U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research: Investigation of Microscopic Structure of Exotic Compressional-Mode Giant Resonances

University Of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN

Investigators

Abstract

0342942 Garg This award supports a three-year international collaborative research project between Professor Umesh Garg at the University of Notre Dame and Professor Hidetoshi Akimune at Konan University in Japan. They will undertake a study on investigation of microscopic structure of exotic compressional-mode giant resonances. The proposed measurements aim at investigating the microscopic structure of the compressional-mode giant resonances - the Giant Monopole Resonance (GMR) and the Isoscalar Giant Dipole Resonance (ISGDR) - via coincidence measurements. The importance of the compresssional-mode resonances lies in that their energies are related to the nuclear incompressibility. The nuclear incompressibility is a critical component of the nuclear equation of state (EOS). In nuclear physics, the search for EOS is motivated by aspects unique to the nucleus, especially that it can be considered as a two-fluid quantal droplet. The EOS is crucial to understanding the properties of neutron stars, the "largest nuclei" that exist in nature. Indeed, the compressibility of nuclear matter strongly influences the structure of the neutron stars, their stability against gravitational collapse, their production during supernova explosions, and their manner of cooling. The project brings together the efforts of several laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. The expertise developed by the U.S. researchers in giant resonance studies, and the superb experimental facilities at RCNP (the Research Center for Nuclear Physics) in Osaka, Japan provide a synergy with tremendous mutual benefits for the collaborative partners. It is expected that this work will contribute to the field of astrophysics, as the information attained from these studies may impact our understanding of "neutron stars." The project advances international human resources through the participation of a number 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. Results of the research will be disseminated at scientific meetings and in scientific journals.