Mike Bentley
Emeritus Professor

Profile

Career

BSc, PhD (Liverpool), CPhys, MInstP

Summary of expertise

• Isospin symmetry in nuclei
• Charge-dependence and charge-asymmetry of the nuclear force
• Structure of exotic nuclei
• Spectroscopy using fragmentation reactions

Departmental roles

Head of Nuclear Physics Group

University roles

Chair of University Special Cases Committee

Research

Overview

Research group:   

Mike's research is currently focused on understanding the properties of nuclei under interchange of their proton and neutron numbers. The symmetry observed in doing so is called isospin symmetry, and the study of this symmetry helps us to understand some of the key properties of the nuclear force. In particular we can shed light on the charge asymmetry and the charge dependence of the force. Mike recent work has focused on knockout reactions using relativistic fragmentation beams, for example, at Michigan State University and G.S.I Darmstadt. Mike has made extensive use of gamma-ray tracking arrays (AGATA and GRETINA) in his analysis. Mike has used and developed shell-model methodology for the prediction of Coulomb, and other isospin-non-conserving effects, in nuclei. 

Projects

Spectroscopy of proton-rich nuclei at using AGATA at GSI

Spectroscopy of mirror nuclei using mirrored knockout reactions at NSCL (Michigan)

Spectroscopy of isobaric multiplets at Jyvaskyla, Finland

Research group(s)

• Mr Ryan Llewellyn (PhD student)
• Mr Thoryn Haylett (PhD student)

Grants

Nuclear Structure, Astrophysics and Reactions - STFC 2009-2015

Nuclear Physics Consolidated Grant - STFC 2011-2014

Collaborators

Prof S.M. Lenzi - University of Padova

Prof D. Rudolph - University of Lund

Prof A. Gade - Michigan State University

Teaching

Undergraduate

Year 1: Python programming. Course details found at VLE at : https://vle.york.ac.uk

Year 1: Laboratory: Course details found at VLE at : https://vle.york.ac.uk