Hope College Department of Physics and Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Summer 2006 Project Summary

Using the Hope College Ion Beam Analysis Laboratory (HIBAL), protons with an energy of 2.3 MeV are accelerated towards the prepared samples in an evacuated target chamber. Resultant x-rays are detected at 45º with a Si(Li) detector. The x-ray spectra are analyzed with the GUPIXWIN peak-fitting software which outputs relative concentrations of trace elements. With these relative concentrations, ratios between trace elements are used for the comparative aspect of the statistics. This use of ratios eliminates much systematic error that arises when trying to acquire absolute concentrations. Specific ratios between samples are compared using Z-score testing which gives a scale of the difference between the two samples for that particular elemental ratio. When comparing two hits on the same sample, there still remains a difference in the trace elemental concentrations of that same sample due to statistical errors. This difference is used as a control in our evaluations of unknown sample concentrations. To obtain reliable statistics, multiple spectra are always obtained on each sample.

*This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF-REU Grant No. 0452206
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Publications and Presentations:
" Comparison of Glass Fragments Using Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) Spectrometry." P.A. DeYoung, P.J. Mears*, C.C. Hall*, D.J. Padilla*, R.A. Sampson*, and G.F. Peaslee. Scheduled for publication in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, (2011).
“Forensic Analysis of Tempered Sheet Glass by Particle Induced X Ray Emission (PIXE)” L. J. Jisonna, P. A. DeYoung, J. Ferens*, C. Hall*, J. M. Lunderberg*, P. Mears*, D. Padilla*, G. F. Peaslee, and R. Sampson*. Nucl. Instr. And Meth. B, Nucl. Instr. And Meth. B (2011).
“Spectroscopy of ¹³Li”, E.M. Lunderberg*, C.C. Hall*, P.A. DeYoung, M. Thoennessen, J. Snyder, and Mona Collaboration. Division of Nuclear Physics of the APS meeting, East Lansing MI, October 2011.
"First observation of excited states in ¹²Li" C.C. Hall*, E.M. Lunderberg*, P.A. DeYoung, T. Baumann, D. Bazin, G. Blanchon, A. Bonaccorso, B.A. Brown, J. Brown, G. Christian, D.H. Denby*, J. Finck, N. Frank, A. Gade, J. Hinnefeld, C.R. Hoffman, B. Luther, S. Mosby, W.A. Peters, A. Spyrou, and M. Thoennessen. Phys. Rev. C 81, 021301(R) (2010).
"Efficiency of the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA)." W.A. Peters, T. Baumann, G.A. Christian, D.Denby*, P.A. DeYoung, J.E. Finck, C.C. Hall*, J. Hinnefeld, A. Schiller, M.J. Strongman, and M. Thoennessen. Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry CAARI 2008, AIP Conference Proceedings 1099, 807 (2009).
"Spectroscopy of 12Li." E. Lunderberg*, C. Hall*, P. DeYoung, A. Spyrou, M. Thoennessen, MoNA Collaboration. CEU Poster GB0.00070. Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 54, (2009). Division of Nuclear Physics Fall Meeting. Waikoloa, Hawaii (2009).
"Production of Nuclei in Neutron Unbound States via Primary Fragmentation of ⁴⁸Ca", G. Christian, W.A. Peters, D. Absalon*, D. Albertson*, T. Baumann, D. Bazin, E. BreitbachI, J. Brown, P.L. Cole*, D. Denby*, P.A. DeYoung, J.E. Finck, H. Frank, A. Fritsch*, C. Hall*, A.M. Hayes, J. Hinnefeld, C.R. Hoffman, R. Howes, B. Luther, E. Mosby*, S. Mosby*, D. Padilla*, P.V. Pancella, G. Peaslee, W.F. Rogers, A. Schiller, M.J. Strongman, M. Thoennessen, and L.O. Wagner*. Nucl. Phys. A801, 101, (2008).
"Ground Stake Energy and Width of the ⁷He from ⁸Li Proton Knockout." D.L. Denby*, P.A. DeYoung, T. Baumann, D. Bazin, E. Breitback*, J. Brown, N. Frank, A. Gade, C.C. Hall*, J. Hinnefeld, C.R. Hoffman, R. Howes, R.A. Jenson*, B. Luther, S.M. Mosby, C.W. Olson*, W.A. Peters, A. Schiller, A. Spyrou, and M. Thoennessen. Phys. Rev. C 78, 044303 (2008).
"Development of an Ion Beam Analysis Method for Forensic Analysis of Glass", Richard Sampson*, Graham F. Peaslee, Paul A. DeYoung, Christopher Hall*, Derek Padilla*, and Patrick Mears*. American Academy of Forensic Sciences 2008 Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, (2008).
"Studying the structure of the neutron-unbound ¹²Li." A. Spyrou, M. Thoennessen, P.A. DeYoung, C.C. Hall*, and the MoNA Collaboration. Paper ED.00006. Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 53, 65 (2008). Division of Nuclear Physics Fall Meeting. Oakland, CA, October 2008. "Experimental  Observation of Decay Energy of ^12,13Li." C. Hall*, P.A. DeYoung, S. Mosby, A. Spyrou, and M. Thoennessen. CEU Poster DA.00037. Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 53, 46 (2008). Division of nuclear Physics Fall Meeting. Oakland, CA, October 2008. "Development of an Ion Beam Analysis Method for Forensic Analysis of Glass."Richard Sampson*, Graham F. Peaslee, Paul A. DeYoung, Christopher Hall*, Derek Padilla*, and Patrick Mears*. American Academy of Forensic Sciences 2008 Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. 2008.
"Breakup of ⁶He Incident on ²⁰⁹Bi Near the Coulomb Barrier", J.J. Kolate, H. Amro, F.D. Becchetti, J.A. Brown, P.A. DeYoung, M. Hencheck, J.D. Hinnefeld, G.F. Peaslee, A.L. Fritsch, C. Hall*, U. Khadka*, Patrick J. Mears*, P. O'Rourke, D. Padilla*, J. Reith*, Tabatha Spencer, and T. Williams. Phys Rev. C 75, 031302 (2007).