Research Interests

Nuclear structure theory, beta and double beta decay, high-performance computing in physics.

Education

• Ph.D. in theoretical physics, University of Jyväskylä, 2010
• M.Sc. in theoretical physics, University of Jyväskylä, 2005

Research Experience

• Associate Research Scientist, Department of Physics, Yale University, 2016–present
• Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Physics, Yale University, 2015–2016
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2011—2012 and 2012—2015
• Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Department of Physics, Central Michigan University, 2012
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, 2010—2011
• Ph.D. Student, Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, 2006—2010

Teaching Experience

University of Jyväskylä

• Nuclear Physics III (graduate-level course in nuclear theory), spring 2011: Teaching Assistant for Prof. Jouni Suhonen
• Nuclear Physics II (graduate-level course in nuclear theory), fall 2010: Teaching Assistant for Prof. Jouni Suhonen
• Mathematical Methods of Physics II, fall 2008 and 2009: Teaching Assistant
• Mathematical Methods of Physics I, fall 2005, 2006 and 2007: Teaching Assistant

Awards and Scholarships

• UNC Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence, 2014
• Finnish Cultural Foundation, 2010
• Ellen and Artturi Nyyssönen Foundation, 2006

Publications

Articles in peer-reviewed journals

1. Isovector excitations in ¹⁰⁰Nb and their decays by neutron emission studied via the ¹⁰⁰Mo(t, ³He+n) reaction at 115 MeV/u, K. Miki, R.G.T. Zegers, Sam M. Austin, D. Bazin, B.A. Brown, A.C. Dombos, R.K. Grzywacz, M.N. Harakeh, E. Kwan, S.N. Liddick, f, S. Lipschutz, E. Litvinova, M. Madurga, M.T. Mustonen, W.J. Ong, S.V. Paulauskas, G. Perdikakis, J. Pereira, W.A. Peters, C. Robin, M. Scott, A. Spyrou, C. Sullivan, R. Titu, Physics Letters B 769 (2017) 339.
2. Global description of β^- decay in even-even nuclei with the axially-deformed Skyrme finite-amplitude method, M. T. Mustonen and J. Engel, Physical Review C 93 (2016) 014304. Picked as an Editor’s Suggestion.
3. Finite-amplitude method for charge-changing transitions in axially deformed nuclei, M.T. Mustonen, T. Shafer, Z. Zenginerler, and J. Engel, Physical Review C 90 (2014) 024308.
4. Large-scale calculations of the double-β decay of ⁷⁶Ge, ¹³⁰Te, ¹³⁶Xe, and ¹⁵⁰Nd in the deformed self-consistent Skyrme quasiparticle random-phase approximation, M.T. Mustonen and J. Engel, Physical Review C 87 (2013) 064302.
5. Theoretical analysis of the possible ultra-low-Q-value decay branch of ¹³⁵Cs, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, Physics Letters B 703 (2011) 370.
6. MQPM description of the structure and beta decays of the odd A=95, 97 Mo and Tc isotopes, E. Ydrefors, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, Nuclear Physics A 842 (2010) 33.
7. Nuclear and atomic contributions to beta decays with ultra-low Q values, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics 37 (2010) 064008.
8. Smallest Known Q Value of Any Nuclear Decay: The Rare β^- Decay of ¹¹⁵In (9/2+) → ¹¹⁵Sn (3/2+), J.S.E. Wieslander, J. Suhonen, T. Eronen, M. Hult, V.-V. Elomaa, A. Jokinen, G. Marissens, M. Misiaszek, M.T. Mustonen, S. Rahaman, C. Weber, J. Äystö, Physical Review Letters 103 (2009) 122501.
9. Microscopic quasiparticle-phonon description of beta decays of ¹¹³Cd and ¹¹⁵In using proton-neutron phonons, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, Physics Letters B 657 (2007) 38.
10. Theoretical half-life for beta decay of ⁹⁶Zr, H. Heiskanen, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics 34 (2007) 837.
11. Theoretical description of the fourth-forbidden non-unique β decays of ¹¹³Cd and ¹¹⁵In, M.T. Mustonen, M. Aunola and J. Suhonen, Physical Review C 73 (2006) 054301. Erratum Physical Review C 76 (2007) 019901(E).

Conference proceedings

1. Neutrinoless double EC and rare beta decays as tools to search for the neutrino mass, J. Suhonen and M.T. Mustonen, in Physics Beyond the Standard Models of Particles, Cosmology and Astrophysics. World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., 2011. ISBN #9789814340861, pp. 267-275.
2. Beyond low beta-decay Q values, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, American Institute of Physics Conference Series 1304 (2010) 401.
3. Nuclear matrix elements for rare decays, J. Suhonen and M.T. Mustonen, Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics 64 (2010) 235.
4. Neutrino mass, neutrinoless double electron capture and rare beta decays, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 203 (2010) 012066.
5. Forbidden beta decays of ⁹⁶Zr and ¹¹⁵In: Implications for neutrino physics, M.T. Mustonen and J. Suhonen, AIP Conference Proceedings 1180 (2009) 76.

Conference Talks (Contributed)

• “Auxiliary-field Monte Carlo methods in heavy nuclei”, Institute of Nuclear Theory 2017, Seattle, WA, USA.
• “Beta decays of deformed neutron-rich nuclei”, NUCLEI 2015, East Lansing, MI, USA.
• “Finite amplitude method and beta decay”, NUCLEI 2014, Santa Fe, NM, USA.
• “Computing beta decays with the finite amplitude method”, Fidipro miniworkshop on quasiparticle random-phase approximation, 2014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
• “Beta decay rates from the finite amplitude method”, APS DNP Fall 2013 meeting, Newport News, VA, USA.
• “A nuclear theory view on double beta decay”, KamLAND collaboration meeting 2013, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
• “Beta decay strengths from the Finite Amplitude Method”, NUCLEI 2013, Bloomington, IN, USA.
• “Beyond low beta-decay Q values”, Carpathian Summer School of Physics 2010, Sinaia, Romania.
• “New challenges beyond low beta-decay Q values”, Physics Days 2010, Jyväskylä, Finland.
• “Forbidden beta decays of ⁹⁶Zr and ¹¹⁵In: Implications for neutrino physics”, MEDEX’09, Prague, the Czech Republic.
• “Theoretical description of highly-forbidden non-unique beta decays of ¹¹³Cd and ¹¹⁵In”, NPAE-2008, Kyiv, Ukraine.
• “Theoretical description of highly-forbidden non-unique beta decays of ¹¹³Cd and ¹¹⁵In”, Physics Days 2008, Turku, Finland.

Languages

• Finnish: native
• English: fluent
• Swedish: basics