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*note: I was actually working as a graduate student,
not an undergraduate, when this photo was taken.
As a graduate student at NSCL, my two main research interests lie in polarization and nuclear magnetic dipole measurements. To produce exotic nuclei, NSCL uses a type of nuclear reaction called projectile fragmentation. When the incident beam is put at an angle on the target, the resulting fragment nuclei become polarized, meaning that their spins point in the same direction. A beta-emitting nucleus which is polarized emits the beta-rays asymmetrically. A technique called beta-NMR can then be used on the polarized nuclei to measure the magnetic moment.
My thesis focuses on the measurement of polarization and the magnetic moment of the Ni-55 nucleus. The Ni-56 nucleus, which is one neutron away from Ni-55, was for a long time believed to be a "doubly magic closed shell" with 28 protons and 28 neutrons. This means that the number 28 was believed to be special, and that at this number, the nucleus was extra stable. Recent experiments have shown that this may not be the case, and that Ni-56 is not as stable as previously thought. By measuring the magnetic moment of Ni-55, we gain information on the shell structure of Ni-55 and surrounding nuclei, including Ni-56. This helps in determining whether or not Ni-56 truly is a doubly magic closed shell. The experiment took place in April, 2008, and data analysis is currently in progress.