Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Languages
List of peer-reviewed publications
Timeline
Generic

THUTHUKILE CHARMANE KHUMALO

Summary

Dedicated physicist with a PhD. in Experimental Nuclear Physics specializing in Nuclear Structure. Experienced in teaching at various academic levels, supervising postgraduate research, and contributing to group research projects resulting in proceedings publications. Strong expertise in experimental physics, simulation and modeling, nuclear safety, and laboratory protocols. Presented award-winning research at international conferences and actively involved in academic governance.

Overview

Work History

Postdoc Fellowship

NRF-iThemba LABS
Cape Town
06.2024 - Current
  • Contributed to the installation of the MAGNEX Focal Plane Detector (FPD) at iThemba LABS, intended for use with the K600 magnetic spectrometer. This will involve testing the K600’s performance with a low-pressure FPD, as a precursor to the development of a new FPD. The FPD will also be utilized in heavy-ion beam experiments under the NUMEN project. This project was executed in collaboration with Prof. F. Cappuzzello (INFN-LNS, Italy) and the NUMEN project team.
  • Currently contributing to the testing of a prototype FPD using an alpha source, followed by proton and alpha beam tests from the 3 MV Tandetron at iThemba LABS. This FPD will be used with the K600 magnetic spectrometer once the MAGNEX FPD is returned to INFN-LNS.
  • Collaboration on a project to assess efficacy of Muon Imaging for discovery of unknown subterranean spaces in the COHWHS. This project is led by Dr Marco Bruschi at INFN-Bologna and comprises of a collaboration between INFN-Bologna, INFN-Firenze,
  • Actively involved in the PANDORA collaboration and will be facilitating hands-on sessions for the upcoming INTPART School, organized in collaboration with international universities and research facilities.
  • Students co-supervision (Honors)
  • Mentoring Students (MSc and Honors)

Education

Ph.D. - Experimental Nuclear Physics

University of The Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg South Africa
04-2024

Master of Science - Nuclear Physics

University of Zululand
KwaDlangezwa, South Africa
05-2020

Bachelor of Science - Honors in Nuclear Physics

University of Zululand
KwaDlangezwa,South Africa
05-2018

Bachelor of Science - Physics & Chemistry

University of Zululand
KwaDlangezwa,South Africa

Skills

  • Course Development
  • Research Supervision
  • Educational Pedagogy
  • Experimental Physics Proficiency
  • Radiation Physics Expertise
  • Proficient in Python, C, nuclear reaction codes,
  • Engagement in Academic Governance
  • Nuclear Regulatory Compliance
  • Simulation and Modeling
  • Experimental Design
  • Science Communication
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Solid State Physics
  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Scientific Communication
  • Quantitative Analysis
  • Nuclear Safety Regulations
  • Radiation Protection
  • Laboratory Safety
  • Project Management
  • Data Analysis
  • Spectrometry
  • Innovative Thinking
  • Data Interpretation
  • Radiation Detection
  • Neutron Physics
  • Nuclear Waste Management
  • Gamma Detectors
  • Computer Modeling
  • Ethical Integrity
  • Quality Assurance
  • Risk Management
  • Chemistry
  • Conceptual Design
  • Collaborative Research
  • Quantum Computing
  • Computational Physics
  • High-Performance Computing (HPC)
  • Machine Learning in Physics
  • Theoretical Physics
  • Advanced Data Visualization
  • Advanced Statistical Mechanics
  • Cryogenics
  • Photonics
  • Collider Physics
  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Teaching
  • Organizational Skills
  • Social Networks
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Empathy
  • Collaboration
  • Adaptability
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Communication Skills
  • Cultural Sensitivity
  • Time Management
  • Lifelong Learning

Accomplishments

  • June 2023 Best Young Researcher award at the 7th International Conference on Collective Motion in Nuclei under Extreme Conditions (COMEX7 )
  • July 2021 Best PhD oral presentation at SAIP under the Nuclear Physics division
  • June 2019 Best MSc poster presentation at SAIP under the Nuclear Physics division
  • October 2018 Best MSc poster award at the 6th International Conference on Collective Motion in Nuclei under Extreme Conditions (COMEX6 )
  • June 2018 Best MSc oral presentation at SAIP under the Nuclear Physics division
  • March 2017 Vice Chancellor Merit Award for Physics (Honors

Languages

IsiZulu
First Language
English
Advanced (C1)
C1

List of peer-reviewed publications

1. Isoscalar giant monopole resonance in 24Mg and 28Si: Effect of coupling between the

isoscalar monopole and quadrupole strength A. Bahini, V. O. Nesterenko, I. T. Usman, P. von Neumann-Cosel, R. Neveling, J. Carter, J. Kvasil, A. Repko, P. Adsley, N. Botha, J. W. Br̈ummer, L. M. Donaldson, S. Jongile, T. C. Khumalo, M. B. Latif, K. C. W. Li, P. Z. Mabika, P. T. Molema, C. S. Moodley, S. D. Olorunfunmi, P. Papka, L. Pellegri, B. Rebeiro, E. Sideras-Haddad, F. D. Smit, S. Triambak, and J.J. van Zyl Phys. Rev. C 105 (2022) 024311

2. Isoscalar giant monopole strength in 58Ni, 90 Zr,120 Sn, and 208Pb A. Bahini, R. Neveling, P. von Neumann-Cosel, J. Carter, I.T. Usman, P. Adsley, N. Botha, J.W. Br ̈ummer, L.M. Donaldson, S. Jongile, T.C. Khumalo, M.B. Latif, K.C.W. Li, P.Z. Mabika, P.T. Molema, C.S. Moodley, S. Olorunfunmi, P. Papka, L. Pellegri, B. Rebeiro, E. Sideras-Haddad, F.D. Smit, S. Triambak, M. Wiedeking, and J.J. van Zyl Phys. Rev. C 107 (2023) 034312

3. PANDORA Project for the study of photonuclear reactions below A = 60 A. Tamii, L. Pellegri, P.-A. Sderstrm, D. Allard, S. Goriely, T. Inakura, E. Khan, E. Kido, M. Kimura, E. Litvinova, S. Nagataki, P. von Neumann-Cosel, N. Pietralla, N. Shimizu, N. Tsoneva, Y. Utsuno, S. Adachi, P. Adsley, A. Bahini, D. Balabanski, B. Baret, J. A. C. Bekker, S. D. Binda, E. Boicu, A. Bracco, I. Brandherm, M. Brezeanu, J. W. Brummer, F. Camera, F. C. L. Crespi, R. Dalal, L. M. Donaldson, Y. Fujikawa, T. Furuno, H. Haoning, R. Higuchi, Y. Honda, A. Gavrilescu, A. Inoue, J. Isaak, H. Jivan, P. Jones, S. Jongile, O. Just, T. Kawabata, T. Khumalo, J. Kiener, J. Kleemann, N. Kobayashi, Y. Koshio, A. Kuolu, K. C. W. Li, K. L. Malatji, R. E. Molaeng, H. Motoki, M. Murata, A. A. Netshiya, R. Neveling, R. Niina, S. Okamoto, S. Ota, O. Papst, E. Parizot, T. Petruse, M. S. Reen, P. Ring, K. Sakanashi, E. Sideras-Haddad, S. Siem, M. Spall, T. Suda, T. Sudo, Y. Taniguchi, V. Tatischeff, H. Utsunomiya, H. Wang, V. Werner, H. Wibowo, M.

Wiedeking, O. Wieland, Y. Xu, and Z. H. Yang (PANDORA Collaboration) Eur. Phys. J. A. 59 (2023) 208

4. Fine structure of the isoscalar giant monopole resonance in 58Ni, 90Zr, 120Sn and 208Pb

A. Bahini, P. von Neumann-Cosel, J. Carter, I. T. Usman, N. N. Arsenyev, A. P. Severyukhin, E. Litvinova, R. W. Fearick, R. Neveling, P. Adsley, N. Botha, J. W. Brmmer, L.M. Donaldson, S. Jongile, T. C. Khumalo, M. B. Latif, K. C. W. Li, P. Z. Mabika, P. T. Molema, C. S. Moodley, S. D. Olorunfunmi, P. Papka, L. Pellegri, B. Rebeiro, E. Sideras-Haddad, F. D. Smit, S. Triambak, M. Wiedeking, and J. J. van Zyl Phys. Rev. C 109 (2024) 014325

5. Low- and medium-spin negative-parity bands in the nucleus

MA Sithole, JF Sharpey Schafer, EA Lawrie, SNT Majola, A Kardan, TD Bucher, JJ Lawrie, L Mdletshe, SS Ntshangase, AA Netshiya, P Jones, L Makhathini, KL Malatji, PL Masiteng, I Ragnarsson, B Maqabuka, J Ndayishimye, O Shirinda, BR Zikhali, S Jongile, G O'Neill, L Msebi, PM Someketa, D Kenfack, SH Mthembu, TC Khumalo, MV Chisapi Physical Review C 103 (2), 024325

6. A focus on selected perspectives of the NUMEN project

Manuela Cavallaro, Clementina Agodi, JI Bellone, S Brasolin, GA Brischetto, MP Bussa, S Calabrese, D Calvo, L Campajola, V Capirossi, F Cappuzzello, D Carbone, I Ciraldo, M Colonna, C De Benedictis, G De Gregorio, F Delaunay, F Dumitrache, C Ferraresi, P Finocchiaro, M Fisichella, S Gallian, D Gambacurta, EM Gandolfo, A Gargano, M Giovannini, F Iazzi, G Lanzalone, A Lavagno, P Mereu, L Neri, L Pandola, R Panero, R Persiani, F Pinna, AD Russo, G Russo, E Santopinto, D Sartirana, O Sgouros, VR Sharma, V Soukeras, A Spatafora, D Torresi, S Tudisco, LH Avanzi, EN Cardozo, EF Chinaglia, KM Costa, JL Ferreira, R Linares, J Lubian, SH Masunaga, NH Medina, M Moralles, JRB Oliveira, TM Santarelli, RBB Santos, MA Guazzelli, VAB Zagatto, S Koulouris, A Pakou, G Souliotis, L Acosta, P Amador-Valenzuela, R Bijker, ER Chávez Lomelí, H Garcia-Tecocoatzi, A Huerta Hernandez, DJ Marín-Lámbarri, H Vargas Hernandez, RG Villagrán, I Boztosun, H Dapo, CANEL Eke, S Firat, AYLİN Hacisalihoglu, Y Kucuk, SO Solakcı, A Yildirim, N Auerbach, S Burrello, H Lenske, J Isaak, N Pietralla, V Werner, JA Lay, H Petrascu, J Ferretti, J Kotila, LM Donaldson, T Khumalo, R Neveling, L Pellegri

Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2340 (1), 012036

7. Structure of collective states built on the  isomer in : Quasiparticle-plus-triaxial-rotor model and interpretation as tilted-precession bands

MA Sithole, EA Lawrie, L Mdletshe, SNT Majola, A Kardan, TD Bucher, JF Sharpey-Schafer, JJ Lawrie, SS Ntshangase, AA Avaa, RA Bark, MV Chisapi, P Jones, S Jongile, D Kenfack, TC Khumalo, L Makhathini, KL Malatji, B Maqabuka, SH Mthembu, L Msebi, AA Netshiya, G O'Neill, O Shirinda, PM Someketa, BR Zikhali Physical Review C 104 (4), 044326

8. New high intensity Heavy-Ion beams@ INFN-LNS: NUMEN project status and perspective

Clementina Agodi, F Cappuzzello, L Acosta, Paulina Amador-Valenzuela, Naftali Auerbach, LH Avanzi, JI Bellone, R Bijker, I Boztosun, S Brasolin, GA Brischetto, S Burrello, MP Bussa, S Calabrese, D Calvo, L Campajola, V Capirossi, D Carbone, EN Cardozo, M Cavallaro, ER Chávez Lomelí, EF Chinaglia, I Ciraldo, M Colonna, KM Costa, H Dapo, C De Benedictis, G De Gregorio, F Delaunay, LM Donaldson, F Dumitrache, CANEL Eke, C Ferraresi, JL Ferreira, J Ferretti, P Finocchiaro, S Firat, M Fisichella, S Gallian, D Gambacurta, EM Gandolfo, H Garcia-Tecocoatzi, A Gargano, M Giovannini, MA Guazzelli, A Hacisalihoglu, A Huerta Hernandez, F Iazzi, J Isaak, T Khumalo, J Kotila, S Koulouris, YASEMİN Kucuk, G Lanzalone, A Lavagno, JA Lay, H Lenske, R Linares, J Lubian, DJ Marín-Lámbarri, SH Masunaga, NH Medina, P Mereu, M Moralles, L Neri, R Neveling, JRB Oliveira, A Pakou, L Pandola, R Panero, L Pellegri, R Persiani, H Petrascu, N Pietralla, F Pinna, AD Russo, G Russo, TM Santarelli, E Santopinto, RBB Santos, D Sartirana, O Sgouros, VR Sharma, SO Solakci, V Soukeras, G Souliotis, A Spatafora, D Torresi, S Tudisco, H Vargas Hernandez, RG Villagrán, V Werner, A Yildirim, VAB Zagatto

Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2586 (1), 012053

Timeline

Postdoc Fellowship

NRF-iThemba LABS
06.2024 - Current

Ph.D. - Experimental Nuclear Physics

University of The Witwatersrand,

Master of Science - Nuclear Physics

University of Zululand

Bachelor of Science - Honors in Nuclear Physics

University of Zululand

Bachelor of Science - Physics & Chemistry

University of Zululand
THUTHUKILE CHARMANE KHUMALO