
Clemson physics professor Endre Takacs and his team have developed a groundbreaking method to measure the size of atomic nuclei—especially for heavy and radioactive elements—using highly charged ions and an electron beam ion trap (EBIT). This technique, which requires only a small number of atoms and is cost-effective, significantly improves precision in nuclear size measurements, a key factor in advancing theoretical physics models and exploring phenomena like dark matter.
The research, done in collaboration with institutions like the National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Grenoble Alpes, demonstrated that exotic ions radiating ultraviolet light can reveal nuclear charge radii more effectively than traditional methods like electron scattering or muonic atom spectroscopy, which struggle with larger or unstable atoms.
This work led to Takacs and Ph.D. student Hunter Staiger being selected as the sole in-person U.S. representatives at an invitation-only International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference in Vienna. Takacs chaired the meeting, and Staiger proposed a new nuclear analysis method that will be included in a future IAEA report.
Former students from Takacs’ lab also made major contributions:
- Roshani Silwal, now a professor at Appalachian State, studied xenon isotopes.
- Adam Hosier, now a quantitative analyst, expanded this to iridium and osmium, reducing uncertainty in iridium’s nuclear size by a factor of eight.
Staiger, originally an electrical engineering major at Clemson, switched to physics after research with Takacs. Now in his second year as a Ph.D. student, he has been invited to a predoctoral fellowship at Harvard, where he’ll set up EBIT measurements. He also plans research at the TRIUMF TITAN facility in Canada. Staiger hopes to become a professor, combining his passion for research and mentoring future STEM students.