Theoretical Nuclear Physics: A Group Proposal

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

This project is a continuation of the program now in progress which aims to develop fundamental theory of nuclear and other many-particle systems, including applications to astrophysical and condensed matter systems. The theories of nuclear systems being developed will be capable of unifying all available data from present and future experiments at facilities including the Continuous Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF), National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory(NCSL), the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC), and the proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA). Among the works are basic studies of nuclear forces, currents, structure and reactions, properties of nuclear matter, and nucleon and hadron structure. A major focus is on understanding new states of matter that are formed under extreme conditions of temperatures and pressures, e.g., quark gluon plasmas formed in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions, including color superconductivity and its consequences. Nuclear processes and properties underly the structure and evolution of stars. The present program applies nuclear theory to neutron stars, nuclear reactions in the cosmos, and supernovae, with the aim of explaining observations and using observations to learn properties of matter under extreme conditions. Research on neutron stars includes the structure of the crust, equation of state and superfluid properties of cold nuclear matter, possible transition to quark matter cores, including droplet and novel superconducting phases. Production, absorption, and scattering rates of neutrinos in hot and dense nuclear matter are studied along with the equation of state and composition. The strong theoretical connections between nuclear systems and condensed matter systems allow important cross-fertilization between these areas. The condensed matter part of this program continues a long-standing complementary effort to gain theoretical understanding of unusual states of matter. Topics currently being studied include Bose-Einstein condensation in magnetically trapped atomic systems, including states at high rotation, and correlation effects arising from interactions between particles. Broader Impact Understanding how nuclear processes and properties govern the evolution of galaxies and the energy generation in stars, including our sun, is an essential step in describing the universe in which we live. The nuclear world operates on length scales a million times smaller than that of the atomic world, and thus provides a deeper view of the structure of matter in the universe. A crucial aspect of this program is to bring out the ways in which underlying interactions between constituents of systems on scales from nuclear to condensed matter to astrophysical govern the system's structure and dynamics. The nuclear and condensed matter systems being studied are very unusual many-body systems that provide unique intellectual insights. A vital component of this research program is its active tradition of training students and postdoctoral researchers. The group attracts able students and postdocs who, through the broad training they receive and their intimate involvement in the research of the group, develop the ability to combine nuclear, particle, astro and condensed matter physics research on forefront problems. The young scientists trained in this program generally go on to have significant impact in research at universities and national laboratories.