New Barnet student unlocking the key to the atom at Yale
Tuesday 6 May 2008
New Barnet’s Michael Bunce (21), who is studying for a Master in Physics (MPhys) Physics with Nuclear Astrophysics at the University of Surrey, has been given the chance of a lifetime to conduct research at the prestigious Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory at Yale University.
Michael, who was previously a student at East Barnet Secondary School, is involved in measuring the magnetic properties or ‘g-factors’ of atomic nuclei which help scientists understand their internal structure. The nuclei which Michael and his collaborators are studying do not occur naturally on earth and have to be synthesised artificially using the 20 Million Volt Yale Tandem, Van de Graaff accelerator. Michael is involved in making a series of high-precision nuclear spectroscopy measurements using gamma-ray detectors made of the fast scintillation material Barium-Fluoride. Using these, Michael can measure decays between different nuclear quantum states with lifetimes as small as 1 nano-second (i.e. 1 billionth of second) or even less. Michael is working with Professor Volker Werner from Yale University and Dr. Zvi Berant from the Negev Institute in Israel who is currently a sabbatical visitor at Yale and an acknowledged world expert in such high-precision nuclear structure measurements.
Michael comments: ‘The environment here at Yale is great. The opportunity to get my hands dirty and do some real experimental work at a world leading laboratory is really fantastic. I am also getting experience from other, related research projects going on at the WNSL and seeing first hand how leading nuclear physics research is done.’
Dr. Paddy Regan, his Surrey-based research advisor adds: "Michael is an outstanding student who is making the most of the unique MPhys research year we have at Surrey. He has taken to working at WNSL-Yale in his stride and is already making a significant contribution to fundamental, high precision measurements which will help us forward our understanding of one of nature’s most elusive objects, the atomic nucleus. Well done Michael!"
