Werner Tornow

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NEWS 

Missed Timing: 49 years between two first author Physics Letters papers

Fast Neutron Double Scattering on ⁴He, W. Tornow, G. Mack, G. Mertens, and H. Spiegelhauer, Phys. Lett. B 44, 53 (1973).

Neutral-current neutrino cross section and expected supernova signals from ⁴⁰Ar from a three-fold increase in the magnetic dipole strength, W. Tornow, A.P. Tonchev, S.W. Finch, Krishichayan, X.B. Wang, A.C. Hayes, H.G.D. Yeomans, D.A. Newmark, Phys. Lett. B 835, 137576 (2022).

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research interests are in experimental nuclear physics studies performed with beams of neutrons, photons and neutrinos. While the early focus was on polarization phenomena in few-body systems studied mainly with polarized neutrons first at the University of Tuebingen and later at TUNL (Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory at Duke University), subsequent activities include experiments in the broad field of weak-interaction nuclear physics.

In 1998 I convinced TUNL to join the KamLAND collaboration in Japan to pursue reactor antineutrino oscillation measurements. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), I was the principle investigator (PI) of TUNL’s effort in building the veto detector of KamLAND. At about the same time I became one of the four originators of the Majorana zero-neutrino double-beta decay experiment on ⁷⁶Ge, which later received DOE funding and is now known as the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR. Simultaneously, my group performed two-neutrino double-beta decay experiments to excited states in the daughter nucleus at TUNL and at the Kimballton mine in Virginia. In 2011, the KamLAND detector was modified to search for the zero-neutrino double-beta decay of ¹³⁶Xe, resulting in the currently most stringent lower limit of larger than 3.8 x 10²⁶ years for the decay half-life time for any zero-neutrino double-beta decay candidate nucleus, corresponding to an effective neutrino mass in the range of 28 to 125 meV, depending on the adopted nuclear matrix element calculations.  

When I started my 10-year tenure as Director of TUNL in 1996, the Duke University Free-Electron Laser Laboratory (DFFLL), funded at the time mainly by the U.S. Air Force Medical Free-Electron Laser Program, was already collaborating with nuclear physics faculty at TUNL In November 1996 I was fortunate enough to detect the first high-energy photons produced via Compton backscattering of free-electron laser low-energy photons from electrons circulating in the Duke 1.1 GeV electron storage ring. This was the beginning of HIGS, the High-Intensity Gamma-ray Source (strictly speaking the notation “Gamma-ray” is somewhat misleading; the “Gamma-Rays” produced at HIGS are actually high-energy photons and do not originate from nuclei, as gamma-rays do). After years of work sufficient funding was raised from DOE and Duke University to upgrade HIGS and convert it into a Nuclear Physics research facility operated by TUNL. As a result, I had to enlarge my nuclear physics portfolio to now include many-body physics as well, in order to manage the research opportunity provided by this worldwide unique facility. Here, nuclear structure experiments performed with mono-energetic incident photons in the 2 to 15 MeV energy range were of special interest for the many users from all around the world.  

After retiring from teaching at Duke University in 2011, my research focus at TUNL’s Tandem Accelerator Laboratory was on experiments with mono-energetic neutron beams in the 0.5 to 30 MeV energy range. Here, nuclear fission studies have played a major role for about 12 years. In addition, my research group performed measurements to help quantify the neutron-induced background in zero-neutrino double-beta decay searches on ⁷⁶Ge, ¹³⁰Te and ¹³⁶Xe as well as in associated shielding materials, including ⁴⁰Ar. Furthermore, we studied reactions of importance for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to help better understand the complicated physics governing the plasma generated in inertial confinement fusion laser shots at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. All these activities were supported by the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances Program of DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).  

Currently I am involved in duplicating with modern equipment the first ever observation of deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion done by A. Ruhlig in 1938 at the University of Michigan. This accidental discovery of (DT) fusion was never cited in the scientific literature until the associated Letter to the Editor of Physical Review was found in 2022 by M. Paris from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
I am extending this work to DT reactions in flight using different deuterated targets.
Work is ongoing on the reactor antineutrino anomaly by using our fission-product yields to address the anomaly.



Recent publications in my research subfields:

NEUTRINOS

Ten recent papers in the field of neutrino physics

        1. Search for Majorana Neutrinos with the Complete KamLAND-Zen Dataset, A. Abe et al., (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 262501 (2025).

        2. Measurement of magnetic dipole strength in ⁴⁰Ar between 9.3 and 10.3 MeV excitation energy and impact  on neutral current neutrino interaction, W. Tornow, A.P. Tonchev, S.W. Finch, Krishichayan, and R.V.F. Janssens, Phys. Rev. C 112, 054320 (2025).

        3. Limits on the low-energy electron antineutrino flux from the brightest GRB of all time, A. Abe et al. (KamLAND  Collaboration, including W. Tornow), The Astrophysical Journal, 981, 192 (2025). 

        4. Search for Charged Excited States of Dark Matter with KamLAND-Zen, A. Abe et al., (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Phys. Lett. B 855, 138846 (2024).
     
        5. Combined Pre-Supernova Alert System with KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande, S. Abe et al., (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), and The Super-Kamiokande Collaboration), The Astrophysical Journal 973, 140 (2024).

        6. Observation of low-lying isomeric states in ¹³⁰Cs: A new avenue for dark matter and solar neutrino  detection in xenon detectors, S.J. Haselschwardt, B.G. Lenardo, T. Daniels, S.W. Finch, F.Q.L. Friesen, C.R. Howell, C.R. Malone, E. Mancil, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 052502 (2023).

        7. Measurement of cosmic-ray muon spallation products in a xenon-loaded liquid scintillator with KamLAND,  S. Abe et al. (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Phys. Rev. C 107, 054612 (2023).

        8. First measurement of the strange axial coupling constant using neutral-current quasi-elastic interactions of              atmospheric neutrinos at KamLAND, S. Abe et al. (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Phys. Rev. D 107, 072006 (2023).

        9. First Search for the Majorana Nature of Neutrinos in the Inverted Mass Ordering Region with KamLAND-Zen, S. Abe et al. (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 051801 (2023).

      10. Neutral-current neutrino cross section and expected supernova signals from three-fold increase in the magnetic dipole strength, W. Tornow, A.P. Tonchev, S.W. Finch, Krishichayan, X.B. Wang, A.C. Hayes, H.G.D. Yeomans, D.A. Newmark, Phys. Lett. B 835, 137576 (2022).

 

 

NUCLEAR STRUCTURE

Ten recent papers in the field of nuclear structure

       1. A detailed view at magnetic dipole strengths: The case of semi-magic 50Ti, B. Kelley, M.Spieker, U. Friman-Gayer, L.T.  Baby, T. Beck, A.L. Conley, S.W. Finch, J. Isaak, Krishichayan, E. Litvinova, H. Pai, N. Pietralla, D. Savran, W. Tornow, N. Tsoneva, A. Volya, and V. Werner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 082502 (2026).

       2. Deviations from the Porter-Thomas distribution due to non-statistical g decay below the ¹⁵⁰Nd neutron separation  energy, O. Papst, J. Isaak, V. Werner, D. Savran, N. Pietralla, G.Battaglia, T. Beck, M. Beuschlein, S.W. Fink, U. Friman- Gayer, K.E.Ide, R.V.F. Janssens, M.D. Jones, J. Kleemann, B. Löher, M. Scheck, M. Spieker, W. Tornow, R. Zidarova, and  A. Zilges,  Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 052501 (2025).

       3. γ-decay of the Isovector Giant Dipole Resonance of ¹⁵⁴Sm: Smekal-Raman Scattering as a Novel Probe of Nuclear Ground-State Deformation, J. Kleemann, N. Pietralla, U. Friman-Gayer, J. Isaak, O. Papst, K. Prifti, V. Werner, A.D.  Ayangeakaa, T. Beck, G. Colo, M.L. Cortes, S.W. Finch, M. Fulghieri, D. Gribble, K.E. Ide, X. James, R.V.F. Janssens, S.R.Johnson, P. Koseoglou, Krishichayan, D. Savran, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 022503 (2025).

       4. Transition width of the J^π=1^- two phonon state of ⁸⁸Sr, D. Savran, J. Isaak, K. Albe, A.D. Ayangeakaa, M. Beuschlein,   S.W. Finch, D. Gribble, A. Gupta, J. Hauf, X.K.-H. James, R.V.F. Janssens, S.R. Johnson, P. Koseoglou, T.M. Kowalewski, B. Loher, O. Papst, N. Pietralla, J. Rohrer, A. Saracino, N. Sensharma, W. Tornow, and V. Werner, Phys. Rev. C 110, 024312 (2024).

       5. Low-lying dipole response of ⁶⁴Ni, M. Müscher, E. Litvinova, R. Schwengner, T. Beck, B. Bemmerer, F. Fiedler, S.W. Finch,  S. Hammer, J. Isaak, R.V.F. Janssens, A.R. Junghans, N. Kelley, F. Kluwig, Krishichayan, S.E. Müller, R. Römer, D. Savran, M. Scheck, T. Schüttler, J. Sinclair, T. Szücs, W. Tornow, A. Wagner, J. Wilhemy, and A. Ziegler, Phys. Rev. C 109, 044318 (2024).

       6. Photo-reponse of the N=Z nucleus ²⁴Mg, J. Deary, M. Scheck, R. Schwengner, D.O. Donnell, D. Bemmerer, R. Beyer,    Th. Hensel, A.R. Junghans, T. Kögler, S.E. Müller, K. Römer, K. Schmidt, S. Turkat, S. Urlab, A. Wagner, M. Bowry, P. Adsley, O. Agar, R. Chapman, F.C.L. Crespi, D.T. Doherty, U. Friman Gayer, R.-D. Herzberg, J. Isaak, R.V.F. Janssens, T. Kröll, B. Löher, B.S. Nara Singh, P. von Neumann-Cosel, L. Pellegri, E.E. Peters, G. Rainovski, D. Savran, J.F. Smith, M. Spieker, P.G. Thirolf, S. Triambak, W. Tornow, M. Venhart, M. Wiedeking, O. Wieland, S.W. Yates, A. Zilges, Eur. Phys. J. A 59, 198 (2023).

        7. Testing Shell-Model Interactions at High Excitation Energy and Low Spin: Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence in ⁷⁴Ge, S.R. Johnson, R.V.F. Janssens, U. Friman-Gayer, B.A. Brown, B.P. Crider, S.W. Finch, Krishichayan, D.R. Little, S.  Mukhopadhyay, E. E. Peters, A.P.D. Ramirez, J.A. Silano, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, and S.W. Yates, Phys. Rev. C 108,  024315 (2023).

        8. Cross section for inelastic neutron scattering from ¹⁹³Ir at 6 MeV, A.M. Marenco, G. Rusev, E.M. Bond, T.A. Bredeweg, J.R. Garcia, M.E. Gooden, W.A. Moody, S.W. Finch, F. Krishichayan, W. Tornow, A. Ramirez, J.A. Silano, A.P. Tonchev, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 195, 110742 (2023).

        9. Model-independent determination of the dipole response of ⁶⁶Zn using quasimonoenergetic and linearly polarized photon beams, D. Savran, J. Isaak, R. Schwengner, R. Massarczyk, M.  Scheck, W. Tornow, G. Battaglia, T. Beck, S.W. Finch, C. Fransen, U. Friman-Gayer, R. Gonzalez, E. Hoemann, R.V.F. Janssens, S. Johnson, M. D. Jones, N. Kelly, J.Kleemann, Krishichayan, D. R. Little, D. O'Donnell, O. Papst, J. Sinclair, V. Werner, O. Wieland, and J. Wilhelmy, Phys. Rev. C 106, 044324 (2022).

      10.  Structure of high-lying levels populated in the ⁹⁶Y->⁹⁶Zr b decay, K.R. Mashtakov, V. Yu. Ponomarev, M. Scheck, S.W. Finch, J. Isaak, M. Zweidinger, O. Agar, C. Bhatia, T. Beck, J. Beller, M. Bowry, R. Chapman, M.M.R. Chishti, U. Friman-Gayer, L.P. Gaffney, P.E. Garrett, E.T. Gregor, J.M. Keatings, U. Köster, B. Löher, A.D. MacLean, D. O’Donnell, H.Pai, N. Pietralla, G. Ramovski, M. Ramdhane, C. Romig, G. Rusev, D. Savran, G.S. Simpson, J. Sinclair, K. Sonnabend, P. Spagnoletti, A.P. Tonchev, and W. Tornow, Phys. Lett. B 820, 136569 (2021).

      

 

FEW-BODY PHYSICS

Ten recent papers in the field of few-body physics

        1. Observation of d(t,n)a Neutrons Following d(d,p)t Reactions in a Deuterium Gas Cell: An Attempt to Repeat Ruhlig’s 1938 Observation of Secondary Reactions, J.P. Lestone, S. Finch, F. Friesen, E. Mancil, W. Tornow, J. Wilhelmy, M.B.              Chadwick, Fusion Science and Technology 80, S89 (2024).

        2. Measurement of the of the ¹S₀ neutron-neutron effective range in neutron-deuteron breakup, R.C. Malone, A.S. Crowell, L.C. Cumberbatch, B.A. Fallin, F.Q.L. Friesen, C.R. Howell, C.R. Malone, D. R. Ticehurst, W. Tornow, D.M. Markoff and B.J. Crowe, and H. Witała, Phys. Lett. B 835, 137573 (2022).

        3. Neutron-neutron quasi-free scattering in neutron-deuteron breakup at 10 MeV, R.C. Malone, A.S.  Crowell, L.C.        Cumberbatch, B.A. Fallin, F.Q.L. Friesen, C.R. Howell, C.R. Malone, D.R. Ticehurst, W. Tornow, D.M. Markoff, B.J. Crowe,        and H. Witała, Phys. Rev. C 101, 034002 (2020).

        4. Neutron-deuteron analyzing power data at E_n=22.5 MeV, G.J. Weisel, W. Tornow, A.S. Crowell, J.H. Esterline, G.M.  Hale, C.R. Howell, P.D. O’Malley, J.R. Tomkins, and H. Witała, Phys. Rev. C 89, 054001 (2014).

        5. Analyzing Power A_y(θ) of n-³He Elastic Scattering between 1.60 and 5.54 MeV, J.A Esterline, W. Tornow, A. Deltuva, and A.C. Fonseca, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 152503 (2013).  

        6. Two-Body Photodisintegration of ³He between 7 and 16 MeV, W. Tornow, H.J. Karwowski, J.H. Kelley, R. Raut, G. Rusev,  S.C. Stave, A.P. Tonchev, A. Deltuva, A.C. Fonseca, L.E. Marcucci, M. Viviani, A. Kievsky, J. Golak, R. Skibinski, H. Witała, R. Schiavilla, Phys. Lett. B 702, 121 (2011).

        7. Corrections for the polarization-dependent efficiency and new neutron-proton analyzing power data at 7.6 MeV, G.J.    Weisel, R.T. Braun, W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 82, 027001 (2010).

        8. Improved Results for the ²H(d,n)³He Transverse Vector Polarization-Transfer Coefficient K_y^y’(0˚) at Low Energies, C.D. Roper, T.B. Clegg, J.D. Dunham, A.J. Mendez, W. Tornow, R.L. Walter, Few-Body Systems 47, 177 (2010).

        9. Neutron-Deuteron Analyzing Power Data at 19.0 MeV, G.J. Weisel, W. Tornow, B.J. Crowe, A.S. Crowell, J.H. Esterline, C.R. Howell, J.H. Kelley, R.A. Macri, R.S. Pedroni, R.L. Walter, H. Witała, Phys. Rev. C 81, 024003 (2010).

      10. The 20^th anniversary of the three-nucleon analyzing power puzzle, W. Tornow, Few-Body Syst. 43, 213 (2008).

FISSION

Ten recent papers in the field of nuclear fission

       1. Measurements of short-lived fission product yields from photofission of ²³⁸U using 13 MeV monoenergtic photons, I. Tsorxe, S.W. Finch, C.R. Howell, Krishichayan, J.A. Silano, A.P. Tonchev, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 113, 024603 (2026).

       2. Energy dependence of chain fission product yields from neutron-induced fission of ²³⁸U and ²³⁹Pu, A.P. Tonchev, J.A. Silano, A.P.D. Ramirez, R.C. Malone, M.A. Stoyer, M.E. Gooden, T.A. Bredeweg, D.J. Viera, J.B. Wilhelmy, S.W. Finch, C.R. Howell, and W. Tornow, Nucl. Data Sheets 202, 12 (2025).

       3. The Energy Dependence of Fission Product Yields in the Second Chance Fission Region, M.E. Gooden, A.P.D. Ramirez, T.A. Bredeweg, E.M. Bond, S.W. Finch, C.R. Howell, Krishichayan, R.C. Malone, J.A. Silano, M.A. Stoyer, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, D.Vieira, and J.B. Wilhelmy, Phys. Rev. C 109, 044604 (2024).

       4. Fission product yields from the ²³⁸U(n,f) reaction at 4.6 MeV, A.P.D. Ramirez, J.A. Silano, R.C. Malone, M.A. Stoyer, A.P.  Tonchev, M.E. Gooden, J.B. Wilhelmy, S.W. Finch, W. Tornow, C.R. Howell, and Krishichayan, Phys. Rev. C 107, 054608 (2023).

       5. Measurements of short-lived isomers from photofission as a method of active interrogation for special nuclear materials, S.W. Finch, M. Bhike, C.R. Howell, Krishichayan, W. Tornow, A.P. Tonchev, and J.B. Wilhelmy, Phys. Rev. Applied 15, 034037 (2021).

       6. Fission Product Yield Measurements using Monoenergetic Photon Beams, Krishichayan, Megha Bhike, C.R. Howell, A.P. Tonchev, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev.C 100, 014608, (2019).

       7. Monoenergetic photon-induced fission cross-section ratio measurements for ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U, and ²³⁹Pu from 9.0 to 17.0 MeV, Krishichayan, S. W. Finch, C. R. Howell, A.P. Tonchev, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 98, 014608 (2018).

       8. Photofission cross-section measurement of ²³⁵U/²³⁸U using monoenergetic photons in the energy range of 9.0 to 16.6 MeV, Krishichayan, Megha Bhike, S.W. Finch, C.R. Howell, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys        Res.Sect. A 854, 40, (2017).

       9. Exploratory study of fission product yield determination from photofission of ²³⁹Pu at 11 MeV with monoenergetic photons, Megha Bhike, W. Tornow, Krishichayan, and A.P. Tonchev, Phys. Rev. C 95, 024608 (2017).

     10. Energy Dependence of Fission Product Yields from ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U and ²³⁹Pu for Incident Neutron Energies between 0.5 and 14.8 MeV, M.E. Gooden, C.W. Arnold, J.A. Becker, C. Bhatia, M. Bhike, E.M. Bond, T.A. Bredeweg, B. Fallin, M.M. Fowler,    C.R. Howell, J.H. Kelley, Krishichayan, R. Macri, G. Rusev, C. Ryan, S.A. Sheets, M.A. Stoyer, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, D.J. Vieira, and J.B. Wilhelmy, Nuclear Data Sheets 131, 319 (2016).

   

 

NIF

Ten recent papers related to the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

  1.      ¹⁸²W(n,2n)¹⁸¹W cross-section data from threshold to 15 MeV, W. Tornow, S.W. Finch, and

         Yuko Saito, Phys. Rev. C 112, 014615 (2025).

  2.    ¹⁶⁹Tm(n,2n)¹⁶⁸Tm and ¹⁶⁹Tm(n,3n)¹⁶⁷Tm cross-section measurements from 15 to 21 MeV,

         S.W. Finch, M. Bhike, Krishichayan, J. Soter, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 103, 044609

         (2021).

  3.    The ¹⁶⁹Tm(n,2n)¹⁶⁸Tm cross section from threshold to 15 MeV, J. Soter, M. Bhike, S.W.

         Finch, Krishichayan, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 96, 064619 (2017).   
    

  4.    Measurement of the ²⁰⁹Bi(n,4n)²⁰⁶Bi and ¹⁶⁹Tm(n,3n)¹⁶⁷Tm Cross Section Between

         23.5 and 30.5 MeV Relevant to Reaction-in-Flight Neutron Studies at the National

         Ignition Facility, M.E. Gooden, T.A. Bredeweg, B. Champine, D.C. Combs, S. Finch, A.

         Hayes-Sterbenz, E. Henry, Krishichayan, R. Rundberg, W. Tornow, J. Wilhelmy, and C.

         Yeamans, Phys. Rev. C 96, 024622 (2017).

   5.   Measurement of the ¹⁶⁹Tm(n,3n)¹⁶⁷Tm cross section and the branching ratios in the decay

         of ¹⁶⁷Tm, B. Champine, M. Bhike, M.E. Gooden, Krishichayan, E.B. Norman, N.D.

         Scielzo, M.A. Stoyer, K.J. Thomas, A.P. Tonchev, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 89,

         014611 (2016).

   6.   Measurements of the ⁸⁶Kr(n,γ)⁸⁷Kr and  ⁸⁶Kr(n,2n) reaction cross sections below

         E_n=15 MeV, Megha Bhike, E. Rubino, M.E. Gooden, Krishichayan, and W. Tornow,

         Phys. Rev. C 92, 014624 (2015).
        
   7 .  Comprehensive Sets of ¹²⁴Xe(n,γ)¹²⁵Xe and ¹²⁴Xe(n,2n)¹²³Xe Cross-Section Data for

         Assessment of Inertial Confinement Deuterium-Tritium Fusion Plasma, Megha Bhike, B

      .  Fallin, M.E. Gooden, N. Ludin, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 91, 011601(R) (2015).
  
   8 .  Measurements of the ⁴⁰Ar(n,γ)⁴¹Ar radiative-capture cross section between 0.4 and 14.8

         MeV, Megha Bhike, B. Fallin, and W. Tornow, Phys. Lett. B 736, 361 (2014).

  9.    Neutron-capture cross-section measurements of ¹³⁶Xe between 0.4 and 14.8 MeV,

         M. Bhike and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 89, 031602(R) (2014).

 10.   The ⁴⁰Ar(n,p)⁴⁰Cl cross section between 9 and 15 MeV, C. Bhatia, S.W. Finch, M.E.

         Gooden, W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 86, 041602(R) (2012).

 

BACKGROUND AND 0νßß DECAY

Ten recent papers related to potential neutron-induced background reactions in 0νßß decay searches

 

1.      Potential neutron-induced γ-ray background on natural tellurium relevant to ¹³⁰Te 0νββ

         decay searches at CUORE and SNO+, W. Tornow, S.W. Finch, and M.F. Kidd, Phys. Rev.

         C 103, 044612 (2021).

2.      Partial cross section of neutron-induced reactions on ¹³⁶Xe at E_n=5 MeV for 0νβΒ

         background studies, M. Bhike, J.H. Esterline, B. Fallin, S.W. Finch, M.E. Gooden, and W.

         Tornow, J. of Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 45, 125101 (2018).

3.     The neutron radiative capture cross section of ^63,65Cu between 0.4 and 7.5 MeV, I.

         Newsome, M. Bhike, Krishichayan, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 97, 044617 (2018).

4.      Total and isomeric-state cross sections for the ⁷⁶Ge(n,2n)⁷⁵ Ge reaction from threshold to

         14.8 MeV, Megha Bhike, Krishichayan, and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 95, 054605 (2017).

5.      Fast neutron-induced potential background near the Q-value of neutrinoless double-beta

         decay of ⁷⁶Ge, W. Tornow, Megha Bhike, B. Fallin, Krishichayan, Phys. Rev. C 93,

         014614 (2016).

6.      Measurement of the neutron-capture cross section of ⁷⁶Ge and ⁷⁴Ge below 15 MeV and its

         relevance to 0νββ decay searches of ⁷⁶Ge, Megha Bhike, B. Fallin, Krishichayan, and W.

         Tornow, Phys. Lett. B 741, 150 (2015).

7.      Measurements of the ⁴⁰Ar(n,γ)⁴¹Ar radiative-capture cross section between 0.4 and 14.8

         MeV, Megha Bhike, B. Fallin, and W. Tornow, Phys. Lett. B 736, 361 (2014).

8.      Neutron-capture cross-section measurements of ¹³⁶Xe between 0.4 and 14.8 MeV,

         M. Bhike and W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 89, 031602(R) (2014).

9.      Measurements of the elastic scattering cross section of neutrons from argon and neon, S.

         MacMullin, M. Kidd, R. Henning, W. Tornow, C.R. Howell, and M. Brown, Phys. Rev. C

         87, 054613 (2013).
10.    ¹³⁶Xe(n,2n)¹³⁵Xe cross section between 9 and 15 MeV, C. Bhatia, S.W. Finch, M.E.

         Gooden, W. Tornow, Phys. Rev. C 87, 011601(R) (2013).

 

 

INSTRUMENTATION

Ten recent Instrumentation papers

 1.   Characterization of of ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U and ²³⁹Pu fission ionization chamber foils by α and γ-rayspectrometry, J.A. Silano, R.C. Malone, S.W. Finch, M.E. Godden, C.R. Howell, A.P.D. Ramirez, K. Thomas, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, J.B. Wilhelmy, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Physics Research A 1063, 69234 (2024).

 2.   Development of a rapid-transfer system, S.W. Finch, M.E. Gooden, C. Hagmann, C.R. Howell, Krishichayan, A. Ramirez, J.A. Silano, M. Stoyer, A.P. Tonchev, W. Tornow, J. Wilhelmy, Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A 1025, 166127 (2022).

 3.   The nylon balloon for xenon loaded liquid scintillator in KamLAND-Zen 800 neutrinoless double-beta decay search experiment, Y. Gando et al. (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Journal of Instrumentation 16, P08023 (2021).

 4.   A compact ultra-clean system for deploying radioactive sources inside the KamLAND detector, T.I. Banks et al., (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Nucl. Instr. Meth. in Phys. Research A 769, 88 (2015).

 5.   Laboratory studies on the removal of radon-born lead from KamLAND’s organic liquid scintillator, G. Keefer et al., (KamLAND Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Nucl. Instr. Meth. in Phys. Research A 769, 79 (2015).

 6.   Dual-Fission Chamber and Neutron Beam Characterization for Fission Product Yields Using Monoenergetic Beams, C. Bhatia, B. Fallin, M.E. Gooden, C.R. Howell, J.H. Kelley, W. Tornow, C. W. Arnold, E. Bond, T.A. Bredeweg, M.M. Fowler, W. Moody, R.S. Rundberg, G. Rusev, D.J. Vieira, J.B. Wilhelmy, J. A. Becker, R. Macri, C. Ryan, S. A. Sheets, M.A. Stoyer, A.P. Tonchev, Nucl. Instr. and Methods in Physics Research, A 757, 7 (2014).
 
  7.  A segmented, enriched N-type germanium detector for neutrinoless double-beta decayexperiments, L.E. Leviner, C.E. Aalseth, M.W. Ahmed, F.T. Avignone III, H.O. Back,A.S. Barabash, M. Boswell, L. De Braeckeleer, V.B. Brudanin, Y.D. Chan, V.G. Egorov, S.R. Elliott, V.M. Gehman, T.W. Hossbach, J.D. Kephart, M.F. Kidd, S.I. Konovalov, K.T. Lesko, Jingyi Li, D.-M. Mei, S. Mikhailov, H. Miley, D.C. Radford, J. Reeves, V.G. Sandukovsky, W. Tornow, V.I. Umatov, T.A. Underwood, Y.K. Wu, A.R. Young, Nucl. Instr. and Methods in Physics Research, A 735, 66 (2014).

  8.  The high-efficiency γ-ray spectroscopy setup at HIgS, B. Löher, V. Derya, T. Aumann, J. Beller, N. Cooper, M. Duchene, J. Endres, E. Fiori, J. Isaak, J. Kelley, M. Knörzer, N. Pietralla, C. Romig, D. Savran, M. Scheck, H. Scheit, J. Silva, A. Tonchev, W. Tornow, H. Weller, V. Werner, A. Zilges, Nucl. Instr. and Methods in Physics Research, A 723, 136 (2013).

  9.  Characteristics of Signals Originating Near the Lithium-Diffused N⁺ Contact of High-Purity Germanium P-Type Point Contact Detectors, E. Aguayo et al., (Majorana Collaboration, including W. Tornow), Nucl. Instr. and Methods in Physics Research A 701, 176 (2013).

 10.  High-pressure ³He-Xe gas scintillators for simultaneous detection of neutrons and gamma rays over a large energy range,W. Tornow, J.H. Esterline, C.A. Leckey, G.J. Weisel, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Physics Research A 647, 86 (2011).

 

CURIOSITY

Curiosity driven papers

      1.   A modern version of the uncited 1938 experiment that first observed DT fusion,

            Tornow, S.W. Finch, J.B. Wilhelmy, M.B. Chadwick, G.M Hale, J.P. Lestone, and M.W.

            Paris, Phys. Rev. C 111, 064618 (2025).

      2.   Exploratory study of the ^180mTa(γ,γ’)¹⁸⁰Ta reaction with monoenergetic low-energy

            photon beams at HIgS, W. Tornow, Megha Bhike, S.W. Finch, and Krishichayan, Nucl.

            Instrum. Methods Phys Res. Sect. A 928, 79 (2019).

      3.   Production of 14 MeV Neutrons Using Pyroelectric Crystals: Reconverting Solar

            Energy into Nuclear Fusion Energy, W. Tornow, International Journal on Energy

            Science, 4, 101 (2014).

      4.   Attempt to manipulate the decay rate of ⁶⁴Cu, B.A. Fallin, B.P. Grabow, W. Tornow,

            Phys. Rev. C 78, 057301 (2008).

 

 

Invited and Contributed Talks at International Conferences

44. Recent Experimental Few-Nucleon Studies at TUNL, The 8^th Asia-Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics (APFB2020), Kanazawa, Japan, March 2021, remote participation because of COVID-19.

43. Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay, XXXIV Physics in Collision Symposium, Bloomington, IN, USA, September 2014. 

42. Neutron radiative-capture reactions on nuclei of relevance to 0nbb, dark matter and neutrino/antineutrino searches, 15^th International Symposium on Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy and Related Topics (CGS15) Dresden, Germany, August 2014. 

41. Few-Body Physics at HIGS, The 6^th Asia-Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics (APFB2014), Hahndorf, Australia, April 2014. 

40. Recent experiments involving few-nucleon systems, 22^nd European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Krakow, Poland, September 2013. 

39. Analyzing Power of ³He(n,n)³He Between 1.60 and 5.54 MeV, 20^th International IUPAP Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Fukuoka, Japan, August 2012. 

38. Photon-Induced Two-Body Breakup of ³He and ⁴He in the Giant Dipole Resonance Region and n−³HeAnalyzing Power at Low Energies, ECT Workshop on “Three-Nucleon Forces in Vacuum and in theMedium”, Trento, Italy, July 2011.

37. Experimental Study of Photon Induced Reactions on ³He and ⁴He at Low Energies, 21^st EuropeanConference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Salamanca, Spain, August 2010.

36. Astro-Nuclear Physics with Medium Energy Photons from HIgS, Advanced Photons and Science Evolution 2010 (APSE2010), Osaka, Japan, June 2010. 

35. Search for a Bosonic Component in the Neutrino Wave Function, 4^th International Symposium on Symmetries in Subatomic Physics, Taipei, Taiwan, June 2009.

34. The 20^th anniversary of the few-nucleon analyzing power puzzle, 20^th European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Pisa, Italy, September 2007.

33. The three-nucleon analyzing power puzzle: The past twenty years, New Facet of the Three-Nucleon Force -  50 Years of the Fujita Miyazawa Three Nucleon Force, Tokyo, Japan, October 2007.

32. Recent Few-Body Activities at TUNL and HIgS, 18^th International IUPAP Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Santos, Brazil, August 2006.

31. Gamma-ray induced two-and three-body breakup of ³He at low energies, The 3^rd Asia-Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, July 2005.

30. Photon Analyzing Power for the Three-Body Breakup of ³He at E_g=15 MeV, The 19^th European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Groningen, The Netherlands, August 2004. 

29. N-d Scattering at Low Energies, Chiral Dynamics, Bonn, Germany, September 2003.

28. Photodisintegration of the Deuteron between E_g=2.4 and 4.0 MeV, 18^th European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Bled, Slovenia, September 2002.

27. First Results from HIgS, Symmetries and Spin, Prague, Czech Republic, July 2002.

26. Deuteron Breakup with Monoenergetic and Linearly Polarized Gamma Rays between 2.4 and 4.0 MeV, The 2^nd Asia Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Shanghai, China, August 2002.

25. Unsolved Problems in 2N and 3N Physics from an Experimentalist’s Point of View, ECT Workshop, Trento, Italy, June 2001.

24. Overview on Reactions Involving Few-Body Nuclei, Symmetries and Spin, Prague, Czech Republic, July 2001.

23. Experimental Few-Nucleon Studies at Low and Intermediate Energies, 16^th IUPAP International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Taipei, Taiwan, March 2000.

22. Some Highlights of NN and 3N Studies at TUNL, 1^st Asia-Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Tokyo, Japan, August 1999.

21. Hadronic Probes of Few-Nucleon Systems, 16^th European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Autrans, France, June 1998.

20. Selected Topics of the Few-Body Research Program at TUNL, 15^th European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Peniscola, Spain, June 1995.

19. Neutron-Proton Analyzing Power at 12 MeV and Charged pNN Coupling Constant, 8^th Symposium on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Bloomington, IN, USA, September 1994.

18. Reanalysis of kinematically incomplete neutron-deuteron breakup experiments and neutron-neutron ¹S₀ scattering length, 14^th International IUPAP Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Williamsburg, VA, USA, May 1994.

17. On the Issue of Charge-Symmetry Breaking Versus Coulomb Effects in Three-Nucleon Scattering – An Experimentalist’s Approach,13^th International IUPAP Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Adelaide, Australia, January 1992.

16. Energy Dependence of Nucleon-Deuteron Elastic Scattering Observables and its Bearing on the ³P_j NN Interactions, 13^th International IUPAP Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Adelaide, Australia, January 1992.

15. Recent Developments in Low-Energy Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction Studies, International Conference on Spin and Isospin in Nuclear Interactions, Telluride, CO, USA, March 1991.

14. Sensitivity of Neutron-Proton Scattering Observables to Charge-Independence Breaking of the ³P_0,1,2 Nucleon-Nucleon Phase Shifts, 7^th International Conference on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Paris, France, July 1990.

13. No evidence for Charge-Symmetry Breaking in the Three-Nucleon Scattering System? 7^th International Conference on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Paris, France, July 1990.

12. Large Discrepancies between Rigorous Faddeev Calculations and Elastic Neutron-Deuteron Analyzing Power Data at Low Energies, 7^th International Conference on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Paris, France, July 1990.

11. Experimental Determination of the Nucleon-Nucleon Tensor Force via Ds_T and Ds_L Measurements, 7^th International Conference on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Paris, France, July 1990.

10. Elastic Neutron-Deuteron Analyzing Power Data below 10 MeV, 12^th International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Vancouver, Canada, July 1989.

9. Vector Analyzing Power Data and Calculations for Nucleon-Deuteron Elastic Scattering from 10 to 14 MeV, International Symposium on the Three-Body Force in the Three-Nucleon System, Washington, DC, USA, April 1986.

8. The influence of multiple scattering corrections on high accuracy neutron-proton analyzing power data measured at 16.9 MeV, 5^th International Symposium on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Santa Fe, NM, USA, August 1980.

7. The analyzing power for elastic scattering of 9.9, 11.9 and 13.9 MeV neutrons from Ca, 5^th International Symposium on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Santa Fe, NM, USA, August 1980.

6. Small angle neutron polarization for ²H(d,n)³He at E_d=8 MeV, 5^th International Symposium on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Santa Fe, NM, USA, August 1980.

5. Discrepancy in the polarization of elastically scattered neutrons from ¹²C around 16 MeV, 5^th International Symposium on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Physics, Santa Fe, NM, USA, August 1980.

4. Precision Measurements of the Analyzing Power for n-p Scattering in the 14 - 17 MeV Region, Nucleon-Nucleon Interactions, Vancouver, Canada, June 1977.

3. Similarity between A_y(q) for ²H(p,p)²H and ²H(n,n)²H at 12 MeV, Nucleon-Nucleon Interactions, Vancouver, Canada, June 1977.

2. Scattering of polarized neutrons by ¹H, ²H and ¹²C using the ²H(d,n)³He reaction for producing polarized neutrons, International Conference on the Interactions of Neutrons with Nuclei, Lowell, MA, USA, July 1976.

1. Neutron-Proton Polarization Experiments at 14.2 MeV, 4^th International Symposium on Polarization Phenomena in Nuclear Reactions, Zürich, Switzerland, November 1975.

 

ATTENDENDED

International Nuclear Physics Conference Florence, Italy, June 2013.

International Nuclear Physics Conference Tokyo, Japan, June 2007.

European Few-Body Conference, Evora, Portugal, September 2000.

Neutron-Nucleus Collisions - A Probe of Nuclear Structure, Burr Oak State Park, OH, USA, September 1984.

9^th International Conference on the Few-Body Problems, Eugene, OR, USA, August 1980. 

8^th International Conference on Few-Body Systems and Nuclear Forces, Graz, Austria, August 1978.