October 18 2013 | VOLUME 32 NUMBER 37

NSCL GREENSHEETTHE

Shutdown UpdateOperators will be completing the items listed

in the Acceptance Criteria List (ACL) for the stripper foil test bed this week. The ACL is a formal list of agreed upon criteria between the controls group (the Supplier) and the end user (the Customer, NSCL Operations in this case) for establishing that the final performance criteria for the stripper foil test bed has been met. The test bed is located in the N1 Vault and is an analog of the production system inside the K1200 Cyclotron. The test bed allows modifications to be tested before being installed in the production system. Transition of the controls hardware and software will be scheduled for installation into the K1200 later in this shutdown period.

Charge-exchange Group ReportChris Sullivan, a graduate student working

in the NSCL Charge Exchange group, has been leading the efforts to improve neutrino transport calculations utilized in the core-collapse supernovae simulation code GR1D, which is being developed by Evan O’Connor (Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA)) and Christian Ott (Caltech). Key inputs are electron-capture reaction rates for nuclei present in the star just prior to its demise as a supernova. These rates are estimated on the basis of theoretical nuclear structure calculations that are tested by comparing with results from charge-exchange experiments such as the (t,3He) and (p,n) experiments performed at NSCL. The recent work makes it possible to test in great detail the sensitivity of the late evolution of supernovae on electron-capture rates and to identify which experiments (including those in the future at FRIB) are most critical for improving the nuclear theory and, by extension, the quality of the astrophysical models. Chris’ work, which required frequent travel to CITA over the summer, is an excellent example of how the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics provides added value to forefront nuclear astrophysics research by fostering collaborations between astrophysicists, nuclear theorists and experimentalists. Evan O’Connor of CITA will visit MSU on November 4 to present a talk on supernovae modelling and the collaborations with the NSCL charge-exchange group.

The 2014 NSCL Graduate Brochure is now available online (http://www.nscl.msu.edu/files/2014NSCL-GraduateBrochure.pdf). Besides general information about the program and different types of research pur-sued at NSCL, it contains one-page research profiles for each faculty member and is a great resource for prospec-tive graduate students.

Erik Eicher solders connections for a new quadrupole magnet that will serve as a spare for the beamline.

Graduate StudieS 2014National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

Campus Flu ClinicsMSU employees are encouraged to get flu

shots soon, and are offered subsidized shots for $10 at several clinics scheduled around campus:

Date Time Place10/18/2013 11:30am-2:00pm Food Stores –

Conference Room10/21/2013 11:00am-2:00pm A d m i n i s t r a t i o n

Building – Board Room 401

10/25/2013 11:30am-1:30pm DCPAH – Room 101 (Beaumont Road south of Forest Road)

10/30/2013 11:30am-1:30pm Engineering Building – Room 3405A

11/5/2013 11:30am-1:30pm East Fee Hall – Patenge Room C102

11/11/2013 11:30am-1:30pm Vet Med Center – Room A174

Seminars• Tuesday, October 22, at 11 AM

Theory Seminar in the Seminar RoomAlex Gezerlis (University of Guelph): “Microscopic Simulations in Nuclear Physics: from QCD to EFT and from there to QMC”

• Wednesday, October 23, at 4:10 PMNSCL/HEP Joint Seminar in room 1400 BPSTyce DeYoung (Pennsylvania State University): TBA

• Thursday, October 24, at 4:10 PMPhysics and Astronomy Colloquium in room 1400 BPSTyce DeYoung (Pennsylvania State University): “First Light at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory”

People at the Lab Kyle Medrano has joined the FRIB Experimental Systems Division as a Student Intern. Fei Lu is visitor from Shanhai Institute on Applied Physics who will be at the lab for two months working with Betty Tsang. Yingxun Zhang is visiting from the China Institute of Atomic Energy to collaborate with Betty Tsang.

EDITOR: ZACH CONSTAN | 517-333-6363| CONSTAN@NSCL.MSU.EDU

Operation of NSCL as a national

user facility is supported by the

Experimental Nuclear Physics Program

of the U.S. National Science Foundation

National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

Michigan State University

640 S. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1321

Phone 517-355-9671

www.nscl.msu.edu

JINA Pizza Lunches ReturnThe Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics

will resume the JINA Pizza Lunch Talk Series and with guest Paul Woodward from the University of Minnesota as the kickoff speaker next Monday. Paul is one of the leading hydrodynamics modelers in the US and director of the University of Minnesota Laboratory for Computational Science and Engineering. Paul will present new results of 3D stellar hydrodynamics simulations obtained with the NCSA Blue Waters Petaflop Supercomputer. Most interestingly, these calculations reveal a novel nucleosynthesis process - the “i-process”. Pizza will be served to attendees in room 1400 BPS on Monday, October 21 at 12:30 PM.

Hands-on Fire Extinguisher TrainingTuesday, October 22, 1:30 – 3:00 PM A typical fire extinguisher contains 10 seconds of extinguishing power. Always read the instructions that come with the fire extinguisher beforehand and become familiarized with its parts. It is highly recommended by fire prevention experts that you get hands-on training before operating a fire extinguisher. Hands-on fire extinguisher training will be available to all employees next week in the East Parking Lot; no prior registration is required. Contact Carol Lentz (x184) if you have questions.

Tom Bartlett removes shavings from recently drilled and tapped holes in the cycstopper steel. The exterior is simultaneously getting a new coat of paint.