09/26/2023
By Joanne Gagnon-Ketchen

Physics Colloquium, Wednesday Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. in Ball 210.

Prof. Marian Jandel (Physics Dept. UML) will give a talk on "Studies of Neutron-Induced Reactions and New Capabilities at the UMass Lowell Research Reactor."

Abstract:
Neutron-induced reactions play a central role in nuclear science that transcends the boundaries between engineering and academic sciences. In reactors, the capture of neutrons on various materials is crucial for energy generation, control, and activity levels. In neutron-induced fission reaction, a large amount of energy is released by two heavy fission fragments, neutrons and gamma rays. This reaction powers hundreds of nuclear reactors, providing electricity around the globe. In astrophysics, radiative capture produces many of the elements beyond iron in high-temperature environments of nucleosynthesis (s-process). The absolute and relative feeding pattern of gamma ray transitions after neutron capture give unique information on the nuclear structure of many states between the ground state and neutron separation energy and can be used to deduce the properties of levels and the emitted electromagnetic radiation. 

In applications, capture gamma-rays are used in prompt gamma-ray activation analysis, where discrete transitions, unique to specific isotopes, are used to identify them in samples of interests. This latter technique is used in homeland security interrogation of special nuclear materials in nuclear safety and non-proliferation, in oil-well element assaying and in space exploration missions. For all these applications, reliable knowledge of various data on neutron reactions is essential. In this colloquium, I will review the current research program of our Nuclear Data and Nuclear Applications Group at UMass Lowell. We have developed new capabilities at the 1 MW Research Reactor at University of Massachusetts at Lowell (UMLRR), where we designed and built a new thermal neutron collimated beamline and the Mixed Array of Detectors (MAD). These new capabilities enable modern high-fidelity measurements of thermal neutron-induced reactions that will address gaps and discrepancies that exist in the current nuclear data libraries. Aside from research at UMLRR, we collaborate with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and carry out experiments using the LANL’s pulsed source of spallation neutrons and a dedicated multi-detector array - the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE).

Bio:
Marian Jandel is an experimental nuclear physicist with experience in various areas of basic and applied nuclear science including spontaneous fission, neutron-induced reactions, low-energy heavy-ion reactions, medium energy light- and heavy-ion nuclear reactions, and nuclear structure. His current research is focused on neutron-induced nuclear reactions, specifically neutron capture and neutron-induced fission. He obtained his MSc and PhD in nuclear physics from Comenius University, Bratislava, in 1998 and 2003, respectively. Prior to joining UML in 2017, he worked at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia (1998-2003), Texas A&M University (2003-2004) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (2006-2016). 

At UMass Lowell, he established the Nuclear Data and Nuclear Applications Group. The current research program of his group includes: 1) the National Science Foundation funded interdisciplinary research on Gadolinium and its application to Gadolinium-based Neutron Capture Therapy, 2) U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science funded neutron-capture gamma-ray studies on some key isotopes of Mn, Cr, Ni, and Cu elements, and 3) Fission reaction studies funded by the Texas A&M University-led consortium, Center for Excellence in Nuclear Training And University-based Research (CENTAUR), under the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances Centers of Excellence Program of DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration.