The measurement of the lifetimes of excited nuclear states is foundational for understanding nuclear excitations. This project covers three measurement methods that together span the nuclear lifetime range from about 100 femtoseconds to many nanoseconds. The project can include equipment development, measurement, and the development of analysis methodology (programming and computation). 

This project investigates radon-induced backgrounds in the CYGNO directional dark matter detector. The student will develop an event-by-event simulation of radioactive decay chains and use alpha particle signatures to infer low-energy backgrounds, contributing to the understanding of detector performance using recent experimental data.

This project builds on our established track record of developing novel methods to measure magnetic moments of picosecond-lived excited states in atomic nuclei, and the theoretical interpretation of those measurements. Students will help establish new methodologies to underpin future international research at the world's leading radioactive beam laboratories.

Atomic nuclei can behave as collections of individual particles or as strongly collective quantum systems. This project uses precision gamma-ray spectroscopy and ultra-fast lifetime measurements to investigate how and why these behaviours emerge, providing new insights into nuclear structure and the forces that govern atomic nuclei.

Experimental, simulation, and data analysis projects are available to help develop advanced detection technology which will form the basis of a future large particle physics experiment in Australia

Radon is a major radioactive background limiting the discovery potential of many low-background physics experiments. This project will contribute to an emerging international network working to standardise radon measurements through interlaboratory comparisons and the development of a global database for low-background physics.

For decades, many excited states in atomic nuclei have been interpreted as surface vibrations. New experimental evidence suggests this picture may be incomplete. This project uses Coulomb excitation and transfer reactions to investigate nuclear shapes and collective motion, helping to test ideas that underpin modern descriptions of atomic nuclei.

New methods to determine the shapes of atomic nuclei via the measurement of their electric quadrupole moment are being developed. Most nuclei are prolate spheroids - shaped like an Australian Rules football. As well as giving a picture of the nucleus, the quadrupole moment is an important observable to test theory. 

The Nuclear Shell Model has shaped our understanding of atomic nuclei for more than 75 years, yet recent experiments challenge some of its key predictions. This project uses particle-transfer reactions and the Enge Magnetic Spectrometer to probe nuclear structure, giving students hands-on experience with experiments, instrumentation, and data analysis.

Some atomic nuclei are so neutron-rich that they survive for only fractions of a second before decaying into something more stable. This project uses beta-decay and gamma-ray spectroscopy to study these rare systems, revealing how nuclei behave at the limits of existence and how elements are created in stellar explosions.

Directional dark matter searches provide a way to probe beyond the irreducible ‘neutrino fog’ that limits traditional dark matter experiments. CYGNUS-OZ is part of the global directional dark matter effort, and this project focuses on the critical challenge of radon control in these detectors.