Lucky Makhathini
De Wijnlanden
Summary
Experienced and self-motivated nuclear scientist with a blend of valuable industry and academic experience. My ability to collaborate effectively and achieve exceptional results through teamwork is proven. My corporate experience demonstrates a consistent ability to adapt quickly, work efficiently, and think creatively.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Officer: Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of the Western Cape
01.2022
- Researcher: Nuclear Structure Physics, Gamma spectroscopy and Nuclear detector technology
- Lead and manage projects
- Lecturing: First years (Class size: 157 students), second and third years (practical Coordination), Honours lecturing detector and data analysis technique
- Contribute to undergraduate and post-graduate teaching within the department
- Mentor students in experimental nuclear physics, data analysis and report writing
- Radiation safety for the Department of Physics and Astronomy
- Provide leadership in the management and development of undergraduate laboratory sessions
- Working on Vapour Deposition System for thin film material deposition
- Maintain inventories of laboratory equipment
- Oversee the administration of laboratories and demonstrators
- Use relevant educational technology in the design of undergraduate experimental activities
- Provide technical support for the maintenance of key research and teaching laboratories.
Instrumentation scientist
iThemba Laboratory Accelerator-Based Science
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Research, development and maintenance of radiation detector
- Lead and manage project projects
- Train/teach post-graduate students about different types of radiation detectors used at iThemba LABS
- Provide professional support to the construction, assembly, testing, installation, commissioning, and operation of radiation detector systems
- Apply expertise in radiation detectors
- Plan, schedule and monitor activities and provide feedback through progress reporting
- Manage the general maintenance of experimental infrastructure such as GAMKA, Soccer ball and Tape station
- Implement standard operating procedures for newly installed equipment
- Guide and support the users and undertake the installation of the existing detector systems on the beam line
- Perform appropriate maintenance of detectors or electronics
- Mentor students
- Work closely with internal scientific staff and external scientific users for the support of the detector systems
- Maintain a testing and maintenance program on detectors
- Fault finding of defective detector systems
- Use of software packages, such as MIDAS, Radware, and ROOT, for data analysis, to measure the performance of detectors
- Maintain and update documents and records for the maintenance of detectors
- Design and produce small-scale items (electronic or mechanical or software) related to detector or electronics support
- Operate high vacuum pumping systems and cryogenic systems
- Play a pivotal role in the motivation for, design and commissioning of new experimental facilities (coordinating a team and a budget)
- Be the link between the Instrumentation and IT departments and the research departments to keep detection equipment and data acquisition systems in working order
- Consult with users on requirements for approved projects and possible future experiments
- Provide regular updated reports on status of the detector and associated electronics.
Research visit
GSI-FAIR
Germany
01.2019 - 01.2019
- To learn cutting-edge technology and techniques in the field of nuclear physics detection systems
- Characterization, Assembly and Testing of prototype detector modules for mCBM experiment at FAIR Phase 0.
Junior Research Scientist
iThemba Laboratory Accelerator-Based Science
01.2014 - 01.2018
- Nuclear physics research
- Developing and building a tape station for a radioactive ion beam project
- Designing of the experimental setup
- Simulating using GEANT4 Monte Carlo method
- Helping the engineer(s) with drawing concepts
- Data collection and statistical analysis
- Experiment with design using CAD tools i.e
- Solid Edge and BricsCAD
- Improving the control system for the tape station
- Designing new pulleys for the tape station for smoother and faster acceleration when using different tape thickness's
- Experimental research
- Research methodology
- Experimental design i.e
- Preparation and performing
- Measuring the activity of radioactive sources
- Calibration of radiation detectors i.e
- Germanium detector, SiLi detector and plastic scintillator
- Data collection and statistical analysis Scientific report writing.
Research Intern
Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL)
Italy
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Developing a two-step laser ionizing for SPES project
- Testing the SPES laser-ion source by ionization of aluminium
- Calculating contaminants for SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) target
- Doing basic research on the solid-state laser (Titanium: Sapphire laser (Ti:Sa)) as well as possible ionization schemes that can be feasible for SPES elements using both Dye-laser and Ti:Sa laser.
PGDIP Program marking moderator
Univeristy of Cape town Graduate School of Business
01.2024
- Marks moderation
Education
Introduction to Data science -
Linkedin
11.2023
Postgraduate Diploma - Management Practice Specialising in Business Administration
University of Cape Town: Graduate School of Business
01.2023
Ph.D. - Nuclear Physics
University of Stellenbosch
01.2020
M.Sc - Laser/Nuclear Physics
University of Zululand
01.2012
B Sc honours - Nuclear Physics
University of Zululand
01.2010
B Sc - Chemistry
University of Zululand
01.2009
Skills
- Radiation detector handling and Maintenance
- Liquid Nitrogen handling
- Radiation source handling
- Research
- Experimentation
- Gamma-ray spectroscopy
- Data Analysis
- Laser spectroscopy
- Electron/beta spectroscopy
- Handling of laser equipment
- Vacuum technology
- Uncertainty calculation
- Radiation protection
- Laser safety
- Leadership skills
- Organizational and coordination skills
- Communication skills
- Problem-solving ability
- Good team player
- Adaptability
- Analytical thinker
- Good time management
- Creative
- Work Ethic
- Presentation skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Python
- GEANT4 (C)
- EPICS
- Control System studios
- Academic research
- Teaching
- Training
- Consultation
- Assessment and grading
- Classroom management
- Continuous learning
- Research and development
- Nuclear Physics
- MS office
- Latex
- Solid Edge
- Strong reading
- Writing and speaking competencies for English
- IsiZulu
- IsiXhosa
Miscellaneous Experience
- Awards and Achievements, Develop world leading research instrument called tape station, iThemba LABS., Best Poster presentation, SAIP, University of Stellenbosch., Graduated honors degree with Cum laude, University of Zululand., Best overall performance in Mathematics in Grade 12, Cacamezela High School.
- Certification, Learn Six Sigma: White belt, Radionuclide Calibrator National Physical Laboratory
- Leadership position, Deputy chairperson of Post Graduate Forum, iThemba LABS
- Other Achievement, Most consistent player in soccer, Cacamezela High School.
Orcid
0000-0002-0740-1195
Conference Participation
- SA-China Symposium, iThala game reserved, South Africa, 2017
- SANHAP, iThemba LABS, Cape town, South Africa, 2015
- EXON, Kaliningrand, Russia, 2014
- The first International African Symposium on Exotic Nuclei, St' Georges hotel, Cape town, Unknown
- South African Institute of Physics, Unknown, Unknown
- South African Institute of Physics, Unknown, 2011
Research Publications
- Nuclear level density and -ray strength function of 63Ni, Unknown, 2022, 10.48550/ARXIV.2207.01571
- Collective structures in 62cu, Physical Review C, Feb. 2022, 10.1103/physrevc.105.024305
- Collective rotational bands at low excitation energy in 186os: Vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom, Physical Review C, Oct. 2022, 10.1103/physrevc.106.044325
- A fast-timing array of 2" x 2" LaBr:Ce detectors for lifetime measurements of excited nuclear states, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Mar. 2022, 10.1016/j.nima.2021.166195
- Measurement of neutron production from an 18o target, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Feb. 2022, 10.1016/j.nimb.2021.12.007
- First evidence of an octupole rotational band in ge isotopes, Physical Review C, Jul. 2022, 10.1103/physrevc.106.l011303
- Structure of collective states built on the 11/2+ isomer in 187os: Quasiparticle-plus-triaxial-rotor model and interpretation as tilted-precession bands, Physical Review C, Oct. 2021, 10.1103/physrevc.104.044326
- Low- and medium-spin negative-parity bands in the 187os nucleus, Physical Review C, Feb. 2021, 10.1103/physrevc.103.024325
- Observation of the 0+ 2 and γ bands in 98Ru, and shape coexistence in the ru isotopes, Physics Letters B, Oct. 2020, 10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135762
- Shape coexistence in the ru isotopes; mutli-spectroscopic study of 98Ru and beyond-mean-field calculations, Acta Physica Polonica B, 2020, 10.5506/aphyspolb.51.799
- First application of the oslo method in inverse kinematics, The European Physical Journal A, Feb. 2020, 10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00070-7
- Encapsulated sulfur targets for light ion beam experiments, EPJ Web of Conferences, 2020, 10.1051/epjconf/202022903004
- First candidates for γ vibrational bands built on the [505] 11/2- neutrol orbital in odd-a dy isotopes, Physical Review C, Apr. 2020, 10.1103/physrevc.101.044312
- New collective structures in the 163yb nucleus, The European Physical Journal A, Oct. 2019, 10.1140/epja/i2019-12866-3
- Evolution from quasivibrational to quasirotational structure in 155tm and yrast 22/2- to 25/2- energy anamaly in the a=150 mass region mass region, Physical Review C, Apr. 2018, 10.1103/physrevc.97.044306
- Low-lying positive parity bands in 162yb, The European Physical Journal A, Oct. 2018, 10.1140/epja/i2018-12613-4
- Spectroscopic study of the possibly triaxial transitional nucleus 75ge, Physical Review C, Mar. 2018, 10.1103/physrevc.97.034322
- New systematic features in the neutron-deficient au isotopes, Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics, Jun. 2017, 10.1088/1361-6471/aa7297
- Spectroscopy of 155yb: Structure evolution in the n=85 isotones, Physical Review C, Aug. 2016, 10.1103/physrevc.94.024337
- Photo-ionization of aluminum in a hot cavity for the selective production of exotic species project, Review of Scientific Instruments, Nov. 2013, 10.1063/1.4828722
References
Available on Request
Timeline
PGDIP Program marking moderator
Univeristy of Cape town Graduate School of Business
01.2024
Chief Officer: Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of the Western Cape
01.2022
Instrumentation scientist
iThemba Laboratory Accelerator-Based Science
01.2019 - 01.2022
Research visit
GSI-FAIR
01.2019 - 01.2019
Junior Research Scientist
iThemba Laboratory Accelerator-Based Science
01.2014 - 01.2018
Research Intern
Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL)
01.2013 - 01.2014
Introduction to Data science -
Linkedin
Postgraduate Diploma - Management Practice Specialising in Business Administration
University of Cape Town: Graduate School of Business
Ph.D. - Nuclear Physics
University of Stellenbosch
M.Sc - Laser/Nuclear Physics
University of Zululand
B Sc honours - Nuclear Physics
University of Zululand
B Sc - Chemistry
University of Zululand
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