Dr. Regina DeWitt

Professor

Office Location: Austin 126A
Telephone: (252) 328-4980
Email: dewittr@ecu.edu

PhD in Physics, University of Heidelberg, 2002

Interests

• Luminescence dosimetry: methods, materials, applications, and instrumentation
• TL and OSL dating of rocks and sediments
• Radiation detection and measurement
• Environmental radiation and accident dosimetry

Research Projects

My research interest is cold light. Certain minerals glow when they are slightly heated and this cold light or luminescence can be used to measure the radiation dose the crystal had absorbed. Measurement of radiation is relevant in a large variety of areas, and my research covers topics from nuclear accidents via cancer treatment to Antarctica and even Mars. In our group we develop new instrumentation for detection of thermally (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), including a dedicated setup in the Accelerator Laboratory. We study basic luminescence processes in artificial and natural minerals, and we improve methods to measure radiation exposure during medical procedures or nuclear accidents. Using luminescence to measure the natural radiation in sediments and rocks is often referred to as OSL dating, and in our TL/OSL Laboratory we have dated sediments and rocks from every continent, predominantly from Antarctica. We have helped answer questions such as “How fast is the Antarctic continent rising?” or “How did sea-levels change along the US East Coast in the past?”. Our study of radiation in permafrost has the goal of learning more about life in extreme environments, including the possibility of life on Mars. Our group consists of undergraduate and graduate students.

Courses Taught

• PHYS 1250 General Physics I
• PHYS 2350 University Physics I
• PHYS 2360 University Physics II
• PHYS 4310 Modern Optics
• PHYS 4080 Astronomy