Calvin R Howell, Professor and Director, TUNL and Duke FEL Lab  

Calvin R Howell

Office Location: 414 TUNL
Office Phone: (919) 660-2632
Email Address: howell@tunl.duke.edu
Web Page: http://www.tunl.duke.edu/Directory/Faculty/howell/

Specialties:
Experimental nuclear physics

Education:
Doctor of Philosophy, Duke University, 1984
Master of Art, Duke University, 1980
Bachelor of Science, Davidson College, 1978

Research Categories: Experimental Nuclear Physics

Current projects: Study of the Star Anomaly in neutron-deuteron breakup, Measurement of the neutron-neutron scattering length, Carbon and nitrogen accumulation and translocation in plants, Element imaging in materials, Explosive nucleosynthesis

Research Description:

Professor Howell is the Director of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL). His research interests are the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) description of nucleons and few-nucleon interactions, Big Bang and explosive nucleosynthesis, and applications of nuclear physics in biology, medicine and national security. His current research projects include: the studies of few-nucleon reaction dynamics, direct and indirect measurements of the neutron-neutron scattering length, photodisintegration of the deuteron and beryllium at energies relevant to astrophysics processes, and studies of the carbon and nitrogen accumulation and translocation in plants using short-lived radioactive isotopes and positron emission tomography.

Areas of Interest:
experimental nuclear physics
few-nucleon reactions
nuclear astrophysics
ecology and plant physiology
material analysis and imaging with gamma-rays and neutrons

Teaching (Spring 2010):

  • Physics 61l9r.03, Introductory mechanics
    Physics 154, M 01:15 PM-03:15 PM
  • Physics 61l9r.07, Introductory mechanics
    Physics 154, Tu 01:15 PM-03:15 PM
  • Physics 61l9r.09, Introductory mechanics
    Physics 154, Tu 03:30 PM-05:30 PM

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

  1. A. Hutcheson, C. Angell, J.A. Becker, A.S. Crowell, D. Dashdorj, B. Fallin, N. Fotiades, C.R. Howell, H.J. Karwowski, T. Kawano, J.H. Kelley, E. Kwan, R.A. Macri, R.O. Nelson, R.S. Pedroni, A.P. Tonchev and W. Tornow, Cross-Sections for 238U(n,ng) and 238U(n,2ng) Reactions at Incident Neutron Energies Between 5 and 14 MeV, Phys. Rev. C, vol. 80 (2009), pp. 014603 .
  2. D.E. Gonzalez Trotter, F.S. Salinas Meneses, W. Tornow, A.S. Crowell, C.R. Howell, D. Schmidt and R.L. Walter, Neutron detection efficiency determination for the TUNL neutron-neutron and neutron-proton scattering length measurements, , Nucl. Instr. Methods in Physics Research A, vol. 599 (2009), pp. 234 .
  3. C.D. Bowman, D.C. Bowman, E.G. Bilpuch, A.S. Crowell, C.R. Howell, K. McCabe, G.A. Smith, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, V. Vylet, and R.L. Walter,, Neutrons from a Proton-Driven Deuterium Target as a Possible Competitor to Spallation for Nuclear Energy Applications, Nucl. Science and Eng., vol. 161 (2009), pp. 119 .
  4. C.D. Bowman, E.G. Bilpuch, D.C. Bowman, A.S. Crowell, C.R. Howell, K. McCabe, G.A. Smith, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, V. Violet, R.B. Vogelaar, R.L. Walter and J. Yingling, Reducing Parasitic Thermal Neutron Absorption in Graphite by 30%, Nucl. Science and Eng., vol. 161 (2009), pp. 68 .
  5. Matthew R. Kiser, Chantal D. Reid, Alexander S. Crowell, Richard P. Phillips, and Calvin R. Howell, Exploring the transport of plant metabolites using positron emitting radiotracers, HFSP Journal, vol. 2 (August, 2008), pp. 189–204 .

Curriculum Vitae

Current Ph.D. Students   (Former Students)

  • David Ticehust  
  • Larry Cumberbatch  
  • Brent Fallin  
  • Charles Arnold  
  • Alex Couture  
  • Leah J. Broussard  
Postdocs Mentored

  • Robert A. Macri (March 01, 2004 - September 30, 2004)  
  • Shigeyuki Tajima (January 1, 2004 - August 31, 2004)  
  • Alexander S. Crowell (January 1, 2002 - December 31, 2007)  
  • Steve Churchwell (1998/01-2001/08)