Notre Dame Materials Science and Engineering students recently toured the Institute for Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics (ISNAP) in Nieuwland Science Hall and learned how these unique facilities are utilized in materials research. Khachatur Manukyan, ​Associate Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, discussed his research with the students. This included how instrumentation in the ISNAP facility is used to synthesize, investigate, and characterize materials. Examples of this research include the synthesis of isotopically pure targets for nuclear physics research and characterizing historic materials like coins and paper money.

Ani Aprihamian, Frank M. Freimann Professor of Physics, reviewed how the ISNAP facilities are used to study astrophysics and the origins of the universe. Dr. Aprihamian then led the group on a tour of ISNAP and its three accelerators. This gave students a chance to go behind the scenes and get an up-close look at the ISNAP facility. Students also learned about Notre Dame’s long history in experimental nuclear physics and the exciting research going on today.

Notre Dame's interdisciplinary Materials Science and Engineering PhD program is open to graduate students in seven departments and programs across the Colleges of Engineering and Science. Students study in their home department while also being able to connect to the broader Notre Dame materials community. To learn more about the Materials Science and Engineering program, visit https://nano.nd.edu/materials-science/.