Physics faculty awarded $625K for design and research at the Jefferson Lab in Virginia

Physics faculty awarded $625K for design and research at the Jefferson Lab in Virginia

Nov 21, 2024| Engineering and Science, Faculty/Staff, Research, Students

The National Science Foundation has awarded a group of physics faculty at Louisiana Tech University's College of Engineering and Science (COES) a grant to collaborate with other U.S. and international groups to design, build, and commission parity-violating electron scattering experiments at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in Newport News, Virginia.

The funding will support the work and research of six undergraduate students and three graduate students under the direction of Dr. Rakitha Beminiwattha, principal investigator of the grant.

"The functions of this project are fundamental in nature within nuclear physics on how particles interact with electron beams and have modern day applications in detecting uranium, cancer treatment, and Homeland Security," said Beminiwattha.

The grant will enable the design and development of two charge particle detection systems, the design of an electron detector for a polarimeter, the design of radiation shielding measures, and the development of theoretical interpretations of electron scattering experiments. In addition, the group will finish publishing the results from a prior electron scattering experiment at the Jefferson Lab.

COES Dean Collin Wick is especially excited, as this significant investment is a testament to the caliber of faculty and staff in the physics program.

"Louisiana Tech has a long history of some of the most outstanding physics research in the region, with the nuclear physics group playing a major part," Wick said. "This is a great benefit for students in Louisiana who are interested in experiential learning supported by world-renowned faculty."