Nuclear structure
I study neutron-rich nuclei using transfer reactions in inverse kinematics and particle–gamma coincidence measurements. My doctoral research focused on ²⁶Na.
Related publicationExperimental
Nuclear Physics
Assistant Professor · Department of Physics, Harran University
I study the structure of neutron-rich nuclei, gamma-ray spectra, and materials for radiation shielding.
Research
From nuclear structure experiments to radiation measurements and shielding materials.
Gamma-ray spectroscopy
I use ROOT-based analytical and numerical methods to estimate photopeak areas and gamma-ray intensities.
Related publicationRadiation shielding
I investigate gamma-ray attenuation in coated textiles and glass using experimental measurements, XCOM calculations, and Geant4 simulations.
Related publicationResearch and academic event projects
- Nano-coated textiles and glass for gamma-ray attenuation
HUBAP · Executive researcher
- Development and investigation of smart fabrics for radiation
TÜBİTAK · Researcher / expert
- Signal processing in gamma-ray spectroscopy
Executive
- Covell and total peak area methods using ROOT
Executive
- Reaction analysis using particle and gamma-ray detector data
Executive
- Extended energy regime of ²⁶Na via transfer reactions in inverse kinematics
Executive
- 7th Internationally Participated Congress on Particle Accelerators and Applications
Executive
- Analysis of the single-particle structure of ²⁶Na
Executive
Research Questions
Questions from selected publications and what the studies found.
Does explicitly modeling the weave change predicted attenuation in CeO₂-coated cotton?
The study paired narrow-beam measurements with XCOM and two Geant4 absorber models. The homogeneous model tracked XCOM closely. Explicit textile architecture made a smaller difference under the conditions investigated.
Read the article ↗ · Radiation Physics and Chemistry
Which photon interaction dominates at different energies and atomic numbers?
The XCOM comparison found Compton scattering dominant over a broad range for the low-Z materials studied. For high-Z materials, photoelectric absorption dominated at low energies and pair production became more important at higher energies.
Read the article ↗ · Harran University Journal of Engineering · 2026
What does sodium-26 reveal about the neutron shell gap near N = 20?
The measured excitation energies and inferred spectroscopic factors broadly agreed with shell-model calculations that used a reduced N = 20 gap. Compared with aluminum-28, sodium-26 showed a larger contribution from the neutron 1p₃/₂ configuration in its low-lying negative-parity states.
Read the article · Physics Letters B · 2016
How can measuring protons and gamma rays together help distinguish overlapping nuclear states?
In the sodium-26 transfer experiment, SHARC proton measurements provided excitation-energy estimates, while the higher-resolution TIGRESS gamma-ray measurements helped distinguish overlapping features. Selecting narrow intervals of excitation energy made it possible to examine which gamma-ray peaks appeared in each interval.
Read the article · European Journal of Science and Technology · 2021
Can the choice of background model change a reported gamma-ray peak area?
Yes, in the cobalt-60 spectrum measured with NaI(Tl). In the ROOT comparison, a quadratic background fit estimated fewer background counts under the peaks and therefore gave larger net areas than the other methods. This result applies to the spectra and fits tested in the paper.
Read the article · European Journal of Science and Technology · 2022
Does using more background channels always improve a cesium-137 peak measurement?
For the isolated 661.7 keV peak in the measured NaI(Tl) spectrum, adding channels reduced the relative statistical uncertainty, with little extra gain beyond about three or four. Nearby peaks or a differently shaped background can change the choice of window.
Read the article · European Journal of Science and Technology · 2022
How did glass composition affect the shielding predicted for erbium- and dysprosium-doped glasses?
In the MCNP6.2 comparison of the tested boron aluminosilicate glass compositions, the formulation with the lowest value of the composition parameter X gave the greatest neutron protection. The study reported a similar trend for gamma rays. These rankings apply to the formulations and simulation conditions examined.
Read the article · Radiation Physics and Chemistry · 2024
Why does a shield’s material matter when estimating how far charged particles travel?
The study compared stopping powers and ranges for several particle types and materials. Its calculations relate lower stopping power over the particle’s energy-loss path to a longer range within the same medium. The study also highlights the Bragg peak for protons and alpha particles, where energy deposition rises near the end of their paths.
Read the article · The European Physical Journal Plus · 2025
Publications
Journal articles, conference papers, and the book contribution listed in the CV.
No publications match your search.
- DOI
Morphology-aware evaluation of gamma-ray attenuation in CeO2-coated cotton gabardine fabric through integrated experimental measurements, XCOM calculations and Geant4 simulations
Radiation Physics and Chemistry
- DOI
Systematic Comparison of Photon Interaction Cross-Sections from Low-Z to High-Z Materials Using Dominance Graphs for Gamma-Ray Shielding
Harran University Journal of Engineering
- DOI
Enhanced gamma-ray attenuation and interfacial chemical bonding in cerium oxide-coated textiles
Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids
- DOI
Analysis of ionizing charged-particle shielding and range: compilation for space exploration, medical physics, and nuclear safety
The European Physical Journal Plus
- DOI
Case Study of Er- and Dy-doped Boron-Aluminosilicate Glasses on Radiation Shielding Performance in the Energy Range 0.015-10MeV with MCNP6.2
Radiation Physics and Chemistry
- DOI
Signal Processing in Gamma-ray Spectroscopy
AIP conference proceedings 2872
- DOI
Case Study of 137Cs: Optimizing Counting Conditions with Different Background Region Width Selection
European Journal of Science and Technology
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Determination of Gamma-Ray Abundance in Photopeaks with Analytic and Numeric Approaches via CERN’s ROOT Analysis Framework
European Journal of Science and Technology
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A Novel Method of Analyzing a Reaction Using Particle and Gamma-ray Detectors
European Journal of Science and Technology
- DOI
The Usage of ROOT in Analyzing Gamma-rays with Covell and Total Peak Area Methods
European Journal of Science and Technology
- DOI
Assessment of Environmental Radioactivity and Health Hazard in Soil, Water, and Stone Samples in Siverek Town of Sanliurfa Province in Southeastern Turkey
Procedia Computer Science
- DOI
The extended energy regime of 26Na via transfer reaction in inverse kinematics
AIP conference proceedings
- DOI
Gamma-ray angular distribution analysis of transfer reaction data for excited states of 26Na
AIP conference proceedings
- Book
Determination of Natural Radioactivity for Agricultural Products in The Karaali Region of Sanlıurfa Province
ISBN: 978-605-7875-20-4
- DOI
Shell evolution approaching the N = 20 island of inversion: Structure of 26Na
Physics Letters B
- DOI
Experimental study of high-lying states in 28Mg using the resonant elastic scattering of alpha particles
Physical Review C
- DOI
Structure of 26Na via a Novel Technique Using (d,p ) with a Radioactive 25Na Beam
Acta Physica Polonica B
- DOI
Investigating Single-Particle Structure in 26Na Using the New SHARC Array
JPS Conference Proceedings
- DOI
The thick target inverse kinematics technique with a large acceptance silicon detector array
Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Teaching
I teach physics by connecting theory, computational modelling, and experimental data.
Teaching Philosophy
I teach physics as a practice of inquiry. Students use theory to make predictions, build models, and compare what those models predict with what they measure. In my courses, that can mean applying statistics to radiation measurements or using a computational model to explore how waves behave.
I introduce quantitative analysis with accessible tools such as Excel and develop it further with C++, ROOT, and Geant4. In open-ended projects drawn from my research, students can simulate photon attenuation in shielding materials or analyse gamma-ray spectra. I ask them to explain their assumptions, evaluate uncertainty, and document their work so someone else can reproduce it.
I introduce AI as a tool for troubleshooting code and refining algorithms. I ask students to check computational results, including AI-assisted work, against physical expectations and experimental evidence. My goal is for students to design and carry out investigations independently and communicate what their results support.
Master’s thesis supervision
Kadir Dağlı (2022). Analytical and numerical analysis of photopeak intensity in gamma-ray spectroscopy using different algorithms.
Courses taught
2015–2024
Undergraduate
Nuclear Physics I–II · Radiation Physics · Statistical Physics · Thermodynamics · Waves and Oscillations · Programming Languages I–II · Computer Applications in Physics I–II · Physics I–II and laboratories · Calculus I–II · Introduction to Modern Physics · Information Technologies · Graduation Project · Seminar
Graduate
Nuclear Physics I–II · Nuclear Radiation Measurement Methods I–II · Spectroscopic Methods and Applications · Radiation and Matter Interactions and Simulations · Data Analysis I–II · Specialization courses and thesis advising
Academic CV
- Assistant Professor · Harran University
Department of Physics, Nuclear Physics
- Vice Head of the Department of Physics
Harran University
- Lecturer · Harran University
Department of Physics, Nuclear Physics
- PhD in Experimental Nuclear Physics · University of Surrey
A Particle–γ Coincidence Study of ²⁶Na Using the Transfer Reaction ²⁵Na(d,pγ)²⁶Na
Supervisor · Prof. Wilton N. Catford
- Bachelor’sPhysics Education · Dokuz Eylül University
International experiments
During my PhD, I participated in nuclear physics experiments at TRIUMF in Canada, GANIL in France, and GSI in Germany.
Doctoral funding
Doctoral scholarship from the Ministry of National Education of Türkiye, 2009–2015.
Physics Library
Explore four paths from introductory physics to experimental nuclear physics. Each path includes a short explanation to get you started.
Foundations of Physics
Start here if you are new to university physics.
- Measurement, units and vectors
- Motion, forces and Newton’s laws
- Work, energy, momentum and rotation
- Oscillations, waves and sound
- Heat, temperature and entropy
- Electricity, magnetism and circuits
- Light, interference and diffraction
- Relativity, photons and matter waves
How are wave speed, frequency and wavelength related?
Wave speed equals frequency times wavelength, v = fλ. If the wave travels at 12 m/s and repeats three times per second, its wavelength is 4 m. At the same speed, doubling the frequency halves the wavelength.
Nuclear Physics
Explore what holds nuclei together and how they change.
- Nuclear size, mass and binding energy
- Nuclear forces and the shell model
- Radioactive decay and half-life
- Alpha, beta and gamma transitions
- Nuclear reactions and reaction energy
- Fission and fusion
What does a half-life tell us?
A half-life is the time over which the expected number of undecayed nuclei drops by half. If a sample starts with 800 nuclei and no new nuclei are added, about 200 are expected to remain after two half-lives. The decay time of an individual nucleus is random.
Radiation and Detectors
Follow radiation from its interaction with matter to a measurable signal.
- Charged-particle energy loss and range
- Photon interactions and attenuation
- Gas-filled and scintillation detectors
- Semiconductor detectors and neutron detection
- Pulse processing, dead time and counting uncertainty
- Background and detector efficiency
Why do repeated counts differ?
For independent events at a steady rate, counts in equal time intervals follow a Poisson distribution. If an interval yields about 100 counts, the estimated counting standard deviation is about 10 counts. With about 10,000 counts, the relative counting uncertainty falls from about 10% to about 1%.
Gamma-Ray Spectrometry
Learn how to interpret a gamma-ray spectrum and quantify its peaks.
- Full-energy peaks and the Compton continuum
- Energy calibration and resolution
- Peak areas and background subtraction
- Efficiency calibration and activity estimation
- Coincidence summing and measurement geometry
- Quality checks and environmental spectra
What does a full-energy peak represent?
A full-energy peak is formed by events in which a gamma photon deposits all its energy in the detector. Its position, after energy calibration, estimates the photon energy. Its area above the background estimates the number of full-energy events recorded.
Planned project
Interactive simulations
I plan to create a resource for students and teachers worldwide that explains physics concepts through browser-based simulations.
Planned topics
- Waves and oscillations
- Radioactive decay
- Gamma-ray attenuation
Reading references
- Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J. Fundamentals of Physics · 9th ed. · Instructor’s solution manual
- Krane, K. S. Introductory Nuclear Physics · Wiley, 1988
- Tsoulfanidis, N., & Landsberger, S. Measurement and Detection of Radiation · 4th ed.
- Gilmore, G. R. Practical Gamma-Ray Spectrometry · 2nd ed.