Background and Research Interests

Wei Jia joined LLNL in 2018 as a Lawrence Fellow. Her main research interests are in nuclear astrophysics, particularly the nucleosynthesis of elements in the cosmos as well as nuclear reactions which take place atop or within accreting neutron star crusts. Her work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory combines low-energy nuclear physics experiments, performed at facilities such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University and the ATLAS facility at Argonne National Laboratory, with microanalytic isotopic analyses of meteoric presolar grains performed in-house. Additionally, she utilizes nucleosynthesis network codes to investigate the impact of improved nuclear reaction rates on predicted elemental and isotopic abundances and to place constraints on astrophysical conditions in these environments.

Ph.D., Physics, Michigan State University, 2018

B.A., Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, 2013

1. W.-J. Ong, H. Schatz, K. Kravvaris et al. “beta-delayed neutron emission of ⁶⁴Mn, ⁶²Cr, and ⁶⁵Fe” (2024) Phys. Rev. C 110, 024321
2. K. Kolos, N. D. Scielzo et al. “Precise measurements of the gamma-ray intensities following the beta decay of ¹⁴⁴Ce and ¹⁴⁷Nd” (2024) Phys. Rev. C 110, 024307
3. C. Fougères, M. L. Avila, H. Jayatissa et al. “Direct cross-section measurement of the weak r-process ⁸⁸Sr(a,n)⁹¹Zr reaction in neutrino-driven winds of core-collapse supernovae” (2024) Phys. Rev. C 109, 065805
4. I. Cox, Z. Y. Xu, R. Grzywacz, W.-J. Ong et al. “Proton shell gaps in N = 28 nuclei from the first complete spectroscopy study with FRIB decay station initiator” (2024) Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 152503
5. W. W. von Seeger, P. A. DeYoung, A. Spyrou et al. “Beta-decay feeding intensity distribution of ⁶⁴Mn” (2024) Phys. Rev. C 109, 044312
6. I. T. Yandow, et al. “Mass measurement of ²⁷P to constrain type-I x-ray burst models and validate the isobaric multiplet mass equation for the A = 27, T= 3/2 isospin quartet” (2023) Phys. Rev. C 108, 065802
7. R. Jain, E. F. Brown, H. Schatz et al. “Impact of pycnonuclear fusion uncertainties on the cooling of accreting neutron star crusts” (2023) ApJ 955 51
8. H. Jayatissa, M. L. Avila, K. E. Rehm et al. “Study of the ²²Mg waiting point relevant for x-ray burst nucleosynthesis via the 22Mg(a,p)25Al reaction” (2023) Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 112701
9. R. S. Lubna, S. N. Liddick, T. H. Ogunbeku et al. “Beta decay of ³⁶Mg and ³⁶Al: Identification of a beta-decaying isomer in ³⁶Al” (2023) Phys. Rev. C 108, 014329
10. T. J. Gray, J. M. Allmond, Z. Xu et al. “Microsecond Isomer at the N=20 island of shape inversion observed at FRIB” (2023) Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 242501
11. J. Browne, K. A. Chipps, K. Schmidt et al. “First direct measurement constraining the ³⁴Ar(a,p)³⁷K reaction cross section for mixed hydrogen and helium burning in accreting neutron stars” (2023) Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 212701
12. H. Crawford, et al. “Crossing N=28 Toward the Neutron Drip Line: First Measurement of Half-Lives at FRIB” (2022) Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 212501
13. R. Trappitsch, D. Z. Shulaker, W.-J. Ong et al. “Resonance Ionization of Zirconium” (2022) Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08581-x
14. D. Puentes, Z. Meisel et al. “High precision mass measurement of 24Si and a final determination of the rp-process at the A=22 waiting point.” (2022) Phys. Rev. C. 106, L012801
15. W.-J. Ong, M. Avila et al. “Measurement of the 100Mo(α,xn) reaction rate with MUSIC” (2022) Phys. Rev. C 105, 055803
16. M. Saxena, W.-J. Ong, Z. Meisel et al. “57Zn β-delayed proton emission establishes the 56Ni rp-process waiting point bypass” (2022) Phys. Lett. B 829, 137059
17. S. Hallam et al. “Exploiting Isospin Symmetry to Study the Role of Isomers in Stellar Environments.” (2021) Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 042701
18. K. Kolos et al. “New approach to precisely measure γ-ray intensities for long-lived fission products, with results for the decay of 95Zr” (2021) NIM A 1000, 165240
19. J. Gombas et al. “β-decay feeding intensity distributions for 103,104mNb” (2021) Phys. Rev. C 103, 035803
20. A. C. Dombos et al. “Total Absorption Spectroscopy of the β decay of 101,102Zr and 109Tc” Phys. Rev. C. (2021) Phys. Rev. C 103, 025810
21. W.-J. Ong et al. “β-decay of 61V and its Role in Cooling Accreted Neutron Star Crusts" (2020) Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 262701
22. C. Wolf, C. Langer, F. Montes, J. Pereira, W.-J. Ong, et al. “Constraining the Neutron Star Compactness: Extraction of the 23Al(p,γ) Reaction Rate for the rp Process” (2019) Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 232701
23. B.E. Glassman et al. “Doppler broadening in 20Mg(βpγ)19Ne decay.” (2019) Phys. Rev. C 99, 065801.
24. A.C. Dombos et al. “Beta-deacy half-lives of neutron-rich nuclides in the A = 100-110 mass region.” (2019) Phys. Rev. C 99, 015802.
25. K. Schmidt et al. “Status of the JENSA gas-jet target for experiments with rare isotope beams.” (2018) NIM A 911 1-9.
26. W-J. Ong, A. A. Valverde, M. Brodeur et al. “Mass measurement of 51Fe for the determination of the 51Fe(p,γ)52Co reaction rate.” (2018) Phys. Rev. C 98, 065803.
27. B. E. Glassman et al. “β-delayed γ decay of 20Mg and the 19Ne(p,γ)20Na breakout reaction in Type I X-ray bursts.” (2018) Phys. Lett. B 778: 397-402.
28. A. A. Valverde, M. Brodeur et al. “High-precision mass measurement of 56Cu and the redirection of the rp-process flow.” (2018) Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 032701. Erratum (2019) Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 239905.
29. K. Miki, R. G. T. Zegers et al. “Isovector excitations in 100Nb and their decays by neutron emission studied via the Mo100(t,He3 + n) reaction at 115 MeV/u” (2017) Phys. Lett. B. 769: 339-344.
30. C. Wolf et al. “Constraining the rp-process by measuring 23Al(d,n)24Si with GRETINA and LENDA at NSCL.” (2017) EPJ Web of conferences 165:01055.
31. W-J. Ong, C. Langer and F. Montes et al. “Low-lying level structure of 56Cu and its implications on the rp-process” (2017) Phys. Rev. C 95, 055806.
32. K. Schmidt, K. Chipps et al. “X-ray burst studies with the JENSA gas jet target”. (2017) Proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos 021107.
33. C. Wrede, B. E. Glassman, D. Perez-Loureiro et al. “New portal to the 15O(α,γ)19Ne resonance triggering CNO-cycle breakout” (2017) Phys Rev. C 96, 032801(R).
34. H. Schatz and W-J. Ong “Dependence of X-ray Burst Models on Nuclear Masses” (2017) Ap. J. 844:139.
35. M. B. Bennett and C. Wrede et al. “Isospin Mixing Reveals 30P(p ,γ )31S Resonance Influencing Nova Nucleosynthesis” (2016) Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 102502.
36. M. B. Bennett and C. Wrede et al. “Isobaric multiplet mass equation in the A=31, T=3/2 quartets” (2016) Phys. Rev. C 93, 064310.
37. B. E. Glassman, D. Pérez-Loureiro, and C. Wrede et al. “Revalidation of the isobaric multiplet mass equation for the A =20 quintet” (2015) Phys. Rev. C 92, 042501.
38. W. Ong and C. Floss. “Iron isotopic measurements in presolar silicate and oxide grains from the Acfer 094 ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite” (2015) MAPS. 50, 1392.
39. A. J. Westphal et al. “Final reports of the Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination” (2014) MAPS. 49, 1720.
40. A. J. Westphal and R.M. Stroud et al. “Evidence for interstellar origin of seven dust particles collected by the Stardust spacecraft” (2014) Science 345, 786.
41. C. Floss et al. “The Abundance of Presolar Grains in Comet 81P/Wild 2” (2014) Ap.J. 763, 140.

2021	FRIB achievement award for early career researchers
2021	Outstanding Post-doctoral Scholar Award, LLNL Physical and Life Sciences directorate
2018-2021	Lawrence Fellow, LLNL
2018	Sherwood K. Haynes Outstanding Dissertation Defence Award, MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy
2016	Alfred J. and Ruth Zeits Endowed Research Fellowship, MSU College of Natural Sciences
2013-2018	National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory Graduate Fellowship, NSCL