Theoretical Nuclear Physics

Texas A&M Research Foundation, College Station TX

Investigators

Abstract

We propose a new research program in theoretical nuclear physics in the area of nuclear structure and many body problems. We will address unsolved problems in the study of the constituents of nuclei and their interactions, considering the effects of correlations on matter, energy and momentum density distributions of the constituents. We will study the fascinating phenomena of the single particle, few-particle and collective motions and determine the static and dynamic properties of nuclei at low excitation energy. We will employ the many body theory of strongly interacting particles and develop the formalism and the numerical techniques, using Green's functions, Wigner transform and kinetic equations, for calculating properties of nuclei. We will investigate properties of nuclei at and far from stability, in particular, the isotope and isotone dependence of charge and matter density distributions of ground states, single particle energies, excitation and decay of giant resonances, and the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter. We will educate one Research Associate and three (3) graduate students, whose Ph.D. dissertations will be a major part of the research program. In the outreach activity we plan to educate one undergraduate student. The students will be introduced to the forefront of international research in nuclear physics and to modern scientific computation.