Theoretical Studies of Hadronic and Nuclear Dynamics

University South Carolina Research Foundation, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

0140214 Myhrer The main aim of the research is to investigate nuclear-hadronic dynamics with a particular emphasis on its relation to quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the fundamental dynamics of quarks and gluons. We are particularly interested in the role of chiral symmetry, which is one of the basic symmetries of QCD. Chiral perturbation theory offers a systematic and practical framework to translate the symmetries of QCD into those of hadrons, particles that actually constitute nuclei. Our research makes extensive use of this formalism. At the same time, for those phenomena which are at present beyond the applicability of chiral perturbation theory, we resort to models that preserve chiral symmetry and that can be applied to complex nuclei. Specifically, we study: (1) Consequences of nuclear chiral perturbation theory as applied to few-nucleon systems; (2) Muon capture on light nuclei and its relation to neutrino interactions with light nuclei; (3) Radiative corrections for the neutrino-deuteron cross sections, corrections that will be of importance for next-generation high precision solar neutrino data to be obtained at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory; (4) Comparison of the sigma model and chiral perturbation theory; and (5) Strangeness condensation in dense matter.