91制片厂

91制片厂 physicist Patricia Solvignon has received a prestigious . Solvignon, an assistant professor of physics, is one of just 44 scientists from across the nation and the third from 91制片厂 to receive the award, which is designed to bolster the nation鈥檚 scientific workforce by providing support to exceptional researchers during the crucial early career years, when many scientists do their most formative work.

The award will support Solvignon鈥檚 inquiry into the nuclear force that holds the nucleus of an atom together, a problem that has stymied physicists for decades.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something we should have figured out a long time ago,鈥� says Solvignon. 鈥淲e understand most of it, but there are still pieces of the puzzle missing.鈥�

Solvignon鈥檚 area of study is the special configuration of protons and neutrons called short-range correlations. Inside the nucleus of an atom, protons and neutrons are constantly on the move, she explains. Short-range correlations occur when they come so close to each other that they overlap. 鈥淭hen they want to separate as quickly as possible,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f you go in with an electron probe and 鈥榯ickle鈥� one of these neutrons or protons in close configuration, then they鈥檙e going to separate very quickly.鈥�

That鈥檚 the basis of the several experiments Solvignon will conduct using the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory in Virginia, where she holds a 鈥渂ridge鈥� appointment and worked as a staff scientist for five years before joining the 91制片厂 faculty in 2013. The DOE award, $150,000 per year for five years, will provide funding for two Ph.D. students to assist with this work.

鈥淗aving Ph.D. students helping with these experiments will make the research come much faster. It鈥檚 really a great advantage,鈥� Solvignon says. 鈥淎nd for the physics I want to study, Jefferson Lab is the best place to do it.鈥�

The Early Career Research Program award almost didn鈥檛 come to pass for Solvignon: Eight months pregnant with her second daughter when the application was due, she was so exhausted she nearly didn鈥檛 apply.

鈥淚t was great news,鈥� she says of the award that she hopes will move the field of nuclear physics forward.

鈥淭he nuclear force is so basic 鈥� it鈥檚 been 100 years that we鈥檝e known it exists 鈥� but we still have to discover more,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just curiosity 鈥� you want to know how things work. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 so appealing.鈥�

Read about and , 91制片厂鈥檚 two other winners of the DOE鈥檚 Early Career Research Program award.

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