Institute for Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics

Professor Dan Bardayan received a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct research on nuclear astrophysics at the University of Notre Dame’s Nuclear Science Laboratory.

With the $505,000 grant to be matched with $217,000 from the University, Bardayan will develop a nuclear decay spectrometer called SABRE, the Silicon Array for Branching Ratio Experiments. SABRE will take advantage of the unique TriSol facility at the Nuclear Science Lab to measure proton and alpha branching ratios as small as one part in one-hundred thousand, which is characteristic of many important resonances of astrophysical interest.
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The research of several Notre Dame Physics faculty members and graduate students resulted in a recently published article in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Journal (Irradiation-Driven Restructuring of UO₂ Thin Films: Amorphization and Crystallization Vol 13, pp. 35153–35164, 2021) on the preparation, characterization and irradiation stability of thin UO₂…

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Each year the Department of Physics recognizes the outstanding research and dissertation of a PhD graduate. This year the recipients are Erika Holmbeck and Nirupama Sensharma.

Holmbeck's thesis is titled "The Looking-Glass and Beyond: Using Observations and Modeling of Stellar Actinide Abundances and Modeling of Stellar Actinide." She was advised by Professors Timothy Beers…

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Outstanding Senior Physics Major Award

• Charles Marrder, advised by Prof. Grant Matthews 

The Outstanding Senior Physics Major award is given in recognition of academic performance, contributions to the major, and potential for future success.

Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award…

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Physics graduate students Kevin Lee (advised by Prof. Ani Aprahamian) and Sethupathy Subramanian (advised by Prof. Dinshaw Balasra) are the recipients of 2021 Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Awards from the Kaneb Center. 

This award was created in 1999 to recognize graduate student instructors and TAs who demonstrate commitment to exceptional teaching in lectures, seminars, labs, and across the academic profession. The Graduate School and the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning present the award annually to TAs that are nominated by their departments. The award consists of a certificate from the Kaneb Center and Graduate School, a letter documenting the award for the graduate student’s file, a $100 honorarium, and an invitation to a formal event hosted by the Kaneb Center and the Graduate School.…

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Radioactivity: Origin and effects of a natural phenomenon, Volume I, has been recently published by Freimann Professor of Physics Michael Wiescher. 

Radioactivity is a frequently and hotly debated topic; the discussions usually revolve around the benefits and dangers of nuclear energy. The topic reaches further -- both in terms of natural occurrences and the many and the multiple applications of radioactivity.…

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Nuclear physics graduate student Nirupama Sensharma will speak on Tuesday, September 29 at the Michiana Science Cafe on nuclear energy. Her talk "Nuclear Energy -- The Better Energy?" will be a Facebook live event. The United States depends on nuclear power to meet about one-fifth of its demand for electricity. This equals the combined total of the generation capacity of two leading nuclear power producing countries, France and Japan. However, we have been standing still for the last 30 years with absolutely no progress in this sector. Is the halt a result of economic, political or scientific reasons and how is this affecting the ever-escalating climate crises? Do we have an alternative?…

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Experimental nuclear science faculty have published a book that summarizes scientific methods that are currently used to characterize objects of cultural heritage and archaeological artifacts. Authored by Friemann Professor of Physics Michael Wiescher…

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Freimann Professor of Physics Ani Aprahamian recently presented at two virtual conferences in Armenia. 

The Armenia Medical International Committee (AMIC) virtual course was held July 12 and had over 650 participants. Aprahamian's presentation was "Isotopes for new pharmaceutical applications." The AMIC consists of representatives from Armenian healthcare associations throughout the Diaspora. Its purpose is to improve healthcare in Armenia through coordination of efforts among our member organizations.…

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A team of Notre Dame nuclear physics professors was recently awarded a three-year $8.1M grant from the National Science Foundation to continue operation of the Nuclear Science Laboratory (NSL) and to continue their research in nuclear physics. The team consists of Profs. Dan Bardayan, Tan Ahn, Ani Aprahamian, Max Brodeur, Philippe Collon, Manoel Couder, Umesh Garg, Anna Simon, and Michael Wiescher. A particular focus of this proposal entitled "Nuclear Physics at the Notre Dame Nuclear Science Laboratory Providing a Window on the Universe" is the study of nuclei and nuclear reactions that are critical for interpreting observations of multi-messengers in astrophysics.  These messengers provide windows on the Universe and elucidate nuclear astrophysics processes occurring throughout.
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The Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member States of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) has appointed Freimann Professor of Physics Ani Aprahamian as a new member.

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Freimann Professor of Physics Ani Aprhamian has been elected to serve on the Board of Trustees for Clark University. Aprahamian received her undergraduate degree from Clark in 1980. Aprahamian will serve a six year term starting July 1, 2020. Clark’s trustees draw on their expertise in the fields of business, law, and higher education to shape the policies that guide the University’s growth, enhance its reputation, and ensure its standing as a destination of choice for academically engaged students.…

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Physics graduate students Saurabh Bansal (advised by Prof. Chris Kolda) and Orlando Gomez (advised by Prof. Anna Simon) are the recipients of 2020 Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Awards from the Kaneb Center. 

This award was created in 1999 to recognize graduate student instructors and TAs who demonstrate commitment to exceptional teaching in lectures, seminars, labs, and across the academic profession. The Graduate School and the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning present the award annually to TAs that are nominated by their departments. There were fourteen awards given to TAs in the College of Science. The award consists of a certificate from the Kaneb Center and Graduate School, a letter documenting the award for the graduate student’s file, and a $100 honorarium from the Kaneb Center.…

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Ani Aprahamian, Freimann Professor of Physics at the University of Notre Dame, is fighting the impact of COVID-19 in Armenia.

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Freimann Professor of Physics Ani Aprahamian gave two invited talks in January. One talk was hosted by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Lecture Series on Contemporary Armenian Issues, and the Ararat-Eskijian Museum. At this event, Prof. Aprahamian talked about Science, Technology and Education in Armenia…

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Prof. Daniel Bardayan was recently featured on the Department of Energy’s Office of Science website as a 2010 Early Career Award winner. Read more at  https://www.energy.gov/science/articles/daniel-bardayan-then-and-now-early-career-award-winner…

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Link to video and full article:

https://fightingfor.nd.edu/2019/fighting-to-protect-the-brave/

Professor Graham Peaslee of the University of Notre Dame Department of Physics is featured on the newest “What Would You Fight For?” video. The University of Notre Dame’s award-winning “What Would You Fight For?” series showcases the work, scholarly achievements, and global impact of Notre Dame faculty, students, and alumni. These two-minute segments, each originally aired during a home football game broadcast on NBC…

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A team of researchers and undergraduate students at Nuclear Science Laboratory, Department of Physics at Notre Dame, published an article in the Applied Surface Science journal on the characterization of a set of Roman denarii, ranging from 136 BCE to 240 CE. The work presents results of macro, micro, and nanoscale surface characterization of coins using several different X-ray based spectroscopic and electron microscopy methods. This enabled the surface, the subsurface, and volume composition of these coins to be probed to better understand their production techniques, surface treatment methods, and corrosion patterns. The results also provide evidence that a particular surface treatment method, amalgam silvering, had been used to make authentic Roman coins as early as the third century CE.…

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Professor. Umesh Garg has been appointed as a Guest Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. The certificate of appointment was presented to Prof. Garg at a special ceremony at XJTU…

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Physics professors Dan Bardayan and Manoel Couder were lecturers at the 2019 Exotic Beam Summer School, which took place on the campus of Oak Ridge National Laboratory from June 24-29, 2019. The aim of this annual school is to introduce students and young researchers to the various facets of the science of exotic nuclei including nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and the application of nuclear science and technology. Bardayan lectured on “Nuclear Astrophysics Experiments”, and Couder lectured on “Beam Optics”. Both are researchers in the nuclear science laboratory in the Department of Physics.…

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The University of Notre Dame Freimann Professor of Physics Ani Aprahamian was the  keynote speaker for the graduate commencement ceremony at the American University of Armenia (AUA…

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Professor Umesh Garg has been selected as the recipient of the BITS Pilani Distinguished Alumnus Award – 2019. The award will be conferred at a special convocation to be held on July 21.

Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani (BITS…

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Freimann Professor Ani Aprahamian served as a juror at a regular regional stage of the international youth conference “Falling Walls Lab” that was held in the JINR Visit Centre, Dubna, Russia. The project was launched in Germany and was called in memory of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Its aim is to provide international communication, an opportunity for the youth to present their ideas, scientific concepts, or to propose brand-new ways of solving problems in all spheres of human activities. A presentation should not exceed the time limit of three minutes and should consist of three slides. Winners of regional stages are given a chance to present their projects to the international jury in Berlin.…

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Freimann Professor Ani Aprahamian was invited to talk at the International Symposium “The present and the future of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements” in Dubna, Russia. The symposium was organized by Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR…

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Each year the Department of Physics recognizes the outstanding research and dissertation of a PhD graduate. This year the recipient is Matthew Hall. His thesis title was “Identifying Long-Sought ¹⁸F(p,α)¹⁵O Resonances Affecting ɣ–Ray Emission from ¹⁸…

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On the invitation of the Bergischer Geschichtsverein, one of the oldest Historian Associations in Germany, Michael Wiescher, Freimann Professor of Physics, gave a talk on his recent book Bauern, Weber, Arbeiter. His book and talk are concerned with the socio-economic changes in the city of Barmen during the 18^th…

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Freimann Professor of Physics Ani Aprahamian was the opening speaker of the workshop on “r-process Sources in the Universe” at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ held March 27-30, 2019. Professor Aprahamian talked on “Nuclear Physics Experiments and the Neutron Star Merger”. The workshop was organized by Frank Timmes of ASU  and Mohammad Safarzadeh of Harvard University and was supported by JINA…

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Freimann Professors of Physics Ani Aprahamian and Michael Wiescher were lecturers at the 16th Russbach School on Nuclear Astrophysics.This school belongs to the European Network of Nuclear Astrophysics Schools (ENNAS…

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Prof. Dan Bardayan, Department of Physics, has been re-elected to the User Organization Executive Committee for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University. The goals of the Users’ Organization are to work towards the realization and timely construction of FRIB…

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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and their Policy and Global Affairs group, has invited Freimann Professor Ani Aprahamian to serve as a member of the U.S. Liaison Committee for the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).

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