Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

Michigan State University proposes a three-year grant supporting the research of a faculty group in nuclear theory, Professors B. A. Brown and V. Zelevinsky, together with M. Horoi (Central Michigan University). The research proposed encompasses a broad range of topics in nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics important for the ongoing program at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The main components are structural properties of nuclei, including those far from stability, and their manifestation in nuclear reactions and astrophysical phenomena. The rich experience of the group and the support from MSU and NSCL provides the .rm basis for a diverse and topical research program. The proposed research is in the mainstream of modern nuclear physics that is directed to answering principal questions what are the limits of stability of nuclei, how did the chemical evolution of the Universe proceed, what are the ways of self-organization in interacting many-body systems - how does order coexist with chaos and complexity. Concrete directions of the proposed research logically follow from the previous experience of the group. Suggested main topics are (i) development of new analytical and computational tools for the description of nuclear structure and nuclear reactions, especially for the nuclei far from stability; (ii) detailed consideration of speci.c nuclear phenomena and nuclear processes that shed light on the new features encountered with the advances into virgin territory of unstable nuclei; (iii) calculations and modeling of structural and dynamical aspects of nuclear processes of astrophysical interest; (iv) studies of many-body quantum chaos and its coexistence with collective and regular features in nuclear structure and reactions. The suggested program is expected to have appreciable impact on the development in the .eld of nuclear theory and nuclear astrophysics. It will also in.uence the direction of the experimental e.orts. In a broader context, successful progress in the program is important for our understanding of the basic constituents of matter and nucleosynthesis in the Universe. The studies of many-body properties, chaos and collectivity in nuclear structure, have a strong interdisciplinary aspect since the nucleus is an exemplary case of a self-sustaining .nite Fermisystem with strong interactions. Historically, many ideas .rst formulated in the context of nuclear theory fertilized other branches of physics. The proposed research is expected to help studies in physics of Bose- and Fermi-condensates, complex molecules, solid state microdevices and quantum computing. The proposal has a considerable educational component being part of the highly ranked nuclear physics program at NSCL/MSU.