irina stefanescu

Irina Stefanescu

Detector Scientist

Research Interests

Dr. Irina Stefanescu defended her PhD in nuclear structure studies by gamma-spectroscopy at the Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Germany. After graduation, she has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Nuclear and Radiation Physics (IKS), University of Leuven, Belgium, and in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, with scientific residence at Argonne National Laboratory, USA. There she has performed researchers on the structure of atomic nuclei populated by Coulomb excitation, beta-decay, fragmentation and deep-inelastic reactions. I.S. is a former member of the EUROBALL, MINIBALL/REX-ISOLDE and GAMMASPHERE collaborations.

Since 2008 Dr. Stefanescu’s research interest focuses on the development of new technologies for large area neutron detectors. She has designed, built and characterized a novel thermal neutron detector based on stacked MWPCs with 10B-coated macrostructured cathodes. In 2014 she became a core member of the ESS Detector Group, which must provide detector R&D, support the In-Kind partners selected to build high-quality detectors for the ESS instruments, supervise their integration into the instrument, and ensure the maintenance of the detector systems. I.S. is also the contact scientist for the detectors for the future neutron diffractometers at ESS.

  • R&D of new detector technologies for thermal neutrons and gas detectors
  • Monte-Carlo simulation of detector systems
  • Neutron diffraction
  • Nuclear structure studies by gamma-ray spectroscopy

      

Selected Publications

2017

 I. Stefanescu, M. Christensen, J. Fenske, R. Hall-Wilton, P. F. Henry, O. Kirstein, M. Müller, G. Nowak, D. Pooley, D. Raspino, N. Rhodes, J. Šaroun, J. Schefer, E. Schooneveld, J. Sykora, W. Schweika, Neutron detectors for the ESS diffractometers,  IOP Journal of Instrumentation, JINST 12 (2017) P01019.

2013

  • I. Stefanescu, Y. Abdullahi, J. Birch, I. Defendi, R. Hall-Wilton, C. Höglund, L. Hultman, M. Zee, K. Zeitelhack, A 10B-based detector with macrostructured multilayers for neutron scattering applications, IOP Journal of Instrumentation, JINST 8(2013) P12003.
  • I. Stefanescu, Y. Abdullahi, J. Birch, I. Defendi, R. Hall-Wilton, C. Höglund, L. Hultman, D. Seiler, K. Zeitelhack, Development of a novel macrostructured cathode for large-area neutron detectors based on the 10B-containing solid converter,
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 727, 109 (2013).
  • 2009
  • I. Stefanescu, W. B. Walters, R. V. F. Janssens, N. Hoteling, R. Broda, M. P. Carpenter, B. Fornal, A. A. Hecht, W. Krolas, T. Lauritsen, T. Pawlat, D. Seweryniak, J. R. Stone, X. Wang, A. Wohr, J. Wrzesinski, S. Zhu,
Levels above the 19/2- isomer in 71Cu: Persistence of the N=40 neutron shell gap,
Physical Review C 79, 034319 (2009).
  • I. Stefanescu, D. Pauwels, N. Bree, T. E. Cocolios, J. Diriken, S. Franchoo, M. Huyse, O. Ivanov, Y. Kudryavtsev, N. Patronis, J. Van de Walle, P. Van Duppen, W. B. Walters,
Evidence for a β-decaying ½- isomer in 71Ni,
Physical Review C 79, 044325 (2009).
  • I. Stefanescu, W. B. Walters, R. V. F. Janssens, S. Zhu, R. Broda, M. P. Carpenter, C. J. Chiara, B. Fornal, B. P. Kay, F. G. Kondev, W. Krolas, T. Lauritsen, C. J. Lister, E. A. McCutchan, T. Pawlat, D. Seweryniak, J. R. Stone, N. J. Stone, J. Wrzesinski,
Identification of the g9/2- proton bands in the neutron-rich 69,71,73,75Ga nuclei, Physical Review C 79, 064302 (2009).
  • I. Stefanescu, W. B. Walters, P. F. Mantica, B. A. Brown, A. D. Davies, A. Estrade, P. T. Hosmer, N. Hoteling, S. N. Liddick, W. D. M. Rae, T. J. Mertzimekis, F. Montes, A. C. Morton, W. F. Mueller, M. Ouellette, E. Pellegrini, P. Santi, D. Seweryniak, H. Schatz, J. Shergur, A. Stolz, J. R. Stone and B. E. Tomlin,
Spectroscopy of exotic 121,123,125Ag produced in fragmentation reactions, European Physics Journal A 42, 3, 407 (2009).
  • I. Stefanescu, G. Georgiev, D.L. Balabanski, N. Blasi, A. Blazhev, N. Bree, J. Cederkäll, T. E. Cocolios, T. Davinson, J. Diriken, J. Eberth, A. Ekström, D. Fedorov, V.N. Fedosseev, L.M. Fraile, S. Franchoo, K. Gladnishki, M. Huyse, O. Ivanov, V. Ivanov, J. Iwanicki, J. Jolie, T. Konstantinopoulos, Th. Kröll, R. Krücken, U. Köster, A. Lagoyannis, G. Lo Bianco, P. Maierbeck, B.A. Marsh, P. Napiorkowski, N. Patronis, D. Pauwels, G. Rainovski, P. Reiter, K. Riisager, M. Seliverstov, G. Sletten, J. Van de Walle, P. Van Duppen, D. Voulot, N. Warr, F. Wenander, K. Wrzosek, Interplay between single-particle and collective effects in the odd-A Cu isotopes beyond N=40, Physical Review Letters, 100, 112502 (2008)
  • 2008
  • I. Stefanescu, G. Georgiev, D.L. Balabanski, N. Blasi, A. Blazhev, N. Bree, J. Cederkäll, T. E. Cocolios, T. Davinson, J. Diriken, J. Eberth, A. Ekström, D. Fedorov, V.N. Fedosseev, L.M. Fraile, S. Franchoo, K. Gladnishki, M. Huyse, O. Ivanov, V. Ivanov, J. Iwanicki, J. Jolie, T. Konstantinopoulos, Th. Kröll, R. Krücken, U. Köster, A. Lagoyannis, G. Lo Bianco, P. Maierbeck, B.A. Marsh, P. Napiorkowski, N. Patronis, D. Pauwels, G. Rainovski, P. Reiter, K. Riisager, M. Seliverstov, G. Sletten, J. Van de Walle, P. Van Duppen, D. Voulot, N. Warr, F. Wenander, K. Wrzosek, Interplay between single-particle and collective effects in the odd-A Cu isotopes beyond N=40, Physical Review Letters, 100, 112502 (2008)
  • 2007
  • I. Stefanescu, A. Gelberg, J. Jolie, P. Van Isacker, P. von Brentano, Y. X. Luo, S. J. Zhu, J. O. Rasmussen, J. H. Hamilton, A. V. Ramayya, X. L. Che,
IBM-1 description of the fission products 108,110,112Ru,
Nuclear Physics A 789, 125 (2007).
  • I. Stefanescu, G. Georgiev, F. Ames, J. Aystö, D.L. Balabanski, G. Bollen, P. Butler, J. Cederkall, T. Davinson, A. De Maesschalck, P. Delahaye, J. Eberth, D. Fedorov, V. N. Fedoseyev, L. M. Fraile, S. Franchoo, K. Gladnishki, D. Habs, K. Heyde, M. Huyse, O. Ivanov, J. Iwanicki, J. Jolie, B. Jonson, Th. Kröll, R. Krücken, U. Köster, A. Lagoyannis, L. Liljeby, G. Lo Bianco, B. A. Marsh, O. Niedermaier, M. Oinonen, G. Pascovici, P. Reiter, A. Saltarelli, H. Scheit, D. Schwalm, T. Sieber, N. Smirnova, J. Van de Walle, P. Van Duppen, N. Warr, D. Weisshaar, F. Wenander, Coulomb excitation of 68,70Cu; first use of post-accelerated isomeric beams, Physical Review Letters 98, 122701 (2007).
  • 2004
  • I. Stefanescu, J. Eberth, G. Gersch, T. Steinhardt, O. Thelen, N. Warr, D. Weisshaar, B. G. Carlsson, I. Ragnarsson, G. de Angelis, T. Martinez, A. Jungclaus, R. Schwengner, K. P. Lieb, E. A. Stefanova, D. Curien, High-spin states and band termination in 69As.
Physical Review C 70, 044304 (2004).
  • I. Stefanescu, J. Eberth, G. de Angelis, N. Warr, G. Gersch, T. Steinhardt, O. Thelen, D. Weisshaar, T. Martinez, A. Jungclaus, R. Schwengner, K. P. Lieb, E. A. Stefanova, D. Curien and A. Gelberg,
Level structure of 69Se,
Physical Review C 69, 034333 (2004).
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Career History

Work experience

  • since 2014   Neutron Detector Scientist, ESS, Sweden.
  • 2011 – 2014  Researcher in the Detector and Electronics Group, FRM2, Technische Universität, Germany.
  • 2009 – 2011  Research scientist, Bubble Technology Industries, Canada.
  • 2007 – 2009  Visiting Researcher in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland/Argonne National Laboratory, USA.
  • 2004 – 2007  Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Nuclear Structure Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

  • 2000 – 2004  Graduate Research Assistant in the Nuclear Structure Group, University of Cologne, Germany.

  • 1998 – 2000  Research Assistant at the Tandem Laboratory, National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Romania.

Education

  • 2004 - PhD in experimental nuclear physics, University of Cologne, Germany.
  • 1999 - M.Sc. in nuclear physics, University of Bucharest, Romania.
  • 1998 - B.Sc. in physics and engineering, University of Bucharest, Romania.