NSCL Directory Profile
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msuMy current research interest is the study of beta decay properties of nuclei involved in the astrophysical r-process; in particular, beta-decay half-lives and beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities (or Pn values). The r-process is known to be one of the most important mechanisms through which heavy elements are synthesized in the Universe. It proceeds through a very fast sequence of neutron captures by a nuclei, and ends up in so-called waiting-point nuclei, followed by the subsequent beta-decay into the next heavier element. This chain continues during a short time until the heaviest fission-unstable nuclei are reached. Half-lives of waiting-point nuclei are known to define the time scale of the r-process and to strongly influence the progenitor abundance pattern, whereas Pn values affect the final abundance pattern during the r-process freeze-out. Furthermore, due to the strong energy dependence of the strength function, these two integral quantities provide first insights into the nuclear structure of the daughter nuclei at low excitation energies and just above the neutron separation energy, respectively. These are fundamental questions that need to be investigated in order to reveal one of the most intriguing mysteries of Universe, namely the astrophysical scenario where the r-process occurs.
At present, I am carrying out my research activity with the nuclear astrophysics group of Professor Hendrik Schatz and the beta-decay group of Professor Paul Mantica Our experimental studies are performed with the NSCL Beta Counting System (BCS) in which implantations and decays of exotic nuclei (accelerated in the Cyclotron and separated with the A1900 separator) are observed and the Neutron Emission Ratio Observer (NERO) to detect the beta-delayed neutrons. Another possible configuration uses the BCS combined with the SeGA array detector, in order to perform beta-delayed gamma spectroscopy.
My previous research activities were mainly focused on the production and study of spallation reaction products with the Fragment Separator (FRS) at the GSI laboratory (Darmstadt, Germany), and the analysis of fission-decay properties. From these data, I have investigated the dissipation of nuclear matter and the influence of collective modes onto the fission-decay width.
