My Research
Current Work
Details coming soon.
Past Work
As an undergraduate at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, I assisted in the construction and characterization of VANDLE (Versatile Array of Neutron Detectors at Low Energy), a scintillator-based neutron time-of-flight detector. My role included: preparing detector elements for light-tight operation, gain matching with radioactive sources and high-voltage, and keeping careful documentation so that the array could be deployed consistently. I did this under the guidance of Dr. Robert Gryzwacz.
After completing the construction and testing of VANDLE, I had the opportunity to assist in the second experiment at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) in 2022. I supported the setup and configuration of VANDLE for the FRIB Decay Station initiator (FDSi), mainly assisting with wiring and signal integrity checks, validating detector readiness prior to beam, and working through troubleshooting.
Here's a photo of me nervously handling the implantation detector based on segmented yttrium orthosilicate (YSO) crystal:
And here's a picture of my view while on top of MTAS (Modular Total Absorption Spectrometer) looking down at VANDLE:
This experiment resulted in the first complete measurement of the beta-decay strength distribution of chlorine-45 using simultaneous neutron and gamma detection.
Publications
- I. Cox et al., "Proton Shell Gaps in N = 28 Nuclei from the First Complete Spectroscopy Study with FRIB Decay Station Initiator", Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 152503 (2024)
- T.J. Gray et al., "Microsecond Isomer at the N = 20 Island of Shape Inversion Observed at FRIB", Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 242501 (2023)
- H.L. Crawford et al., "Crossing N = 28 Toward the Neutron Drip Line: First Measurement of Half-Lives at FRIB", Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 212501 (2022)