A Vision for Nuclear Theory (original) (raw)

elements of nuclear physics

1.1 General survey It is customary to regard nuclear physics as the field of study that includes the structure of atomic nuclei, the reactions that take place between them, and the techniques, both experimental and theoretical, that shed light on these subjects. Rigid adherence to such limits would, however, exclude much that is both exciting and informative. The nucleus entered physics as a necessary component of the atomic model and nuclear effects in spectroscopy and solid state physics now provide not only elegant methods for determination of nuclear properties but also convincing demonstrations of the powers of quantum mechanics. Equally, those particles sometimes described as elementary or fundamental, although first recognized in the cosmic radiation, soon assumed a role of importance in nuclear problems, especially in the understanding of the forces between neutrons and protons. Advances in the study of particles, or sub-nuclear physics, besides leading to the discovery of new and previously unsuspected physical laws, have frequently stimulated back-reference to complex nuclei

RECENT TRENDS IN NUCLEAR PHYSICS

In Europe, the United States, and Japan, there is a worldwide effort to set up powerful research facilities that can provide beams of radioactive nuclei of various kinds, as well as beams of exceptionally enormous energies, to study the origins of the physical world. Complex and massive detector arrays with better technical capabilities are either created around or independently of these facilities (dedicated to cosmic rays). Superheavy nuclei, cold binary and ternary fission and nuclear shell structure are just a few of the areas where progress has been achieved recently. Cosmic rays have an energy spectrum that is beyond the capabilities of artificial accelerators. The installation of a massive detector array has been agreed upon by an international consortium. The field of nuclear physics is expanding in three distinct directions. Investigations on the behaviour of hot and dense nuclear materials are among them. Gluons and quarks make up the nuclear force. Distinction between stable and unstable nuclei. For the sake of this presentation, we will only be discussing the research of exotic nuclei, ranging from stability to the drip line. Nuclear force, nuclear stability, and shell structure and shape have all been studied in this study. Nuclei with a short lifespan are being produced using new experimental techniques. The fabrication of heavy nuclei with Z=114 and beyond has made significant progress.

Nuclear Physics

It is more than a century since the discovery by J. J. Thomson of the electron. The electron is still thought to be a structureless point particle, and one of the elementary particles of Nature. Other particles that were subsequently discovered and at firstthought to be elementary, like the proton and the neutron, have since been found to have a complex structure. What then are the ultimate constituents of matter? How are they categorised? How do they interact with each other? What, indeed, should we ask of a mathematical theory of elementary particles? Since the discovery of the electron, and more particularly in the last sixty years, there has been an immense amount of experimental and theoretical effort to determine answers to these questions. The present Standard

Strange Nuclear Physics - a Brief Status Report

1999

This paper briefly reviews the present status of strange nuclearphysics. Recently, significant progress has been made. Oneexample to be discussed is a new, electroproduction experimentwhich offers the possibility of obtaining hypernuclearspectra with at least a factor of 3 better resolution thanpreviously. However, many different experiments impact a spectrumof problems from weak interactions to astrophysics. Although inthis short paper it is not possible to cover many topics in depth,sufficient information is provided so that the interested readercan obtain all of the most relevant material.

(Nuclear structure theory relevant to modern probes)

1986

The .published works since July i, 1986 are divided into three broad categoriess A. Spin Physics in Nuclei# B. Surprising Near Degeneracies and C. Incom?resslbility, Isotope Shifts and Breathing Mode States. A, Spln Physics in Nuclei i. Operator [_(1)X_(2)]It.(1)t.(2): Signature Selection Rules, Phys. Rev. C34, (1986)290 with E. Moya de Ouerra 2. New Spin Modes in Nuclei, Physics Reports C148, (1987)217 with B. Casuel 3. Collective Magnetic Dipole Transitions: Dependence of the Energies and Rates on the Nuclear Effective Interactiont Nucl. Phys. A467, (1987)29 with Huan Liu 4. The Rotational and the Shell Model Pictures of Magnetic Dipole Excitations, Phys. Rev. C36, (1987)2057 with Huan Liu 48 5. Collective Magnetic Multipole Excltations in Open Shells: TJ, _ Phys. Rev. C36, (1987)2064 with Huan Liu 6. Magnetic Mc,nents of Excited States in Stable Chromium Isotopes, Phys. Rev. C36, (1987)20_8 with N. Bencyer Koller and collaborators 7. Relations between Gamow-Teller and M_)gnetic Dipole Transitions,

Whither Nuclear Physics?

Recent Developments in Theoretical Physics, 2009

Nuclear Physics has had its ups and downs. However in recent years, bucked up by some new and often puzzling data, it has become a potentially very rich field. We review some of these exciting developments in a few important sectors of nuclear physics. Emphasis shall be on the study of exotic nuclei and the new physics that these nuclei are teaching us.