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The Visiting Students and Faculty Program at the University of North Texas

Explore the Visiting Students and Faculty Program at the University of North Texas, offering advanced laboratory exercises in nuclear and atomic physics. Utilize the advanced facilities at the Ion Beam Modification and Analysis Laboratory (IBMAL), including MeV ion accelerators and radioactive sources. Learn about the available experiments and past participants.

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The Visiting Students and Faculty Program at the University of North Texas

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  1. The Visiting Students and Faculty Program at the University of North Texas Duncan Weathers Department of Physics University of North Texas

  2. Outline • Introduction • Typical utilization of the program • Sampling of available experiments • Using an MeV ion accelerator • Using radioactive sources • Past participants

  3. Introduction What is the Visiting Students and Faculty Program? • Brings students and their instructors to UNT to do advanced laboratory exercises in nuclear and atomic physics • Utilizes the advanced facilities and capabilities available in the Ion Beam Modification and Analysis Laboratory (IBMAL) • Directed principally at programs with limited advanced laboratory opportunities • Has garnered NSF support for equipment • Visiting schools provide travel support • Has been operating for more than two decades

  4. IBMAL Ion Beam Modification and Analysis Laboratory • Five faculty members • 1-2 post-docs • 10 graduate students • Active research program in accelerator-based physics, principally in materials characterization and modification • Equipped with 3 MV tandem, 2.5 MV Van de Graaff, 200 kV Cockcroft-Walton ion accelerators, and an array of detectors, radioactive sources, and nuclear electronics

  5. IBMAL

  6. A Typical Visit • Instructor selects labs and prepares students in advance • Instructor and a group of 6 or 7 students travel to UNT on Thursday • Students conduct measurements all day Friday, Saturday, and possibly Sunday • May complete as many as 6 different exercises • UNT graduate students and faculty operate accelerator and oversee experimental set-up • Two experiments may run at once, with group divided between them • Students are rotated through tasks so that everyone participates • Group returns home to finish laboratory reports

  7. Experiments Using an MeV Ion Accelerator • Rutherford backscattering analysis • Particle-induced x-ray emission analysis • Nuclear reaction analysis

  8. Experiments Using Radioactive Sources • Gamma-ray spectroscopy using NaI(Tl) • Gamma-ray spectroscopy using HpGe • X-ray fluorescence • Energy loss of alpha particles in matter • Annihilation radiation coincidence studies with 22Na • Neutron activation analysis

  9. Rutherford Backscattering Analysis • Objectives • Determine thicknesses of thin samples • Investigate energy dependence of cross section and kinematic factor • Investigate angular dependence of cross section and kinematic factor

  10. The 2.5 MV Van de Graaff Accelerator

  11. Rutherford Backscattering Analysis Setup

  12. Rutherford Backscattering Analysis Results He on Cu

  13. Rutherford Backscattering Analysis Results He on Cu

  14. Rutherford Backscattering Analysis Results

  15. Rutherford Backscattering Analysis Results

  16. Rutherford Backscattering Analysis Results

  17. Particle-Induced X-Ray Emission Analysis • Objectives • Calibrate detector • Identify unknown target materials • Determine thicknesses of thin samples

  18. PIXE Detector

  19. PIXE Results 1.25 MeV He on In

  20. PIXE Results 1.25 MeV He on In

  21. Nuclear Reaction Analysis • Objectives • Measure thicknesses of samples • Investigate energy dependence of cross section

  22. Nuclear Reaction Analysis Results 11B(p,a)8Be

  23. Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Using NaI(Tl) • Objectives • Calibrate detector • Identify unknown sources • Identify typical spectral features • Measure detector resolution • Measure source activity • Measure mass absorption coefficient for lead

  24. Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Using NaI(Tl)Set-up NaI(Tl) Photo- multiplier Preamp Amplifier Source Bias Power Supply MCA/ Computer

  25. Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Using NaI(Tl)Detector

  26. Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Using NaI(Tl)Results Photopeak 1 Photopeak 2 Lead x-ray Backscatter Compton Edge Sum Peak

  27. Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Using NaI(Tl)Results Photopeak 1 Photopeak 2 Lead x-ray 60Co Backscatter Compton Edge Sum Peak

  28. Gamma Ray Spectroscopy Using NaI(Tl)Results Photopeak 1 Photopeak 2 Lead x-ray Backscatter Compton Edge Sum Peak

  29. Past Participants • Average of approximately five groups per year • Participating schools include: Abilene Christian U. Texas Christian U. Austin College Texas Southern U. Centenary College of Lousiana Texas Woman’s U. Rice U. U. of Central Arkansas Sam Houston State U. U. of Louisiana at LaFayette Southeastern Oklahoma State U. U. of the South Southern Methodist U. U. of Texas at El Paso Tarleton State U. Western Kentucky U. • Incidental benefit of program: six students have come to graduate school at UNT

  30. Acknowlegements • Special thanks to • Jerry Duggan • Mangal Dhoubhadel • Lucas Phinney • Contact information: weathers@unt.edu

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