrey’s productive collaboration with CHARISSA
colleagues at Birmingham involves an overlap in personnel, physics interests and
technology with TIARA, and it is appropriate also that part of this PDRA’s time
should be spent collaborating on nucleon-knockout experiments and breakup studies
with these collaborators. The knockout work is conducted at GANIL and the breakup
work at GANIL/SPIRAL plus various stable and radioactive-beam laboratories
(recent/planned: Orsay, ANU, Louvain, Oak Ridge, etc.). Travel to TIARA and
related experiments at GANIL and TRIUMF will be required, plus planning and
preparation meetings. In the UK, analysis will be coordinated between the
collaborators and regular meetings will be required, following our present practice.
251 words
Programme 2: Area (ii): Theoretical PDRA
The knockout reaction methodology is now used worldwide, and quantitatively, based
on work in this area. The PDRA will support advanced analytical and computational
developments in the area, where Surrey has led and driven the theory needed [e.g.
Ha03, To04] to propose and interpret experiments of ever-increasing precision and
exclusivity [e.g. Pa06, Ga04, Fr05, Ga07, Sc07]. Priorities within the grant period are
improved theoretical descriptions of (i) inelastic one- and multi-nucleon removal
(stripping) processes, (ii) two-nucleon elastic break-up events from fast beams, now
needed to allow quantitative study of two-neutron removal events from neutron-rich
systems, and related improved descriptions of nucleon removal to continuum final
states, and (iii) proper implementation and exploitation of the recently-recognised
spectroscopic potential [To07] of momentum distributions of projectile residues
measured following multi-nucleon removal events. Responsiveness to the study of
new, potentially complementary, direct-reaction methodologies and reaction channels,
such as nucleon pickup [Ga07b] and charge-exchange reactions that exploit the most
exotic, fast secondary beams, will be an integral part of the theoretical effort. This
will be made possible by the maintenance of the excellent collaborative linkages with
experimentalists at the NSCL, GSI, RIKEN and GANIL.
189 words
Programme 3: Theory PDRA in High Spin Nuclear Physics
In this research programme, numerical investigations are essential so as to make
progress in understanding the nature of nuclear many-body states at high spin. In
particular, quantum mechanical treatments of dynamical processes, such as wobbling
motion and surface vibrations, require a massive computation within the framework
of the generator coordinate method (GCM). Self-consistency of the mean-fields and
corresponding many-body states, which are used as the basis in the GCM, is also
important, but numerically demanding. Therefore, we need a PDRA to support these
numerical investigations. Developments of computer codes, performing calculations,
and analyses of the numerical results are the main tasks.
101 words
Programme 4: Experimental PDRA in Detector Innovation
The PDRA position in detector physics will support the nuclear physics activity
through the development of new diamond and CdZnTe radiation detectors. The work
will concentrate on (1) fundamental characterisation of the charge transport properties
of new detector materials (2) fabrication of prototype detector devices using the
group’s detector clean room laboratory, (3) laboratory testing of detector performance
using radioisotopes and test-beam facilities at GSI and GANIL. This research will
further develop the existing industrial collaborations within the group, including work
with Element Six Ltd on diamond detectors, and RAL/STFC and Durham Scientific
Crystals Ltd on CdZnTe detectors. Charge transport studies of detector materials will
utilise the group’s excellent existing electrical and optical characterisation
laboratories, with an emphasis on collaborative work with the various industrial
suppliers of the detector material. For detector fabrication, the PDRA will use the full
range of detector processing facilities in the group’s laboratories, which include wafer
cutting and polishing, photolithography, metal contact deposition, and ion
implantation, which will be used for strip and pixel detector designs. Characterisation
and testing of prototype devices will combine radioisotope source measurements in
the University with beam test measurements at overseas facilities, carried out in
collaboration with other partners at GSI and GANIL.
203 words
PROJECT STUDENTSHIPS
Programme 2: Experimental PhD Studentship #1
The study of transfer reactions with radioactive beams is a highly topical area of
nuclear physics and will offer a rewarding PhD project, with a mixture of detector
development, experimental running and advanced analysis. We are developing new
techniques (combining root analysis and geant simulations) that we wish to maintain
and extend. The simulation techniques allow us to design experiments for new
proposals, as well as to understand in detail the existing experiments. A new student
starting in October 2008 will have an excellent opportunity to work on both new
experiments and new proposals. It is anticipated that the experiment with a 25Ne
beam at TRIUMF will be performed at about this time and that these data will form
the bulk of the thesis work. The student will work closely with the experimental
PDRA assigned to Programme 2. The availability of a project studentship will allow
targeted recruitment and provide manpower for a timely start on the analysis, which is
particularly important for this first planned experiment for our proposed programme
of transfer experiments using ISAC2 at TRIUMF.
178 words
Programme 2: Experimental PhD Studentship #2
A second project studentship for the experimental reactions programme, starting in
October 2009, will ensure that the expertise for these experiments and analysis will be
passed on, in a timely fashion, between students. This will maintain the momentum in
the programme at a time when we will be looking to increase our roles in the new
R3B/EXL and GASPARD projects, giving additional opportunities for experience.
The start of the new student will also correspond to the arrival of a new design of
barrel detector for the TIARA array, and there will be an opportunity to contribute to
the testing and adaptation of the new electronics to these detectors. This will be
assisted by the Surrey PDRA and Experimental Officer. Experimental data from a
transfer reaction with a radioactive beam is anticipated to become available from
either a second experiment at TRIUMF using the Si array with TIGRESS, or else a
new experiment with TIARA at GANIL/SPIRAL.
156 words
Programme 1: Theory PhD Studentship – JAT to provide
A start date of 1.10.09 is requested (following on form project student E. Simpson).
Programme 2 (area 3): Theory PhD Studentship
Quasi-free (p,2p) scattering has proven to be one of the most direct and powerful
ways of investigating both the single-particle properties of a nucleus (its shell
structure) and the effects on the bound nucleons of their environment in the nucleus. It
gives access to single-particle properties such as the separation energies and
momentum distributions of nucleons inside the nucleus, in particular for inner-shell
orbits. In one- and two-nucleon knockout reactions on light nuclear targets such as Be
or C, absorption processes are important and it will be predominantly the valence
nucleons which are removed. This means that nucleons in the inner shell cannot be
probed. In contrast, the (p,2p) reaction in inverse kinematics provides a probe of deep
single particle states.
A project studentship is requested for a clearly defined programme of work in this
area. Initially, the work will involve investigating existing models and codes (such as
THREEDEE [Ch77]), which use a non-relativistic DWIA approach to calculate cross
sections, first with a stable beam such as 12C, then with a radioactive beam. The work
will then extend to the study of mechanisms likely to be important at the high
fragmentation energies planned at GSI/FAIR. A body of knowledge for (p,2p)
reactions on stable targets in normal kinematics exists (e.g. [Ma94]), which explore
dynamical relativistic effects, core recoil effects, finite range effects and medium
modifications to the NN interaction. Such issues will certainly need to be revisited
and addressed when studying exotic nuclei. A start date of 1.10.08 is requested.
243 words
Programme 5 (area 3) Theory PhD Studentship
Development of correlated hyperspherical formalism
There exists a class of nuclei that are obtained by adding one nucleon to a looselybound nucleon-core system, for example 12Be, 9C and 18Ne. For such nuclei, onenucleon overlap integrals that represent single-particle motion can strongly differ
from the standard ones due to the correlations between the two nucleons above the
core. Exact dynamical three-body calculations have confirmed the possibility of
slower radial convergence of the one-nucleon overlaps to their asymptotic form in
core+2N cluster systems due to the strong correlations between the two valence
nucleons. The non-standard behaviour has consequences for the determination of
spectroscopic factors from nucleon removal reactions and predictions of neutron
capture rates on weakly-bound s-wave nuclei at stellar energies. Therefore, theory
must learn to make reliable predictions for non-standard overlaps. The main challenge
for such theory is to treat explicitly the three-body dynamics within a many-body
object. However, even when internal structure of the core is neglected, the model
space, needed to describe the nucleon motion at large distances in coupled-channel
hyperspherical calculations that take into account the core deformation and excitation,
becomes huge. Convergence accelerating methods should be developed in this case.
The present project aims to develop a method of solving the three-body Schrodinger
equation by expanding the thee-body wave function onto a correlated hyperspherical
basis. This will enable us to calculate one-nucleon overlaps with high precision even
when the core has non-zero spin and is deformed and easily excited. A start date of
1.10.08 is requested.
237 words
Programme 5 (area 4) Theory PhD Studentship
Nuclear reaction rates of astrophysical importance
Recently, a relation between mirror decays has been established at the University of
Surrey. It allows one to predict reactions of astrophysical importance using measured
strengths in the tails of nucleon wave functions, defined by asymptotic normalization
coefficients (ANCs), in mirror systems. Experiments that use this idea have been
already performed in China and Canada and new experiments are considered by
experimentalists from the UK, Canada and Russia. One particular area of nuclei that
is of interest for being studied with this technique involves proton-rich middle-mass
nuclei that are synthesized in supernova explosions. Often, these nuclei are deformed
and the question of whether relations between mirror decays in deformed nuclei stay
the same needs to be urgently investigated. The present project will tackle this issue.
It will also study whether these relations are applicable in another class of looselybound nuclei of astrophysical importance: the nuclei that behave as a core plus two
valence nucleons. The project will also deal with analysis of experimental transfer
data to derive ANCs and to use them to predict capture cross sections at stellar
energies. Implications of reaction rates on astrophysical network calculations and
cosmic abundances will be studied as well. A start date of 1.10.09 is requested.
196 words
SUPPORT STAFF
Programmer/physicist
The experimental research programmes at Surrey require the support of a
programmer/physicist. The person will have a PhD in nuclear physics, or a related
subject, and have a demonstrable talent for computing. This person will play an
important role in interfacing the pulse-processing electronics with the data-collection
computers during experiments, and assist with on-line data analysis. Based at Surrey,
he/she will be able to write programs to read and process the complex data sets taken
at a variety of international laboratories, i.e. to adapt the data analysis systems at
Surrey to read a variety of different data formats. This is a job that requires dedicated
effort for the efficient and timely processing of new experimental results. We have
found from experience that such skills are very important, but at present we have no
member of the group to perform the task. Continuity of effort is a key aspect, so we
are requesting the support, shared between the different experimental programmes, to
be on-going through the duration of the research grant. This will enable us to recruit
and retain someone with appropriate skills.
The person will travel to accelerator facilities to assist with setting up and integrating
the different experimental data streams, which could come from as many as four
different detector systems in different formats. Travel funds will be required as for
other experimenters. The person will be strongly involved in research programmes 1,
2 and 3.
237 words
Physicist/experimental officer
In order to fulfil its international commitments and expectations, the Surrey
experimental group requires the support of a physicist/experimental officer. The
person will have a PhD in nuclear physics or a related subject, and have expertise in
the design, development and operation of state-of-the-art radiation detection systems.
The Surrey group has established a track record for detector-systems innovation, such
as with TIARA and RISING, but to maintain and strengthen this activity it is
necessary to have additional support. While we have employed such a person in the
past, appropriate continuity has not been available. Therefore, on-going support over
the grant period is sought. The person will work on research programmes 1 and 2.
He/she will initially be most strongly involved with TIARA upgrading (programme 2)
led by Surrey. The other key aspect is to support NUSTAR exploitation through
RISING upgrading, leading to HISPEC/DESPEC (programmes 1 and 2) where Surrey
physicists are also taking leading roles. Travel funds will be required, as for other
experimentalists, to work at international laboratories, especially for the setting up of
experiments.
176 words
d. References [normal font indicates Surrey authorship]
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[Al06] J.S. Al-Khalili and K. Arai, Phys. Rev. C 74 (2006) 034312.
[Ap06] A.Aprahamian et al., Nucl. Phys. A 764, 42-78 (2006).
*[Ar03] K. Arai et al., Physical Review C 68 (2003) 014310
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[Ba07] B. Bastin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 022503 (2007).
[Bo07] F.A. Boroumand, P. J. Sellin et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 91 (2007) 033509.
[Br06] M.P. Brine, P.D. Stevenson, J.A. Maruhn and P-G. Reinhard, Int. J. Mod.
Phys. E15 (2006) 1417.
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[Ca05a] W.N. Catford et al., Eur. Phys. J. A25 (2005) S1,251; J. Phys. G31 (2005)
S1,655.
[Ca05b] M. Caamaño, P.M. Walker, P.H. Regan et al., Eur. Phys. J. A23, 201 (2005).
[Ch77] N.S. Chant and P. G. Roos, Phys. Rev. C 15, 57 (1977).
[Ch06] R.S. Chakrawarthy, P.M. Walker et al., Phys. Rev. C73, 024306 (2006).
[Cr92] R. Crespo, R.C. Johnson and J.A. Tostevin, Phys. Rev. C46 (1992) 279-297;
R. Crespo and R.C Johnson, Phys. Rev. C60 (1999) 034007; J.S. Al-Khalili, R.
Crespo, R.C. Johnson, A.M. Moro and I.J. Thompson,
Phys. Rev. C75 (2007) 024608.
[Di07] A. Diaz-Torres, et al. Phys Rev Letters 98 (2007) 152701.
[Ed08] L. Edney, P.D. Stevenson, J.S. Al-Khalili, to appear in Adv. Sci. Letts, (2008).
[Fr05] J. Fridmann, ... J.A. Tostevin et al., Nature 435 (2005) 922.
*[Fr06] J. Fridmann et al., Physical Review C 74 (2006) 034313.
[Ga04] A. Gade, et al. Phys Rev Letters, 93 (2004) 042501.
[Ga05] A.B. Garnsworthy et al., J. Phys. G31 (2005) S1851.
[Ga06] A. Gadea et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 152501 (2006).
[Ga07] A. Gade, et al. Phys Rev Letters, 99 (2007) 072502.
[Ga07b] A. Gade, et al. Phys Rev C, Rapid Communication (2007) in press.
[Ga07c] A.B. Garnworthy, P.H.Regan, et al., submitted to Phys. Lett. B (2007)
[Gl04] K. Gladnishki, Zs. Podolyák et al. Phys. Rev. C69 (2004) 024617.
[Ha03] P.G. Hansen and J.A. Tostevin, Ann. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 53 (2003) 219.
[Ja04] S.D. Jastaniah and P.J. Sellin, Nucl. Inst. Meth. Phys. Res. A517 (2004) 202.
[Jo05] R.C. Johnson, Adiabatic approximation for nucleus-nucleus scattering, in
Reaction Mechanisms for Rare Isotope Beams, AIP Conf. Proc. 791, (Edited by B.
Alex Brown, American Institute of Physics 2005) pages 128-139. Invited talk.
[Jo06] D.T. Joss et al, Phys. Lett B 641 (2006) 3437.
[Ju07] A. Jungclaus et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 132501 (2007).
[Le06] For recent examples see Lee et al., Phys. Rev. C73 (2006) 044608; Lee et al.,
Phys. Rev. C75 (2007) 064320; Tsang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95 (2005) 222501.
[Lo04] A. Lohstroh, P.J. Sellin, et al., J. Phys. Cond. Mat. 16 (2004) S67-S73.
[Lo07a] A. Lohstroh, P.J. Sellin et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 90 (2007) 102111.
[Lo07b] A. Lohstroh, P.J. Sellin et al., J. Appl. Phys. 101 (2007) 063711.
[Ma94] O. V. Maxwell and E. D. Cooper, Nucl. Phys. A574, 819 (1994).
*[Na98] A. Navin et al., Physical Review Letters 81 (1998) 5089.
[Na04] A.Nacher et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 232501 (2004).
[Nu05] W.J.Nuttall et al., Int. J. Critical Infrastructures 1, 380 (2005).
[Oi01a] M. Oi, P.M. Walker and A. Ansari, Phys. Lett. B505 (2001) 75.
[Oi01b] M. Oi et al., Acta Phys. Pol. B32 (2001) 2559.
[Oi03] M. Oi and P.M. Walker, Phys. Lett. B576 (2003) 75.
[Oi05a] M. Oi and N. Tajima, Phys. Lett. B606 (2005) 43.
[Oi05b] M. Oi, Phys. Rev. C72 (2005) 057304.
[Oi06] M. Oi, Phys. Lett. B634 (2006) 30.
[Oi07] M.Oi, Phys. Rev. C in press
[Pa06] S.D. Pain, W.N. Catford et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 032502.
[Pa07] R.D. Page et al., Phys. Rev. C 75 (2007) 061302R.
[Pe05] J. C. Pei, F. R. Xu and P. D. Stevenson, Phys. Rev. C 71, 034302 (2005).
[Pf02] M.Pfutzner, P.H.Regan, P.M.Walker et al., Phys. Rev. C65, 064604 (2002).
[Pi07] S. Pietri, P.H. Regan, Zs. Podolyak et al., Nucl. Inst. Meth. B261 (2007) 1079.
[Po00] Zs. Podolyák et al, Phys. Lett. B491 (2000) 225.
[Po03] Z. Podolyak et al., Nucl. Inst. Meth. Phys. Res. A511 (2003) 354.
[Po04] E.Poirier et al., Phys. Rev. C 69, 034307 (2004).
[Po06] Zs. Podolyák et al, Phys. Lett. B632 (2006) 203.
[Re07] P.H. Regan, A.B. Garnsworthy, S. Pietri et al., Nucl. Phys. A787 (2007) 491c.
[Ri03] J. Rikovska Stone, J. C. Miller, R. Koncewicz, P. D. Stevenson and M. R.
Strayer, Phys. Rev. C 68, 034324 (2003).
*[Sa00] E. Sauvan et al., Physics Letters B 491 (2000) 1
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[St05] P.D. Stevenson, M.P. Birne, Zs. Podolyák, P.H. Regan, P.M. Walker, J.R.
Stone, Phys. Rev. C72 (2005) 047303.
[St06] P.D. Stevenson and P.M. Walker, Physics World 19 (April 2006) 32.
[St07] P.D.Stevenson et al., Nucl. Phys. A 788 (2007) 343
[Su07] B. Sun, Yu.A. Litvinov, P.M. Walker et al., Eur. Phys. J. A31, 393 (2007).
*[Te06] J.R. Terry et al., Physics Letters B 640 (2006) 86.
[Ti99] N. Timofeyuk and R.C. Johnson, Phys. Rev. C59 (1999) 1545-1554.
[Ti03] N.K. Timofeyuk, R.C. Johnson and A.M. Mukhamedzhanov, Phys.Rev.Lett.
91, (2003) 232501.
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[Ti06] N.K. Timofeyuk et al., Phys.Rev.Lett. 96, (2006) 162501.
[Ti07] N.K. Timofeyuk, P. Descouvement and R.C. Johnson, Phys.Rev. C75 (2007)
034302.
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064604.
[To06] J.A. Tostevin et al., Physical Review C 74 (2006) 064604.
[To07] J.A. Tostevin, J. Phys. Conf. Series 49 (2006) 21; EJPA (2007), in press.
[To07b] J.A. Tostevin, Acta. Phys. Pol. B38, 1195 (2007)
[Wa99] P.M. Walker and G.D. Dracoulis, Nature 399 (1999) 35.
[Wa01] P.M. Walker, G.D. Dracoulis, J.J. Carroll, Phys. Rev. C64 (2001) 061302(R).
[Wa05] P.M. Walker and J.J. Carroll, Physics Today 58 (June 2005) 39.
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[Wa07] P.M. Walker and J.J. Carroll, Nuclear Physics News 17 No.2 (2007) 11.
[Wa07b] P.M. Walker, J. Phys. G34 (2007) 123.
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[Xu00] F.R. Xu, P.M. Walker and R. Wyss, Phys. Rev. C62 (2000) 014301.
[Zh04a] Q. Zhao and J.S. Al-Khalili, Phys. Lett. B 585 (2004) 91.
[Zh04b] Y.H. Zhang, Zs. Podolyák et al, Phys. Rev. C70 (2004) 024301.
Check other files for Ca05 – Ca05b
* need to check for Surrey authors
e. Record of the group’s productivity, 2003 – 2007
Investigator
Number of
refereed
publications
P.M. Walker
J.A. Tostevin
32
32
Number of
lead researcher
refereed
publications
9
91
J. Al-Khalili
12
62
Number of
Technical
reports
2
Number of first
author
technical
reports
W.N. Catford
24
1
2
W. Gelletly
R.C. Johnson
17
7
3
M. Oi
Z. Podolyak
7
30
5
4
2
1
P.H. Regan
P.J. Sellin
22
17
7
12
5
23
2
8
P.D. Stevenson
N.K. Timofeyuk
14
12
1
9
2
Notes:
1. Three of these represent theory lead on experimental papers.
One of these represents theory lead on an experimental paper.f. Non-staff costs (one
page available for justification)
Justification yet to be written, but here is what will be asked for:
Travel (£6,300/y/experimentalist, £3,300/y/theorist)
Desktop computing (£3,000/person)
TIARA (design + Si detectors + chamber) £65k + VAT
Neutron detectors (£20k + VAT)
Consumables: isotopes
subscriptions (RISING/EXOGAM …)
£397,898
£120,000
£ 76,375
£ 23,500
£ 30,000
£ 90,000
Other items? e.g. computer-cluster running, Si replacements for RISING …
g. Funding profile and tapering in of current grants – spreadsheets to be
attachedh i. Knowledge Exchange and Industrial Engagement
The Surrey nuclear physics group’s research exploits radioactive-beam physics, with
emphasis on exotic nuclear structures that reveal new phenomena and test the
predictions of theory. The group has particularly strength in experimental research (γray and charged-particle spectroscopy), theoretical research (nuclear structure and
reactions), and equipment development (radiation detector technologies).
The Surrey group also has developed strong industrial connections, embracing both
basic science and technological applications.
1. Nuclear isomers: Isomers are excited, metastable states of nuclei, which have a
wide range of applications [Wa05]. Of special note is the possibility of controlling
isomer decay rates, leading to novel energy-release devices – such as a nuclear
“battery”, with a million times the energy density of a conventional chemical battery.
The behaviour of isomers in stellar environments and terrestrial plasma-containment
facilities is expected to reveal new physics. For reasons such as these, the Surrey
group has developed strong links with AWE plc, including research funding and the
provision of an AWE William Penny Fellowship to Walker. Through the STFC KE
programmes, it is intended to expand these activities during the rolling grant period.
2. Nuclear radiation detection: The development of new materials and devices for
radiation detection, such as cadmium zinc telluride, and synthetic single-crystal
diamond, are leading to new opportunities that form an integral part of the research
programme of the Surrey group. There is the potential to apply the new capabilities in
collaboration with industrial partners, particularly in the wider context of national
security, medical diagnostics and treatment, and industrial processing. The Surrey
group radiation detector area, led by Sellin, already has research collaborations with
several companies in the nucleonics sector, such as Element Six (De Beers diamonds),
Oxford Instruments Analytical, Centronic and Durham Scientific Crystals. The group
also has strong research collaborations with STFC through the Instrumentation
Department at RAL (Paul Seller), with a joint CASE Plus studentship and a Basic
Technology grant for CdZnTe detector development. Through the STFC KE
programmes, the group intends to expand these activities.
3. Radiation training: The Surrey group runs a successful, longstanding MSc
programme in Radiation and Environmental Protection (REP) [Re07] for which
Regan is the Course Director. Podolyak, Catford, Sellin, Walker and Gelletly also
contribute significantly to the course teaching, providing direct engagement with the
UK nuclear and radiation physics industries. End-users, contributors and course
sponsors include AWE plc, AMEC NNC, NEXIA Solutions, GE Healthcare, the
Health Protection Agency, NUKEM, and the National Physical Laboratory amongst
others. The Surrey group has also developed bespoke CPD training courses in
radiation protection and nuclear instrumentation, including a recent long-term
agreement with Atkins Nuclear and Power plc for the training of graduate engineers
in radiation and health physics [Re07].
[Wa05] P.M. Walker and J.J. Carroll, Physics Today 58 (June 2005) p39-44.
[Re07] Post-graduate and Bespoke Training in Radiation Physics - the University of
Surrey Model. P.H. Regan, Nuclear Energy Review, Education, Training and
Research, (2007) p44-45.
h ii. Outreach
The Surrey nuclear physics group studies the basic properties of atomic nuclei. The group
participates in research at a number of facilities around the world, where emphasis is on exotic
nuclear structures that reveal new physical phenomena and test the predictions of theory. We
have an acknowledged expertise in both experimental (γ-ray and charged-particle
spectroscopy) and theoretical (nuclear structure and reactions) aspects of fundamental research,
plus radiation instrumentation development. In addition to outreach activities involving the
general media, spin-off from our research feeds directly into the UK nuclear industry through
our longstanding MSc course in Radiation and Environmental Protection, led by Regan with
significant contributions from Podolyak, Walker, Catford, Gelletly and Sellin. The course
provides direct communication with major players in the UK nuclear and radiation protection
industry (e.g. AWE plc, NEXIA solutions, GE Healthcare, the HPA, NUKEM, National
Physical Laboratory etc.). These links have also allowed the group to develop bespoke CPD
training courses in radiation protection and nuclear instrumentation, including a recent longterm agreement with Atkins Nuclear and Power plc for the training of over 150 engineers in
radiation physics.
We are highly active in a range of outreach and public engagement activities and have both a
national and international profile in dissemination of our work through popular science books,
television, radio, the printed press, public and schools lectures, debates and science festivals.
Al-Khalili holds an EPSRC Senior Media Fellowship (2006-2009). He was the recipient of the
IoP Public Awareness of Physics Award (2000) and the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize
for Science Communication (2007). He presented the recent BBC4 television series, Atom, and
co-authored the ‘coffee table’ book on nuclear physics, Nucleus: A Trip into the Heart of
Matter. Stevenson is the current Recorder for the Physics and Astronomy Section of the BA
and member of the local IoP Branch committee. Regan, Walker and Gelletly contributed to
more than 130 media outlets (including CNN, BBC, Sky News, ITN etc.) during the polonium210 poisoning news story.
We will seek to work closely with the STFC Science in Society and Press Office teams. The
Surrey group’s strong involvement in the development of the Cheltenham Science Festival (AlKhalili) and BA Science Festival (Stevenson as Recorder and Al-Khalili as incoming Vice
President for Sections and member of Council) will be exploited to work with STFC on
developing joint ideas for the physics programme at forthcoming festivals (Liverpool in 2008,
Surrey 2009). In particular, we will play a major leadership role in the 2009 festival, held in
Guildford, to celebrate the centenary of the birth of nuclear physics.
We will continue to foster our close links with the national press and their science
correspondents, with whom we have very good relations (e.g. Jha - Guardian, Highfield Telegraph, Henderson - Times, Cookson – FT, Connor - Independent). We will continue our
work with the Science Media Centre to help with stories related to nuclear and radiation
physics issues.