معرفی
Dr. Liam Gaffney is an STFC Ernest Rutherford Research Fellow in Nuclear Physics at the University of Manchester's School of Physics and Astronomy. His research focuses on the study of exotic nuclear shapes, particularly octupole-deformed ("pear-shaped") nuclei, using radioactive ion beam facilities including the ISOLDE facility at CERN.
His research interests include:
- Octupole degree of freedom in nuclei
- Nuclear structure studies with radioactive ion beams
- Coulomb excitation experiments
- Gamma-ray and charged-particle spectroscopy
- Shape coexistence phenomena
- Electric dipole moment research
Dr. Gaffney's publication record reveals a strong focus on nuclear shape studies, particularly in radium, radon, mercury, and lead isotopes. His recent work has explored octupole deformation across the nuclear chart, shape staggering effects, and the evolution of nuclear shell structure in exotic nuclei. His research combines experimental techniques with advanced theoretical analysis to understand the fundamental properties of atomic nuclei.
His scientific achievements have been recognized through several prestigious awards:
- STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (2019-2024)
- EU-CERN COFUND Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Fellowship (2016-2019)
- Pegasus Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Fellowship (2014)
- Nuclear Physics Group Prize (Early Career Award) from Institute of Physics (2013)
- Thesis Prize in Nuclear Physics from European Physical Society (2015)
- Tomasz Czosnyka Honorary Award from University of Warsaw (2017)
Dr. Gaffney serves as a resource coordinator for the ISOLDE Solenoidal Spectrometer Collaboration and previously served as UK Representative on the ISOLDE Collaboration Committee. He is an active peer reviewer for major physics journals including Physical Review C, Physical Review Letters, and Physics Letters B. He teaches undergraduate nuclear physics modules (PHYS375, PHYS306, PHYS380) and supervises student theses on advanced nuclear structure topics.
