Wed·Jan 2, 2019Wednesday·January 2, 2019

1. 01*

   Deformed band structures in neutron-rich ${}^{152-158}$Pm isotopes

   S. Bhattacharyya🇮🇳 · E. H. Wang🇺🇸 · A. Navin🇫🇷 · M. Rejmund🇫🇷 · J. H. Hamilton🇺🇸 · A. V. Ramayya🇺🇸 · J. K. Hwang🇺🇸 · A. Lemasson🇫🇷 · A. V. Afanasjev🇺🇸 · Soumik Bhattacharya🇮🇳 · J. Ranger🇺🇸 · M. Caamaño🇪🇸 and 10 other authors

   High spin band structures of neutron-rich ${}^{152-158}$Pm isotopes have been obtained from the measurement of prompt $\gamma$-rays of isotopically identified fragments produced in fission of ${}^{238}$U+${}^9$Be and detected using the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer and EXOGAM segmented Clover array at GANIL and also from the high statistics $\gamma$-$\gamma$-$\gamma$ and $\gamma$-$\gamma$-$\gamma$-$\gamma$ data from the spontaneous fission of ${}^{252}$Cf using Gammasphere. The excited states in ${}^{157}$Pm and those above the isomers in even-A Pm isotopes ${}^{152,154,156,158}$Pm have been identified for the first time. The spectroscopic information on the rotational band structures in odd-A Pm isotopes has been extended considerably to higher spins and the possibility of the presence of reflection asymmetric shapes is explored. The configuration assignments are based on the results of Cranked Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov calculations. From the systematics of bands in odd-A Pm isotopes and weak population of opposite parity bands, octupole deformed shapes in neutron rich Pm isotopes beyond $N=90$ seem unlikely to be present.

   nucl-exPRC(2018)·17 citations
2. 02*

   Quantum 3: Learning QCD through Intuitive Play

   Tristan Özkan🇺🇸 · Huey-Wen Lin🇺🇸

   There is a nationwide drive to get more girls into physics and coding, and some educators believe gaming could be a way to get girls interested in coding and STEM topics. This project, sponsored by NSF, is to create a QCD game that will raise public interest in QCD, especially among K-12 girls, and increase interest in coding among girls. Through the immersive framework of interactive gameplay, this QCD phone game will allow the public to peek into the QCD research world. The game design will fall into the "Match 3" genre, which typically attracts a higher ratio of female players. The game will be implemented initially as a phone app, and the gameplay would require learning simple QCD rules to progress. By leveraging the willingness of players to engage with the rules of an entertaining game, they are able to easily learn a few principles of physics. The game is now available to download from the Google Play store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gellab.quantum3) and the Apple Appstore (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/quantum-3/id1406630529)! We formed a development team of MSU undergraduate students to make the game and provided them with a QCD curriculum. The game will be tested at MSU outreach activities, as well as among local K-12 girls through school activities, and feedback will be used to improve the design. The final game can be easily distributed through various app stores and impact will be measured through a follow-up survey. If such a new direction works to attract more girls to coding and physics, one should develop more games to engage more girls in STEM.

   ↳ physics.ed-phhep-exhep-lathep-ph+1PoS(2018)·1 citation

* Reconstructed cohort: no mailing for this day survives in the archive. Papers are grouped by their submission times and arXiv's announcement cut-off, assuming announcement without delay; positions follow identifier order. Validated at ~91% exact-day agreement against the archived era.