Profile

Career

BSc, PhD (Birmingham), CPhys, FInstP

Honours

Fellow of Institute of Physics

Previous Posts

• 2006-2011 - Head of Department, University of York
• 2000-2006 - Professor of Physics, University of York
• 1984-2000 - Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader, University of Birmingham
• 1980-1984 - Staff Scientist, Daresbury Laboratory, UK
• 1977-1980 - Research Associate, University of Rochester, USA

Summary of research expertise

• Nuclear astrophysics
• Nuclear reactions
• Charged particle radiation detection
  

Departmental roles

• Member of Senior Management Group

University roles

• Academic Co-ordinator for Sciences
• Member of University Council
• Member of Planning Committee
• Member of Senate
  

Research

Overview

Research Group: Nuclear Physics

Research Interests

I have always been interested in the study of nuclear reactions, both the reaction mechanism itself and how reactions can be used as a probe to study particular aspects of the structure of the nucleus. My early interests were in transfer reactions and the description of these using coupled reaction channels models. This lead to an interest in "break-up", where one of the nuclei in the collision fragments into smaller clusters. Although my initial interest was to investigate how this process influenced the overall reaction, I sidetracked down a long, but particularly productive path using break-up to probe the cluster structure of nuclei. This was a fascinating period dealing with concepts such as "nuclear molecules" and "alpha chain states".

More recently I have turned my attention to the study of reactions of astrophysical interests. This is a wonderful area of study, where nuclear physics can contribute to the understanding of some of the most amazing sites in the universe (Novae, X-ray Bursters, Supernovae etc.). By making use of our understanding of reaction processes, and by exploiting our techniques developed to measure specific types of reactions, we can determine the rates of the key nuclear reactions which power these explosive sites. The experimental challenges are enormous - beams of radioactive nuclei are required and the low reaction rates demand extremely sensitive detection systems.

As an experimenter, my main interest has been in developing detection techniques to enhance reaction studies and this has led me to the construction of a number of large, multi-detector arrays. These have been built and operated in a number of overseas laboratories, indeed my latest large project is a new silicon detector array, SHARC, which is coupled to the TIGRESS gamma ray array at the TRIUMF Laboratory in Canada. I have been fortunate to have spent sabbatical periods at the Argonne National Laboratory (USA), the Australian National University (Australia) and the TRIUMF Laboratory (Canada) where I have learned much from the experimental groups at these institutions. I have also been fortunate in recent years to work with colleagues in many other laboratories in Europe (Jyvaskyla, Louvain-La-Neuve, GANIL, Strasbourg, ISOLDE) and overseas (Berkeley, MSU, Notre Dame, Australian National University). Along the way I have enjoyed forays into other areas of science (e.g. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and the search for neutrinoless double beta decay as a means of determining the mass of the neutrino).

I have published over 150 papers in refereed journals and over 200 conference contributions. I have presented over 40 invited plenary conference talks and supervised 15 PhD students.

Supervision

• Dr Christian Diget
• Mr Philip Adsley
• Mr Charles Ackers
  

International, European and National Involvement

I have been active in the development of nuclear physics on the international level through membership on the IUPAP (International Union of Pure and Applied Physics) Working Group on Nuclear Physics, having previously served on the OECD Global Science Forum working group on nuclear physics - bodies that work to chart the next stage in the evolution of our subject at international level.  In more specific roles, I am an international reviewer for the Australian Research Council and the National Science Foundation, USA. In recent years I have served on Visiting Committees to report on the support for nuclear physics communities in the USA (DoE), Germany (DFG) and Belgium (FOM). I also serve on the International Advisory Committee for a number of international conferences and am a co-editor for EPJA.  I am also on the Programme Advisory Committee which allocates beam time on the RIKEN radioactive beam facility in Tokyo, Japan.

I am also active in the European nuclear physics scene, having recently served as the chair of NuPECC, an Expert Committee of the European Science Foundation which oversees the development of nuclear physics in Europe.  I have also served on the working group for nuclear physics set up by ESFRI (European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures). I was the convener for the working group which prepared the Nuclear Astrophysics section for the current Long Range Plan for Nuclear Physics in Europe, and serve as the chair of the review committee for EuroGENESIS, one of the ESF EUROCORES programmes.  I have recently served as a member of the Governing Board of ECT*, the European Centre for Nuclear Theory, as a member of the Steering Committee of the EURISOL Design Study and on the Governing Board of the Hadron Physics I3 (both EU funded FP6 projects).

On the national scene, I have served on the STFC Science Committee (PPAN), advising on funding for Astronomy, Particle Physics and Nuclear Physics, served as a member of the EPSRC College and the EPSRC Physics Strategic Advisory Team, sat on the DTI review group on Nuclear Skills, served on the Editorial Board of JPhysG and on the Council of the Institute of Physics.

Teaching

Undergraduate

I enjoy teaching and over the last thirty years have been involved in lecturing, tutoring and demonstrating in laboratories, as well as in the administration of teaching and in the development of new courses. I have acted as an external examiner for Physics degree courses at other Universities, served on teaching quality and enhancement committees in various institutions and regularly act as an external examiner for PhD theses.

Although my role as Academic Coordinator takes up the majority of my time, I retain a teaching committment in the Physics Department, supervising undergraduate students and giving the third year Cosmological Astronomy course.

I also greatly enjoy presenting science to the public and have been involved with many activities of this sort (lectures, radio, TV, glossy booklets etc.). The most recent examples have been a number of evening talks to IoP branches, an appearance on a Science Magazine (The Naked Scientist) broadcast on BBC Radio, a talk at the York "Café Scientifique", a public lecture as part of the "Merchant Adventurers Science Lecture" and talks to local astronomy groups.

Publications

Full publications list

S HYLDEGAARD, CA DIGET, MJG BORGE, BR FULTON, et al.
Branching ratios in the beta decays of N-12 and B-12
Physical Review C 80, 044304 (OCT 2009)

OS KIRSEBOM, M ALCORTA, MJG BORGE, BR FULTON, et al.
Observation of gamma-delayed 3 alpha breakup of the 15.11 and 12.71 MeV states in C-12
Physics Letters B 680, Issue: 1, Pages: 44-49 (SEP 2009)

CA DIGET, FC BARKER, MJG BORGE, BR FULTON, et al.
Breakup channels for C-12 triple-alpha continuum states
Physical Review C 80, 034316 (SEP 2009)

S HYLDEGAARD, C FORSSEN, CA DIGET, BR FULTON, et al.
Precise branching ratios to unbound C-12 states from N-12 and B-12 beta-decays
Physics Letters B 678, Issue: 5, Pages: 459-464 (AUG 2009)

JL LECOUEY, NA ORR, FM MARQUES, BR FULTON, et al.
Single-proton removal reaction study of B-16
Physics Letters B 672, Issue: 1, Pages: 6-11 (FEB 2009)

S HYLDEGAARD, HOU FYNBO, K RIISAGER, BR FULTON, et al.
Studies of C-12 using beta-decays
International Journal of Modern Physics E-Nuclear Physics, Volume: 17, Issue: 10, Pages: 2182-2187 (NOV 2008)

DG JENKINS, BR FULTON, P MARLEY, et al.
Decay strength distributions in C-12(C-12,gamma) radiative capture
Physical Review C 76, 044310 (OCT 2007)

TAD BROWN, P PAPKA, BR FULTON, et al.
Decay studies for states in Be-9 up to 11 MeV: Insights into the n+Be-8 and alpha+He-5 cluster structure
Physical Review C 76, 054605 (NOV 2007)

M FREER, I BOZTOSUN, CA BREMNER, BR FULTON, et al.
Reexamination of the excited states of C-12
Physical Review C 76, 034320 (SEP 2007)

T BLOXHAM, A BOSTON, J DAWSON, D DOBOS, SP FOX, M FREER, BR FULTON, C GOSSLING, PF HARRISON, M JUNKER, H KIEL, J MCGRATH, B MORGAN, D MUENSTERMANN, P NOLAN, S OEHL, Y RAMACHERS, C REEVE, D STEWART, R WADSWORTH, JR WILSON AND K ZUBER
First results on double beta-decay modes of Cd, Te, and Zn isotopes
Phys. Rev. C 76 025501 (2007) (7 pages)

NC SUMMERS, SD PAIN, NA ORR, WN CATFORD, JC ANGELIQUE, NI ASHWOOD, V BOUCHAT, NM CLARKE, N CURTIS, M FREER, BR FULTON, F HANAPPE, M LABICHE, JL LECOUEY, RC LEMMON, D MAHBOUB, A NINANE, G NORMAND, FM NUNES, N SOIC, L STUTTGE, CN TIMIS, IJ THOMPSON, JS WINFIELD AND V ZIMAN
B(E1) strengths from Coulomb excitation of Be-11
Phys. Lett. B 650 124-128 (2007) (5 pages)

P PAPKA, TAD BROWN, BR FULTON, DL WATSON, SP FOX, D GROOMBRIDGE, M FREER, NM CLARKE, NI ASHWOOD, N CURTIS, V ZIMAN, P MCEWAN, S AHMED, WN CATFORD, D MAHBOUB, CN TIMIS, TD BALDWIN AND DC WEISSER
Decay path measurements for the 2.429 MeV state in Be-9: Implications for the astrophysical alpha+alpha+n reaction
Phys. Rev. C 75 045803 (2007) (8 pages)

M FREER, S AHMED, NI ASHWOOD, NM CLARKE, N CURTIS, CJ METELKO, S YILDIZ, VA ZIMAN, N SOIC, B NOVATSKI, S SAKUTA, NA ORR, BR FULTON AND R PITKIN
Be-8+C-14 break-up of Ne-22
J. Phys. G-Nucl. Part. Phys. 32 2235-2243 (2006) (9 pages)

AS MURPHY, M ALIOTTA, T DAVINSON, C RUIZ, PJ WOODS, JM D'AURIA, L BUCHMANN, AA CHEN, AM LAIRD, F SARAZIN, P WALDEN, BR FULTON, JE PEARSON AND BA BROWN
Level structure of Mg-21: Nuclear and astrophysical implications
Phys. Rev. C 73 034320 (2006) (10 pages)

S YILDIZ, M FREER, N SOIC, S AHMED, NI ASHWOOD, NM CLARKE, N CURTIS, BR FULTON, CJ METELKO, B NOVATSKI, NA ORR, R PITKIN, S SAKUTA AND VA ZIMAN
alpha-decaying states O-18, Ne-20 and Ne-22 in O-18 beam induced reactions
Phys. Rev. C 73 034601 (2006) (10 pages)

SD PAIN, WN CATFORD, NA ORR, JC ANGELIQUE, NI ASHWOOD, V BOUCHAT, NM CLARKE, N CURTIS, M FREER, BR FULTON, F HANAPPE, M LABICHE, JL LECOUEY, RC LEMMON, D MAHBOUB, A NINANE, G NORMAND, N SOIC, L STUTTGE, CN TIMIS, JA TOSTEVIN, JS WINFIELD AND V ZIMAN
Structure of Be-12: Intruder d-wave strength at N=8
Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 032502 (2006) (4 pages)

HH KNUDSEN, HOU FYNBO, MJG BORGE, R BOUTAMI, P DENDOOVEN, CA DIGET, T ERONEN, S FOX, LM FRAILE, B FULTON, J HUIKARY, HB JEPPESEN, AS JOKINEN, B JONSON, A KANKAINEN, I MOORE, A NIEMINEN, G NYMAN, H PENTTILA, K RIISAGER, S RINTA-ANTILA, O TENGBLAD, Y WANG, K WILHELMSEN AND J AYSTO
beta-decay of O-13
Phys. Rev. C 72 044312 (2005) (5 pages)

S. D. PAIN, B. R. FULTON, and others (23).
Experimental evidence of a v(1d(5/2))(2) component to the Be-12 ground state.
European Phys. J. A 25, 349-351 (2005).

N. SOIC, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (12).
Three-centre cluster structure in C-11 and B-11.
J. Phys. G-Nuclear Particle Physics 31, S1701-S1704 (2005).

C. A. DIGET, B. R. FULTON, and others (21).
Properties of the C-12 10 MeV state determined through beta-decay.
Nuclear Phys. A 760, 3-18 (2005).

C. ANGULO, B. R. FULTON, and others (18).
The Be-7(d,p)2 alpha cross section at big bang energies and the primordial Li-7 abundance.
Astrophysical J. 630, L105-L108 (2005).

C. RUIZ, B. R. FULTON, A. M. LAIRD, and others (21).
Multichannel R-matrix analysis of elastic and inelastic resonances in the Na-20,Na-21+p compound systems.
Nuclear Phys. A 758, 166C-169C (2005).

D. G. JENKINS, B. R. FULTON, and others (11).
Reevaluation of the Na-22(p,gamma) reaction rate.
Nuclear Phys. A 758, 749C-752C (2005).

Y. PREZADO, B. R. FULTON, and others (14).
Low-lying resonance states in the Be-9 continuum.
Phys. Lett. B 618, 43-50 (2005).

D. G. JENKINS, B. R. FULTON, and others (17).
Doorway states as a principal decay pathway in C-12(C- 12,gamma) radiative capture.
Phys. Rev. C 71, 041301 (2005). [ external link ]

M. FREER, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (13).
Be-8+C-12(0(2)(+)) decay of excited states in Ne-20.
Phys. Rev. C 71, 047305 (2005). [ external link ]

C. RUIZ, B. R. FULTON, and others (15).
Multichannel R-matrix analysis of elastic and inelastic resonances in the Na-21+p compound system.
Phys. Rev. C 71, 025802 (2005). [ external link ]

M. FREER, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (13).
Be-8+Be-8 decay of excited states in O-16.
Phys. Rev. C 70, 064311 (2004). [ external link ]

H. O. U. FYNBO, B. R. FULTON, and others (30).
Revised rates for the stellar triple-alpha process from measurement of C-12 nuclear resonances.
Nature 433, 136-139 (2005).

B. R. FULTON and others (15).
Exclusive breakup measurements for Be-9.
Phys. Rev. C 70, 047602 (2004). [ external link ]

N. SOIC, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (12).
alpha-decay of excited states in C-11 and B-11.
Nuclear Phys. A 742, 271-290 (2004).

H. O. U. FYNBO, B. R. FULTON, and others (29).
News on C-12 from beta-decay studies.
Nuclear Phys. A 738, 59-65 (2004).

N. SOIC, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (11).
alpha-decaying excited states in carbon and boron isotopes.
Nuclear Phys. A 738, 347-351 (2004).

B. J. GREENHALGH, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (11).
Structures in the excitation functions of high lying inelastic channels of the O-16+O-16 system in the region E-c.m.=26 to 47 MeV.
Phys. Rev. C 69, 054316 (2004). [ external link ]

R. J. WOOLLISCROFT, B. R. FULTON, and others (7).
Elastic scattering and fusion of Be-9+Pb-208, Density function dependence of the double folding renormalization.
Phys. Rev. C 69, 044612 (2004). [ external link ]

N. I. ASHWOOD, B. R. FULTON, and others (27).
Helium clustering in neutron-rich Be isotopes.
Phys. Lett. B 580, 129-136 (2004).

D. G. JENKINS, B. R. FULTON, and others (11).
Reevaluation of the Na-22(p,gamma) reaction rate, Implications for the detection of Na-22 gamma rays from novae.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 031101 (2004). [ external link ]

C. J. METELKO, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (15).
C-12+C-12 cluster resonances in Mg-24 up to E-x=50 MeV.
Phys. Rev. C 68, 054321 (2003). [ external link ]

N. SOIC, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (12).
Cluster structure of C-13 probed via the Li-7(Be-9, C-13*-> Be-9+alpha) reaction.
Nuclear Phys. A 728, 12-22 (2003).

N. SOIC, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (12).
He-4 decay of excited states in C-14.
Phys. Rev. C 68, 014321 (2003). [ external link ]

R. J. WOOLLISCROFT, B. R. FULTON, and others (8).
Breakup and transfer processes in the Be-9+Pb-208 reaction.
Phys. Rev. C 68, 014611 (2003). [ external link ]

N. I. ASHWOOD, B. R. FULTON, and others (11).
Be-10 excited states populated in the Be-9(Be-9,Be- 8)Be-10 reaction.
Phys. Rev. C 68, 017603 (2003). [ external link ]

R. E. AZUMA, B. R. FULTON, A. M. LAIRD, and others (42).
Results of Na-21+p experiments at ISAC.
Nuclear Phys. A 718, 119C-126C (2003).

D. J. HINDE, B. R. FULTON, and others (7).
Fusion suppression and sub-barrier breakup of weakly bound nuclei.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 272701 (2002). [ external link ]

C. A. BREMNER, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (12).
Excitation function measurements for C-12+C-12 inelastic scattering channels.
Phys. Rev. C 66, 034605 (2002). [ external link ]

B. J. GREENHALGH, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (10).
Search for analog molecular chain states in C-16.
Phys. Rev. C 66, 027302 (2002). [ external link ]

C. RUIZ, B. R. FULTON, and others (16).
Strong resonances in elastic scattering of radioactive Na-21 on protons.
Phys. Rev. C 65, 042801 (2002). [ external link ]

F. M. MARQUES, B. R. FULTON, and others (42).
Detection of neutron clusters.
Phys. Rev. C 65, 044006 (2002). [ external link ]

C. RUIZ, B. R. FULTON, and others (16).
Publisher's Note, Strong resonances in elastic scattering of radioactive Na-21 on protons (vol C 65, art no 042801 (2002).
Phys. Rev. C 65, 049901 (2002). [ external link ]

B. R. FULTON, R. J. WOOLLISCROFT, N. M. CLARKE, AND M. FREER.
Phys. Rev. C 65, 019801 (2002). [ external link ]

F. M. MARQUES, B. R. FULTON, and others (42).
Three-body correlations in Borromean halo nuclei.
Phys. Rev. C 64, 061301 (2001). [ external link ]

M. FREER, B. R. FULTON, and others (7).
The C-12(O-16,(CC)-C-12-C-12)alpha reaction at E-beam=75 MeV.
Nuclear Phys. A 694, 147-156 (2001).

P. J. LEASK, B. R. FULTON, and others (29).
Search for molecular states in C-16.
J. Phys. G-Nuclear Particle Physics 27, B9-B14 (2001).

M. FREER, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (34).
Helium breakup states in Be-10 and Be-12 (vol. 63, art. no. 034301 (2001).
Phys. Rev. C 64, 019904 (2001). [ external link ]

M. FREER, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (34).
Helium breakup states in Be-10 and Be-12.
Phys. Rev. C 63, 034301 (2001). [ external link ]

P. J. LEASK, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (14).
Breakup measurements of particle unbound states in B- 10.
Phys. Rev. C 63, 034307 (2001). [ external link ]

M. SHAWCROSS, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (11).
Angular correlations from the C-12+O-16 breakup of Si-28 and C-12+C-12 breakup of Mg-24.
Phys. Rev. C 63, 034311 (2001). [ external link ]

N. I. ASHWOOD, B. R. FULTON, D. L. WATSON, and others (14).
Evidence for a highly deformed band in C-12+O-16 breakup of Si-28.
Phys. Rev. C 63, 034315 (2001). [ external link ]

G. R. KELLY, B. R. FULTON, and others (12).
alpha breakup of Li-6 and Li-7 near the Coulomb barrier.
Phys. Rev. C 63, 024601 (2001). [ external link ]

M. LABICHE, B. R. FULTON, and others (43).
Halo structure of Be-14.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 600-603 (2001). [ external link ]

S. M. SINGER, B. R. FULTON, S. P. FOX, D. L. WATSON, and others (21).
Mechanism of the C-12(Mg-24,(CC)-C-12-C- 12)C-12 breakup reaction, Direct vs compound.
Phys. Rev. C 62, 054609 (2000). [ external link ]