海角社区's Catherine Deibel Awarded DOE Early Career Research Grant
海角社区 experimental nuclear physicist Catherine Deibel was one of 44 scientists selected
from across the nation to receive funding from the Department of Energy Office of
Science Early Career Research Program. Grant recipients included 17 from DOE鈥檚 national
laboratories and 27 from U.S. universities. Deibel is the first at 海角社区 to receive
this highly competitive grant.
鈥淧rofessor Deibel鈥檚 work is at the boundary between nuclear physics and astrophysics
-- nuclear astrophysics鈥� said Michael Cherry, Roy P. Daniels Professor and chair of
the 海角社区 Department of Physics & Astronomy. 鈥淪he and her students study how the elements
in the Periodic Table are synthesized in the interiors of stars and especially in
violent stellar explosions like novae and X-ray bursts. Radioactive nuclei are created
in these thermonuclear explosions in processes in which protons, alpha particles,
and heavier nuclei fuse together under extreme conditions of temperature and density.鈥�
Deibel鈥檚 research, 鈥淒etermining Astrophysical Reaction Rates for Classical Novae and
X-ray Bursts via Indirect Methods,鈥� relies on state-of-the-art techniques for nuclear
spectroscopy using both stable and radioactive ion beams to calculate the reaction
rates of classical novae and Type I X-ray bursts, the most common stellar explosions
in the Galaxy. Using these data, important reaction rates will be calculated accurately
for the first time, eliminating key uncertainties in understanding classical novae
and X-ray bursts.
鈥淭his award will allow our research group to open up new avenues of study and focus
on eliminating key uncertainties for some of the most important stellar reaction rates,鈥�
said Deibel. 鈥淚 am very appreciative of the support and recognition from the DOE,
as well as the support I have received from the College of Science and the Department
of Physics & Astronomy during my time here at 海角社区.鈥�
Deibel鈥檚 experimental program is primarily housed at Argonne National Laboratory where
she is studying reactions important in X-ray bursts using radioactive ion beams. She
also uses a variety of other facilities throughout the U.S. and abroad for her work,
including the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University
and the Superconducting Linear Accelerator at Florida State University. Her laboratory
at 海角社区 is devoted to detector and equipment construction and development for her and
her students鈥� experiments.
鈥淐atherine is one of our most promising researchers in Physics & Astronomy. Her work
will help us to better understand the inner workings of our Galaxy and will greatly
add to the outstanding research taking place at 海角社区,鈥� said Cynthia Peterson, 海角社区 College
of Science Dean and Seola Arnaud and Richard Vernon Edwards Jr. Professor.
Under DOE鈥檚 Early Career Research Program, Deibel is slated to receive at least $150,000
per year to cover graduate student and postdoctoral salaries and research expenses
for five years.
DOE Early Career Research Program awardees were selected from a large pool of university-
and national laboratory-based applicants. Selection was based on peer review by outside
scientific experts. A full list of the awardees, their institutions and titles of
research projects is available on the Early Career Research Program webpage at .
Related Links:
鈥� Catherine Deibel Faculty Page
鈥� 海角社区 Department of Physics & Astronomy
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