This summer's research gave not only academic enlightenment, but also a more complete understanding of how physics exists outside the academic realm. The opportunity was granted for travel and work at two National Accelerator Labs: Tamdem Van de Graaf (Notre Dame) and Superconducting Cyclotron (Michigan State); offering hands on experience in the preparing, testing and running of a nuclear experiment. Heightening, design, electronic and computer skills but ultimately the analytical and deductive frontiers of the mind.

The largest portion of this summer's research I centered on the data analysis of an experiment, 16O + 27Al at 72 MeV, conducted a the University of Notre Dame. The main emphasis having been on the emitted stable intermediate mass fragments (IMFs where Z=3,4,5) and their coincidental evaporation residues. The strong correlation seen in alpha-alpha correlation measurements indicates unexpectedly prodigious statistical emissions of 8Be from equilibrated sources. This appears to be true even at low excitation energies hence we were investigating IMFs near 8Be. The final goal was the presenting of IMF cross-sections and angular distributions to interpret the observed strong alpha-alpha correlation.

At the more academic level, we individually read an introductory nuclear physics book discussing questions and areas of interest two to three times a week. Technical journal articles in the specific area of our work were also read and discussed.