Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Major Resources Support Program

The University of Winnipeg has four faculty doing research on subatomic physics experiments, including the Principal Investigator on the Ultracold neutron project (TUCAN) at TRIUMF.  NSERC discovery grants are held by these faculty for research to measure the neutron electric dipole moment (J.W. Martin, R. Mammei, B. Jamieson, C. Bidinosti), measure the neutron decay asymmetry Nab (R. Mammei), and search for charge-parity violation of neutrinos with the T2K and Hyper-Kamiokande experiments (B. Jamieson).  These are international collaborations, and this MRS would support these international projects that have strong leadership from Canadian researchers. D. Ostapchuk, MSc in physics, has unique set of skills in electronics development, cryogenics, design work, PCB layout and fabrication.  Other examples of projects completed by Ostapchuk include: a 3 channel,  4th order low-pass active filter for flux-gates in an active magnetic  shielding system; an 8th order band-pass active filter for fundamental  noise lab to be used in 3rd year physics lab courses; schematic capture,  circuit review, and final layout on a stripboard of a set of balanced  photodiodes; programmable current sinks; breakout boards for hall effect sensors, autonomous obstacle-avoiding robots for digital electronics  course, which included chassis design and fabrication using  laser-cutting, electronics design, firmware development, and course  material; electromagnetic shields for low-field NMR systems; and electromagnetic shielding and RF coil for the ultracold neutron  simultaneous spin apparatus.  This NSERC MRS resource will be advertised to the subatomic physics community  at the Canadian Association of Physics Congress during the IPP and CINP  annual general meetings, and the resource will be overseen by the  allocation committee that is managing the University of Victoria and  Carleton MRS.  Initially D. Ostapchuck will continue projects related to Ultracold neutrons, and the Canadian neutrino-oscillation physics  program based on proposals being prepared for the MRS board.  It is expected that he will quickly be sought after by other Canadian projects that are developing their detectors for world leading research in subatomic physics, and should within a few years reach more than half of his time working on non-Winnipeg projects.