The Physics of Rare Isotopes - Seminar

Dr. Gwen Grinyer (she/her) 

Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada

Short-lived radioactive isotopes of the chemical elements that are not found naturally on Earth are what nuclear physicists call “rare isotopes”.  Rare isotopes are produced throughout the universe in explosive astrophysical scenarios including supernovae, x-ray bursts and neutron-star mergers.  Knowledge of their basic properties such as their mass, half-life and decay modes, are crucial for explaining the origins and abundances of the natural elements.  Studying these isotopes in the laboratory, however, poses a significant experimental challenge that requires powerful rare-isotope production and accelerator facilities combined with state-of-the-art detection systems.  In this talk, I will introduce my research with rare isotopes and what we learn by studying “star dust”.  

Speaker Biography

Dr. Grinyer obtained her B.Sc. in physics and astrophysics from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.  She then completed her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in experimental nuclear physics at the University of Guelph and a postdoctoral research fellowship at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University.  From 2010 to 2017, Dr. Grinyer worked as a research scientist with the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and was stationed at France’s national heavy-ion accelerator facility, the Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds in Caen, Normandie.  In 2017, Dr. Grinyer joined the faculty at the University of Regina where she currently holds the title of Associate Professor in the Department of Physics.