Research in Theoretical Nuclear Physics

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This proposal covers a broad range of topics. Future projects include understanding physics opportunities presented by recent and forthcoming solar neutrino experiments, exploring the role of neutrinos in supernova dynamics, investigating consequences of quantum dissipative tunneling in nuclear reactions, exploring phase transitions in nuclei with multi-fragmentation, as well as developing new mathematical techniques to address the physics questions arising in these studies. Observed solar neutrino flux is deficient relative to that predicted by the standard solar model. Neutrino oscillations in the presence of matter and magnetic fields were invoked to explain this deficiency. We will be studying a new aspect of the neutrino transport in matter, behavior of neutrino oscillations in stochastic media. There has been much progress in our understanding of supernovae. Explosion models are improved and supernovae were proposed as a site where heavy elements are created. Neutrinos have a significant impact on these phenomena. Dissipative tunneling is especially important for low-energy fusion reactions. These reactions are not only of interest to nuclear astrophysics, but they also provide new insights into the reaction dynamics and nuclear structure. Multi- fragmentation is the statistical emission of fragments from a nuclear system, which is undergoing expansion under the influence of thermal pressure and nuclear binding. It is a probe of dynamics of phase transitions. The theoretical research proposed will be done in intensive collaboration with experimental groups in the U.S. and abroad.