A study of Cosmic ray induced radioactive background in Germanium

It is known that the neutrino has some mass.  However it's actually mass has not measured so far because of its extremely small value.   A search for the neutrinoless double beta decay is the most sensitive way to look for the neutrino mass value.  Present state of the art detectors required extreme radio purity, and protection from all possible backgrounds.  The Majorana experiment is planning to use an array of ultrapure Germanium detectors build out of enriched ⁷⁶Ge.  During this summer project it is expected that a student will analyze how cosmic rays can induce contaminations and design appropriate ways of mitigation of this effect.  The student will perform a literature search and computer simulations.

A study of Liquid scintillator properties

Study of efficient ways to collect weak light signals for EDM experiment

One of the problems of the Neutron EDM experiment planning at ORNL is the detection of weak light signals from the central neutron trap.  In R&D to be performed during the summer a student is expected to investigate several light collection schemes.  During the summer extensive work with hardware and electronics will be required, together with data analysis and interpretation of results.  This project is focused on a particular experiment, however results can have wider applications for nuclear, high energy, and medical physics.

Liquid scintillators are used in many contemporary detectors of neutrinos.  For the NOvA neutrino experiment at Fermilab, the properties of liquid scintillators with respect to emission and absorption of Cherenkov light need to be measured to understand the linearity of the detector energy response.  During the summer a participating student will be involved in the construction of the liquid scintillator cell for the NOvA detector with fiber readout, in measurements of the liquid scintillator response with a UV vacuum monochromator, in data analysis and results interpretation.

The NOvA large neutrino experiment at Fermilab that is to be commissioned in 2013 will measure neutrino oscillation effects between muon and electron neutrinos and antineutrinos.  Measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy and matter-antimatter asymmetry (CP-asymmetry) will be possible if the mixing angle theta_13 between the mass eigenstates of the neutrinos is sufficiently large.  In the summer project a participating student will study by Monte-Carlo simulation methods how to make precision measurements with the NOvA liquid scintillator detector and how to calibrate the measured energy of neutrinos with cosmic rays muons.  The student will learn the GEANT simulation program widely used in particle physics and methods of data analysis and result interpretation.

Advisor: Dr. Yuri Kamyshkov
 

Gamma-ray imaging and particle spectroscopy with germanium DSSD

The germanium double-sided strip detector (DSSD) can be used not only for precision studies of nuclear decays but also for gamma-ray imaging.  The applications are ranging from nuclear medicine to detection of illegal radioactive materials.  A large volume detector has been made available for our group and will be used to develop particle and gamma ray tracking techniques.  The project will involve analysis of electronic signals induced by cosmic muons and determine the muon tracking capabilities.
The project will be partially based at ORNL Physics Division and will involve operating the detector, measurements and computer data analysis.

Advisor: Dr. Robert Grzywacz
 

We are looking for one or two highly motivated undergraduate students to help our efforts in growing single crystals of high-transition temperature superconductors.  These materials include the traditional copper oxide superconductors and the newly discovered Fe-based high-temperature superconductors.  We are interested in growing large single crystals of various materials to be used for inelastic neutron scattering experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  Students will learn fundamental properties of these materials and may carry out some neutron scattering experiments.

Advisor: Dr. Pengcheng Dai
 

Building a water Cherenkov counter

The earth is continually bombarded by comic radiation.  At lower elevations this radiation consists primarily of muons, particles with lifetimes of 2.2 microseconds. They originate in the upper atmosphere from decay of particles formed in high energy collisions of particles from outer space. We are building a water Cherenkov counter of the type used in underground neutrino experiment which will be used to measure the velocity distribution and lifetime of the muons.  The experimental apparatus will be installed in SERF 110.

Advisor:  Dr. Bill Bugg

Experimental and theoretical studies of chiral molecules

One or two students can be involved in research in linear and non-linear optical activity investigations of chiral molecules.  Optical rotary dispersion and circular dichroism measurements and calculations are carried out on chiral molecules in the liquid and gas phase.  In this work, non-linear optical activity effects are being studied for the first time using lasers

Experimental and theoretical studies of multiply-charged negative ions

A student can become involved in the discovery and measurements of multiply-charged negative ions.  The experiments involve the use of a departmental mass spectrometer instrument (Quatro II) which can produce mass selected multiply-charged negative ions to be used to collide with a rare gas (RG) to produce secondary ions (i.e., AB^- + RG → A^- + B^- ).  Measuring the threshold for these reactions give the bond dissociation energy.  The student will learn to use Gaussian 03 in order to calculate these energies for comparison with experiment.

Research on new hydrogen storage materials

A student can be involved in research in the production and characterization of new hydrogen storage materials.  Presently scientists are trying to produce materials that can store hydrogen to a level of ~ 8% by weight in order to usher in the so-called hydrogen economy.  The student will be involved in laser methods of producing these materials as well as characterizing the H₂ storage using Raman Spectroscopy.

Advisor: Dr. Robert Compton