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An overview of my experimental research experiences at different research facilities in the world.
FRIB at Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA. The figure is taken from Wikipedia.
The S800 spectrograph coupled with the GRETINA. Figure courtesy: Dr. Shumpei Noji.
FRIB, at Michigan State University, is a superconducting linear accelerator facility dedicated to conducting cutting-edge nuclear science research. It replaced the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), at the same site and began operations in 2022. FRIB can accelerate uranium ions at an energy of 200 MeV/u compared to NSCL's 140 MeV/u, producing previously unobserved rare isotopes. FRIB aims to achieve an energy upgrade of 400 MeV/u to mimic extreme environments such as neutron star mergers, thus improving our understanding of these exotic astrophysical phenomena.
I joined FRIB in June 2023 as a postdoctoral researcher in the charge-exchange group led by Prof. Remco Zegers. My research work involves the investigation of isovector giant resonances via charge-exchange experiments. Specifically, I have been involved in the experiment to measure the isovector giant monopole resonance in 90Zr via the 90Zr(10Be,10B)90Y charge-exchange reaction. The experiment took place in February 2024. We used a 100 MeV/u 10Be beam incident on a ~50 mg/cm2 thick target of 90Zr. The S800 spectrometer was utilized to reconstruct the excitation energy of 90Y by analyzing the 10B reaction products. The energy loss vs time of flight method was used to perform the particle identification. Further, the gamma rays emitted from the de-excitation of 10B were detected by the high-resolution and high-efficiency gamma-ray array detector GRETINA. The spin transfer and non-spin transfer filters are obtained by selecting the 10B events in coincidence with the 718-keV and 1022-keV gamma rays, respectively.
A close up view of the GRETINA detector.
Prof. Remco Zegers checking the 90Zr target.
The focal plane of the S800 spectrograph consists of ion chamber, CRDCs and scintillator detectors.
Physics Department at Argonne National Lab, Illinois, USA.
The Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System (ATLAS) at Argonne National Lab is a superconducting linear accelerator for accelerating heavy ions around the Coulomb barrier. It is also the world's first superconducting linear accelerator.
I took part in an experiment at ATLAS in November 2023. The experiment aimed at measuring resonances in the unbound 6Be nucleus via the 7Be(d,t)6Be reaction using the AT-TPC (Active Target Time Projection Chamber) coupled to the HELIOS (Helical Orbit Spectrometer). A secondary radioactive 7Be beam at 14 MeV/u was used for reactions with the deuterium gas inside the TPC. I was involved in data collection during several shifts of the experiment.
Taking data in one of the night shifts.
Spectrum of charge particles emitted from the 7Be+d interaction inside the AT-TPC
Prof. Daniel Bazin (at centre) looking into the AT-TPC DAQ.
Globe of Science and Innovation at CERN, Switzerland.
The CERN accelerator complex. Figure taken from CERN website.
ISOLDE facility at CERN, Switzerland
The Isotope mass Separator On-Line facility (ISOLDE) is a radioactive ion beam facility at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. This facility is a vital part of CERN's accelerator complex dedicated to carrying out nuclear physics experiments. A pulsed proton beam of energy 1.4 GeV, delivered by the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB), impinges on a thick primary target to produce a wide variety of atomic fragments. These fragments are then further ionized to form low-energy (~3-10 MeV/u) radioactive ion beams that are sent to various experimental stations such as MINIBALL, ISS and SEC for performing nuclear physics measurements.
Different experimental stations such as Miniball, ISS and SEC at the ISOLDE facility. Figure taken from CERN newsletter.
I was stationed at CERN from September - December 2018 to perform my Ph.D. thesis experiment at the ISOLDE facility. The Scattering Experiment Chamber (SEC) at the third beamline was utilized to carry out the experimental measurements. The SEC is primarily dedicated to study nuclear reactions in direct or inverse kinematics. It has a diameter of 1 m and a height of 50 cm. A radioactive 7Be beam was produced offline by irradiating a thick uranium carbide target with 0.37 μA of 1.4 GeV protons from the PSB. During the experiment, the activated target was mounted on the target station and then heated to extract the 7Be ions. The accelerated 7Be ions impinged on a 15 μm thick CD2 reaction target. We used a CH2 target for background measurements and a Pb target for calibration purposes. The reaction products from the interaction of 7Be with the CD2 target were detected with the charged-particle detector setup inside the scattering chamber. The setup consisted of a compact silicon detector array manufactured by Micron Semiconductors. The detectors covered a wide angular range from 8 degrees to 160 degrees in the lab.
Prof. Olof Tengblad and Dr. Angel Perea from IEM-CSIC working on the experimental setup inside the SEC.
The experimental setup inside the SEC consisting of silicon strip detectors.
Different targets used during the experiment such as CD2, CH2 and Pb, mounted in the target ladder.
The K500 Superconducting cyclotron building at VECC at Kolkata, India.
Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC), India
VECC is a premier research institute located in Kolkata for conducting accelerator-based nuclear physics, high energy physics, material science, isotope production research in India. The centre houses three major cyclotron facilities: the K130 room-temperature cyclotron, the K500 superconducting cyclotron and the Cyclone-30 medical cyclotron used for accelerating various kinds of stable beams such as proton, alpha and other heavier ions.
I was a visiting research fellow from February - May, 2023 in the Nuclear Reaction Section (NRS) of the Physics group at VECC. During this period, I worked with Dr. Tapan Kumar Rana. I was involved in charged-particle spectroscopy using CsI(Tl), Si-surface barrier, Si-strip detectors and radioactive alpha sources (241Am, 229Th). I also performed Geant4 simulations to estimate the efficiency of the experimental setup to study the radiative decay transition of the Hoyle state via 12C(p,p)12C reaction. I actively participated in the experimental setup to measure the 12C+p scattering reaction cross sections.
Dr. Tapan Kumar Rana setting up the scattering chamber.
An inside view of the scattering chamber with Dr. Tapan Kumar Rana and Dr. Santu Manna.
Electronic modules used during the experiment.
Main Campus of Bose Institute at Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road in Kolkata, established by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose in 1917.
Bose Institute, India
Bose Institute was set up in 1917 by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose and is considered Asia's first modern research centre dedicated to interdisciplinary research. Presently, research focus spans across disciplines such as physics, chemistry, plant biology, microbiology, molecular medicine, biochemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics, and environmental science.
I joined Bose Institute as an integrated M.Sc.-Ph.D candidate in 2014. After completing my M.Sc in 2016, I began my tenure as a junior research fellow (JRF) in the nuclear physics lab of Prof. Dhruba Gupta for my doctoral research work. My work primarily focused on the data analysis and Monte Carlo simulations of the 7Be+d reaction. Apart from that I was involved in various other research activities in the lab such as elastic, breakup and transfer reactions involving weakly bound radioactive nucleus 7Be. In 2018, I became a senior research fellow (SRF) and successfully defended my Ph.D. in 2023. The degree was awarded by the University of Calcutta.
Scattering chamber at the nuclear physics lab in Bose Institute.
Electronic modules used in the experimental setup at Bose Institute.
With Prof. Dhurba Gupta at ISOLDE, CERN.
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