Since the late 1930s, the University of Notre Dame has supported an active research program in the fields of low and medium energy experimental nuclear physics. This rich history continues today within the Nuclear Science Laboratory of ISNAP, which is located in Nieuwland Science Hall on the campus of Notre Dame.
The Institute for Structure and Nuclear
Astrophysics (ISNAP) is the new name of the Nuclear Science Laboratory
at the University of Notre Dame. The laboratory is built around three
Van de Graaff accelerators (a JN, a KN, and an FN Tandem) and a broad
program in low energy nuclear physics. These three accelerators offer
a wide range of beam energies providing ideal conditions for nuclear
structure and nuclear astrophysics experiments. The FN Tandem accelerator
operates with a Pelletron charging system at terminal voltages as
high as 10.6 MV. The JN and KN accelerators provide high beam intensities
with terminal voltages of up to 1.2 MV and 4.0 MV, respectively. We
have the capability of producing both stable and unstable beams of
various types for research interests that span from studies in Weak
Interactions and Fundamental Symmetries, to Nuclear Structure, studies
of Nuclear Reactions with Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs), and Nuclear
Astrophysics. In addition to our basic science interests, we have
interdisciplinary programs in radiation chemistry, bio-mechanics,
and materials testing, as well as a newly developing program in collaboration
with the university's Snite Museum of Art to use the PIXE technique
for element analysis in archeological samples.
Our radiation chemistry program revolves
around studies of the effects of ionizing radiation on the molecular
decomposition of water and various organic materials, including polymers.
The practical aspect of this type of work has direct applications
to the management of nuclear reactors, and the treatment or storage
of radio-active waste media. This work is carried out in collaboration
with the Radiation Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, which
is funded by the Department of Energy and is an outgrowth of the Manhattan
project. We often pursue research with industry, such as studies involving
the testing of new detectors as well as studies of artificial human
body joint components to measure durability. The laboratory has a
large number of users from some 14 US facilities inclusive of National
Laboratories and Universities, 11 foreign countries, and 2 industries.
