University of Dallas

Dr. Sally Hicks

Professor of Physics
University of Dallas
Office: SB-38 
Phone: (972) 721-5215
Fax: (972) 721-5052
Email: hicks@udallas.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Research Interests

My research is currently funded by the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) and the advanced nuclear fuels program of the Department of Energy. The advanced nuclear fuels program of the DOE sponsors research and development of innovative next-generation light water nuclear reactors and future fast reactors. For design and safety considerations of these systems, input in the form of probabilities of neutron-induced reactions that impact the fuel performance during irradiations, as well as coolants and structural materials, is required. The goal of this project is to measure with high precision and accuracy the nuclear data of greatest importance to the Advanced Fuels Program of the DOE for scattered neutrons on coolants and structural materials. These requirements can be met by only a few facilities worldwide, and the UK Accelerator Laboratory, with its advanced neutron production and detection capabilities, is uniquely suited for these measurements. The high-quality data produced at UK will be utilized by data evaluators, theorists, and engineers in producing safer, cleaner, more-efficient energy sources.

A consortium of three universities (UD, the University of Kentucky and the United States Naval Academy) and a national laboratory (Idaho National Laboratory) has been formed to provide the necessary breadth for this effort and includes scientists with extensive experience in neutron elastic and elastic scattering measurements and with direct access to the facilities for completing the proposed neutron measurements, i.e., the UK Accelerator Laboratory. This three-year project, which will integrate closely with other interested national/international groups of scientists and engineers, will provide partial support for faculty and staff and will afford training in neutron physics for six to ten university undergraduate students, a graduate student, and a postdoctoral scholar, thus helping address the nation’s need to improve the nuclear science and engineering infrastructure so the industry will be prepared for future expansion. Funding will be available during the next three years for at least one UD undergraduate student to participate in measurements and data analyses.  

 

 I also conduct research in the area of nuclear structure, specifically the structure of the Z=52 isotopes.   Low-lying excited levels of the even-even Tellurium nuclei are being investigated using g-ray spectroscopy following inelastic neutron scattering.  This reaction mechanism allows us to determine the lifetimes of levels in the few femtosecond to few picosecond region and to deduce electromagnetic transition rates.  From these investigations we are able to learn about the collective properties of the nucleus.  In particular, we can study multi-phonon excitations, intruder excitations, and states of mixed neutron-proton symmetry.  

Several undergraduate students have completed an undergraduate senior research thesis from their participation in this project.  Examples of student projects are listed below.

This research is done in collaboration with nuclear scientists from the United States Naval Academy, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Cologne and is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.    

 

Education

B.S., Physics and Mathematics, Eastern Kentucky University (1981)
M.S., Physics, University of Kentucky (1984)
Ph.D., Nuclear Physics, University of Kentucky (1988)

Selected Recent Publications

UD undergraduates are indicated in blue.

• Elastic and Inelastic Neutron Scattering Cross Sections for Fission Reactor Applications,” S. F. Hicks_, A. Chakraborty, B. Combs, B. P. Crider, L. Downes, J. Girgis, L. J. Kersting, A. Kumar, C. J. Lueck, P. J. McDonough_,M. T. McEllistrem, E. E. Peters, F. M. Prados-Estevz, J. Schniederjan, L. Sidwell, A. J. Sigillito_, J. R. Vanhoy, D. Watts, and S. W. Yates. AIP Conf. Proc. 1525, 276 (2013); doi: 10.1063/1.4802333.
• "Measurement of the Absolute Elastic and Inelastic Differential Neutron Cross Sections for ²³Na between 2 and 4 MeV,”, A Kumar, A Chakraborty, B.P. Crider, M.T. McEllistrem, E.E. Peters, F.M. Prados-Estevez ,  S.W. Yates  S. F. Hicks, L. J. Kersting,  C.J. Luke, P. J. McDonough, A Sigillito, and  J. R. Vanhoy, Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy and Related Topics, ed. Paul E. Garrett and Baharak Hadinia, (World Scientific, 2013) 254-259.
• "Collective and two-quasiparticle excitations in 128Te" by S. F. Hicks, J. C. Boehringer, N. Boukharouba, C. Fransen, S. R. Lesher, J. M. Mueller, J. R. Vanhoy, and S. W. Yate, Phys. Rev. C 86, 054308 (2012).
• “Undergraduate Measurements for Fission Reactor Applications”, S. F. Hicks, L. J. Kersting, C. J. Lueck, P. J. McDonough, J. R. Vanhoy, M. T. McEllistrem, AIP Conf. Proc. 1336, 738 (2011).

• S. F. Hicks, J. R. Vanhoy, and S. W. Yates, Phys. Rev. C 78, 054320 (2008).
• Sally F. Hicks and J. R. Vanhoy, Nucl. Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 261, 260 (2007).
• S. F. Hicks, G. K. Alexander, C. A. Aubin, M. C. Burns, C. J. Collard, M. M. Walbran, J. R. Vanhoy, E. Jensen*, P.E. Garrett, M. Kadi, A. Martin, N. Warr, and S. W. Yates, Phys. Rev. C 71, 034307 (2005).

Student Research Projects from Nuclear Structure and Neutron Scattering Investigations

• Leslie Sidwell, “Neutron Scattering Measurements on ²³Na at E_n=3.20 and 3.40 MeV”, (2012).

• Brett Combs, “Neutron Scattering Measurements on ²³Na at E_n=3.20 and 3.57 MeV”, (2012).

• Anthony Sigillito, "Neutron Scattering Measurements on 23Na and Normalization Tests," no thesis (2011).
• Luke Kersting, "Neutron Elastic and Inelastic Scatttering Studies of NatFe and 23Na at En= 3.57 MeV and 3.86 MeV." (2010)
• Peter McDonough, "Testing Procedures and Detectors for Neutron Elastic and Inelastic Scattering Measurements", no thesis (2010).
• Jeff Ellis, "Experimental Studies of 130Te", no thesis (2003).
• J. C. Boehringer, "Decay Properties and State Lifetimes in 128Te from Inelastic Neutron Scattering" (2002).
• Matthew Burns, "Nuclear Structure Study of 122Te through Inelastic Neutron Scattering" (2002).
• Patrick Roddy, "Gamma-Ray Energy Calibrations and Detector Efficiencies for 126Te Studies", no thesis (2001).
• Christopher Aubin, "Gamma-Gamma Coincidence Studies of the 122Te Nucleus", no thesis (2000).
• Meghan M. Walbran, "Low-Energy Excited Levels of 122Te through Gamma-ray Spectroscopy Following Inelastic Neutron Scattering (1999).
• Beth Sklaney, "Electromagnetic Transition Rates and Multi-phonon Excitations Observed in the Cerium-140 Nucleus (1999).
• Gary Alexander, "Lifetimes of 122Te Excited Levels Using the Doppler-Shift Attenuation Method, (1998).
• Corey Collard, "Analyses of  Gamma-ray Transitions from 122Te Excited Levels, (1998).
• Steve Etzkorn, "Decay Properties and Lifetimes of States in 124Te from (n,n'g) Reaction Studies ", (1997).
• Peter Burkett, "Te-124 Experimental Studies", no thesis (1997)
• Christopher Davoren, "Natural Te Experimental Studies", no thesis (1995 & 1996).
• William Faulkner, "Electromagnetic Transition Rates Observed in the Stable Te Isotopes" (1995).
• Carl Lundstedt, "Aiding in the Determining of the Excited States of 142-Ce Through the Use of Fortran Programming", (1993).
• Suzanne Maska, "Data Reduction and Analysis", no thesis (1992).
• Christopher J. Bennett, "A Study of Calibration Techniques and the Relative Yields of Escape Peaks in 152-Eu and 56-Co", (1992).
• Eric Meier, "Inelastic Neutron Scattering on 140-Ce and 142-Ce", (1991)

Other Student Theses Supervised

• Mary Catalano, "Identifying Inertial Modes in a Hide-Titman Flow" (2011).
• Zofia Kaminski, "Particle Tracking of Fluorescent Microspheres" (2011).
• Christen Racciato, "Crystallization of Germanium for Use in Solar Cells" (2011).
• Anthony Sigillito, "The Design and Fabrication of Bismuth Hall Effect Biosensors" (2011).
• Natalie Weisse, "Expression and Manipulation of AquaporinZ in vitro Using the Cell Free System" (2011).
• Peter McDonough, "Iridium Satellite Signal Exploitation" (2010).
• Monica Lacy, "Improvements in Positron Accumulation Technique at ATRAP" (2010).
• Annette Borchard, "East Antarctic Ice Sheets: Potential for Sub-Glacial Water Based on Temperature Modeling" (2009).
• Joseph Gilpin, "Influence of Magnetic Molecules on Electron Spin Scattering in InAs as Seen in Its Low Temperature Magnetoresistance" (2009).
• David E. Solis, "The Effect of a Nematic Liquid Crystal Environment on the Alignment of the Conductive Polymer MEH-PPV as a Function of Polymer Chain Length" (2008).
• Gregory Robert Knutsen, "The structure of the Metal Transporter Tp34 and its Affinity for Divalent Metal Ions" (2008).
• William Spearman, "Testing Edgeless Planar Detectors" (2008).
• Eric Pepin, "Interaural Coherence and Localization" (2007).
• Bridget McEwen, "Using Seismology to Map and Characterize the Glacial Bed in the Onset Region of Ice Stream D, West Antarctica" (2007).
• Kristi Michels, "The 27Al(p,γ)28Si Reaction(2006).
• Maria Bellon, Stabilizing the Frequency of an InGaAs/AlGaAs Laser Module (2005)
• Levente Borvak, Neutron/Gamma-ray Pulse Shape Discrimination Using a PSD Circuit (2004).
• Stephanie Wissel, Skymaps for GALPROP Simulations of VHE Gamma Rays (2004).
• Janessa Bechtel, "Losses in SRF Cavities" (2003).
• Genevieve Wing, "Diffusion in the Presence of Adsorption in Organic Aerogels" (2003).
• Claire Nerbun, "Two-Photon Fluorescence Microscopy and Deconvolution Analysis" (2002).
• Brenda Martin, Insertion Complexes with Methyl-b-Cyclodextrin with Alkane Chains Confined in an Isolated Droplet of Water (2001).
• Shelly Wark, "Sensitive Laser Detection of Environmental Pollutants" (2001).
• Elizabeth A. Reisinger, "Investigation of the Fundamental and Higher Order Modes of the APS Storage Ring Single Cell Cavity",(1993).
• Patricia Suzanne Maska, "Development of Elastic Surfaces for Optical Estimation of Cell Traction Forces", (1992).
• John Bauer, "Preliminary Results from a Search for a Superdeformed State in 188-Hg", (1990).

Teaching

Class and Office Hour Schedule - 2011—2012 (Sabbatical)