U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: Nuclei Far From Stability with Exotic Structure

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

0089581 Glasmacher This award supports a three-year collaborative research project between Professor Thomas Glasmacher of Michigan State University and Professor Hiroyushi Sakurai of the University of Tokyo in Japan. The researchers will be undertaking a study of nuclei far from stability with exotic structure. The research proposed will be the largest systematic study of neutron-rich nuclei with complementary methods to date. They will combine the experimental methods and techniques developed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State and by their Japanese collaborators to make efficient use of the world-class exotic ion-beams available at RIKEN in Japan and at the NSCL. They will study the changes in the structure of neutron-rich nuclei as they become less and less bound when approaching the neutron-dripline. The experiments will measure theoretically relevant and calculable quantities such as excitation energies, reduced transition matrix elements, and spectroscopic factors. These results will then be used in the theoretical models. The project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. Combining the Japanese quantum Monte Carlo codes, which currently allow the largest-scale shell model calculations in the world, with the effective nuclear forces developed at the NSCL will greatly enhance the theoretical perspective in the proposed collaboration. It is expected that the research will significantly advance our understanding of the evolution of nuclear structure from stability to the most neutron-rich nuclei with charge Z=28. This research advances international human resources through the participation of postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. The researchers plan to publish results of the research in scientific journals and report on the findings at scientific meetings.