In order to investigate these properties, our research collaboration synthesizes neutron-rich isotopes at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab at Michigan State University, where the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) detects the neutron emissions and a system of charged-particle detectors measure the position, energy, and arrival times of the daughter nuclei. These measurements provide important information pertaining to the parent nucleus prior to its decay.
For our research, we utilized a software modeling package, MCNPX, to test simulation models which mimic the neutron interactions that occur within MoNA. After the neutron interaction data is obtained from MoNA, we compare this data to the neutron simulation data from MCNPX.
We have simulated a neutron interaction with MoNA using MCNPX software, and our preliminary simulation has produced desirable results. We were able to successfully compare the MCNPX simulation data with the neutron interaction data from MoNA. This enabled us to determine which properties of the parent nucleus lead to the best representation of the measured results.
We believe that MCNPX will prove useful in regards to simulating MoNA cycle data, and will enable us to progress further with our research with an invaluable tool that will allow us more precision in our future measurements, and will ultimately enable us to learn more about the characteristics of the given parent nuclei.