Potential student research projects

Physics of the Nucleus

Towards a global understanding of nuclear fission

Improved understandings of nuclear fission is key for many areas of science, including heavy element formation in supernova and neutron-star mergers, making safer nuclear reactors, and the formation and properties of long-lived superheavy isotopes. Students involved in this project will further our understanding of fission across the chart of nuclides.

Dr Kaitlin Cook, Emeritus Professor David Hinde, Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, Dr Jacob Buete

Time dependence of nuclear fusion

This project will allow us to understand the time-dependence of quantum tunnelling and nuclear fusion.

Dr Edward Simpson

How do we make the next superheavy nucleus?

This project aims to make measurements that help inform us on how new superheavy elements can be made in the lab.

Dr Kaitlin Cook, Dr Jacob Buete, Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, Emeritus Professor David Hinde

Ultra-fast lifetime measurements of nuclear excited states

Use ultra-fast gamma-ray detectors to perform excited-state lifetime measurements and investigate single-particle and collective features of atomic nuclei.

Professor Gregory Lane, Dr AJ Mitchell, Emeritus Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Emeritus Professor Tibor Kibedi

Radioimpurities in particle detectors for dark matter studies

This experiment will characterise dark matter detector material. Lowest levels of natural radioactivity in high purity samples will be analysed via ultra-senstive single atom counting using acclerator mass spectrometry.

Dr Michaela Froehlich , Dr Yiyi Zhong, Dr Zuzana Slavkovska, A/Prof Stephen Tims

Advanced detector development for rare event particle physics

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

Dr Lindsey Bignell, Dr Robert Renz Marcelo Gregorio, Miss Victoria Bashu, Professor Gregory Lane

Nuclear structure studies with particle transfer reactions

This project will use nuclear reactions to study the basic make-up of atomic nuclei at the quantum level, and investigate the impact of nuclear structure on sub-atomic forces and fundamental physics.

Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane, Emeritus Professor Andrew Stuchbery

Exotic nuclear structure towards the neutron dripline

Investigate the structure and radioactive-decay properties of exotic nuclei, and the roles they play in advancing modern nuclear theory, stella nucleosynthesis and applications of nuclear technology in society.

Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane

The intersection of nuclear structure and nuclear scattering

This project explores nuclear scattering using shell-model-derived potentials to better understand complex nuclear interactions. Students will enhance coding skills, deepen quantum mechanics knowledge, and apply high-performance computing to study processes relevant to nuclear astrophysics and nucleosynthesis, shedding light on the origins of the chemical elements.

Professor Cedric Simenel

Simulating cosmic-ray interactions with materials for dark matter and commercial applications

This project uses Geant4 simulations to investigate how naturally occurring cosmic rays interact with materials relevant to physics and environmental research, including NaI(Tl) crystals, gaseous detectors, and soil.

Dr Yiyi Zhong, Dr Lindsey Bignell

Neutron stars: understanding physics at the extreme

Neutron stars are a unique laboratory for probing physics under the greatest extremes of density and gravity, far beyond what is capable in terrestrial laboratories. This project aims to use gravitational wave discoveries and electromagnetic observations of neutron stars to examine fundamental physics.

Dr Karl Wette, Distinguished Prof Susan Scott

Nuclear batteries: Energy-storage applications of nuclear isomers

Nuclear metastable states, known colloquially as isomers, have energy densities millions of times greater than chemical batteries. This project investigates nuclear pathways for reliably extracting this energy from candidate isotopes on demand.

Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane

Impact of nuclear structure on dark matter direct detection

Quantum many-body modelling of the atomic nucleus will help us understand how dark matter particles interact with atomic nuclei, as well as how many scattering events we can expect in underground laboratory search for dark matter.

Ms Raghda Abdel Khaleq, Dr Navneet Krishnan, Professor Cedric Simenel

Nuclear vibrations in near-spherical and deformed nuclei

This project aims to discover if the long-held concept of low-energy nuclear vibrations holds true under scrutiny from Coulomb excitation and nucleon-transfer reactions.

Emeritus Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Professor Gregory Lane, Dr AJ Mitchell

Understanding energy dissipation in colliding quantum many-body systems

This project aims to gain fundamental insights into the mechanisms of energy dissipation in nuclear collisions by making new measurements that will aid in the development of new models of nuclear fusion.

Dr Kaitlin Cook, Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, Emeritus Professor David Hinde, Dr Jacob Buete

Radon control in directional dark matter detectors

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.

Dr Robert Renz Marcelo Gregorio, Dr Lindsey Bignell, Professor Gregory Lane