Richard Longland

Dr. Richard Longland is an Associate Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University, affiliated with the Department of Physics within the College of Sciences. He leads the Longland Group, focusing on experimental nuclear astrophysics. His research investigates nuclear reactions critical to element formation in stars, with particular emphasis on nucleosynthesis processes in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, novae, and globular clusters. He utilizes advanced experimental facilities like the Enge Split-pole Spectrograph at TUNL and employs Monte Carlo methods to model reaction uncertainties.

Longland earned his MPhys from the University of Surrey and his PhD in Nuclear Astrophysics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His postdoctoral work at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya expanded his expertise in nuclear astrophysics modeling. His group collaborates with stellar modelers and astronomers to bridge laboratory measurements with astrophysical predictions.

Key research areas include determining reaction rates for potassium and sodium production, resolving proton spectroscopic factors in calcium isotopes, and studying fluorine destruction in novae. Experimental techniques employed include proton transfer reactions, particle spectroscopy, and Bayesian analysis of reaction data. His team operates within the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL), leveraging high-precision facilities like the LENA laboratory and the FENRIS facility.

Longland’s group supports interdisciplinary training through undergraduate and graduate research programs, emphasizing diversity and collaboration. Ongoing projects address nucleosynthesis mysteries in globular clusters and the dynamics of explosive stellar events like novae and white dwarf mergers.