| NSF Org: |
OISE Office of International Science and Engineering |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 6, 2014 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 6, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1358175 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Maija Kukla
mkukla@nsf.gov (703)292-4940 OISE Office of International Science and Engineering O/D Office Of The Director |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2014 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2018 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $247,938.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $247,938.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1918 F ST NW WASHINGTON DC US 20052-0042 (202)994-0728 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 45 D-55128 Mainz GM |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | IRES Track I: IRES Sites (IS) |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.079 |
ABSTRACT
Technical
This project will take a group of six students each summer (eighteen students in total) to perform research within the A2 collaboration at the MAMI accelerator of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. The A2 collaboration uses the continuous wave, up to 1.6 GeV MAMI electron beam, in combination with the Glasgow Photon Tagging Spectrometer to produce a quasi-monochromatic photon beam. The experiments performed with this photon beam in the course of this project will investigate the nucleon resonance spectrum by analyzing single and multiple meson photoproduction on the neutron and provide exciting new information on the nucleon polarizabilities through analyses of single and doubly polarized Compton Scattering measurements.
The students will be involved in the simulation of reaction channels, analysis techniques and new detectors. Some will be involved in the development and tests of the new Active Polarized Target, involving tests of material and read-out techniques in a cryogenic atmosphere. Some will work on programming FPGA chips for uses in an upgraded data acquisition system. All students will gain experience taking data, monitoring data quality as it is collected and debugging any problems which occur during running, thereby gaining experience in many of the areas of modern nuclear physics.
To ensure the quality of the experience for the student cohort, to investigate how best to serve the educational needs of students during international research experience and to evaluate the benefits of the program, the program will be examined using best-practice physics education research-based techniques. The students will receive preparatory instruction and training before leaving for Germany and upon return to the US, their projects will continue until they reach conclusion and final reporting. The results of the nuclear physics and PER components of the program will be published in the relevant journals, with the students receiving full credit, where appropriate.
Non-Technical
This project is designed to take a group of six students (eighteen in total) to Mainz, Germany to work on activities within the A2 collaboration at the MAMI accelerator during the summer. The students will have the opportunity to become involved in this collaboration of ca. 100 physicists, as part of the research groups of Professors Downie & Briscoe of the George Washington University (GW). They will be involved in hardware and software development for the investigation of the structure and dynamics of the nucleon (neutrons and protons). Before the summer, the students will undergo a preparatory phase at GW, where they will learn about the physics background of their planned project, become familiar with the software suites they will use, and begin dialogue with their foreign supervisor using web-conferencing tools. At the Institut fuer Kernphysik, of the Johnannes Gutenberg university, Mainz, researchers will work with the IRES students on a variety of projects from hardware development and tests for the Active Polarized Target and new trigger detectors, to analysis of experimental data to search for rare meson decays, and simulation studies to plan for future experiments. The students will also have the chance to acquire modern technological skills of wider application, such as FPGA programming.
Upon their return to the US, the IRES cohort will continue their research projects, producing a final report and a presentation which will take place at a special symposium to showcase the students? work. The students will also be encouraged to apply for the CEU fellowships to present their work in a wider circle. Throughout the course of the IRES program, the educational benefit to and progress of each student will be monitored by Prof. Teodorescu of GW, with entrance, mid-term, and exit interviews. Professors Briscoe, Downie and Teodorescu will work together to formulate an educational framework for mentoring students in international research through the study of the ongoing IRES program, and the results of this effort will be published in appropriate physics education research journals.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The International Research Experiences for Students Program of the George Washington University took 19 students to Mainz, Germany, over the course of four summers. These students performed research in a variety of areas at the MAinzer MIkrotron (MAMI) in Mainz, Germany, and at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland.
The students engaged in research encompassing multiple facets of experimental nuclear physics. For example, several IRES scholars worked in the new Mainz Active Polarized Target: some producing simulations of the mechanical heating and energy deposits in the active target; some assisting in the development and testing of the Active Polarized Target using LED systems, modern electronics and prototype data analysis software; and most recently one IRES scholar developed analysis code for real experimental data taken with the finalized instrument. This means that over the life of the IRES program, students have been involved in all aspects of the planning and preparation, physical construction and data taking and analysis involving the finalized instrument.
Through this project, we supported scholars from nine different institutions, 5 of whom were from Community Colleges, and eight of whom were female. The research experience was tailored for each individual student. This individual professional development process began with intake interviews and surveys during the 3-day on-campus training at GW prior to departure for Germany / Switzerland, continued by supervision both local and remote, and culminated in a research symposium at GW at the end of the experience, where the student presented their research to an audience of faculty, students, and their family and friends. Each student set personal goals at the start of the experience and reevaluated them at the end, with support from evaluations by the program leaders and their foreign local research supervisors.
The students were trained in a variety of transferrable skills throughout the experience, and learned to function in an international collaboration, containing members from across Europe, the US and Canada. They formed professional connections which will serve them well in their future careers, while developing skills in areas of national need: learning programming in a variety of languages; FPGA use and programming; dealing with modern electronics and data acquisition systems; and gaining experience variety of radiation detector types employed in many different industries and academia. The IRES experience helped develop physics identity in the students, technical competency and inter-cultural communication.
Last Modified: 12/12/2018
Modified by: Evangeline J Downie
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