Nuclear Structure, Mesoscopic Physics and Double Beta Decay

该奖项涵盖的研究课题包括(i)开发新的分析和计算工具，用于描述核结构，特别是远离稳定的核；（ii）详细考虑随着实验进展进入不稳定核的处女地而遇到的特定的新核现象；（iii）对天体物理学感兴趣的核过程的结构和动力学方面进行建模；（iv）理解与基本对称性和双β衰变有关的核矩阵元素；(v)发展对开放和边缘稳定介观系统中的结构和反应的统一描述，包括核反应、电导波动和量子输运。我们将培养那些被我们小组的活动和美国排名第一的核物理研究生院所吸引的研究生。我们提议的研究涉及科学中的广泛问题，包括：核稳定性的极限是什么？宇宙的化学演化是如何进行的？核性质是如何从基本的核子-核子相互作用中产生的？我们如何利用核数据来理解基本的对称性和中微子的性质？在量子介观系统中，有序如何与混沌和复杂性共存？所建议的方案预计将对核理论、核天体物理学和介观物理学的一般领域的发展产生可观的影响。许多项目与国家超导回旋加速器实验室（NSCL）和其他实验室的实验项目有关。项目还与核天体物理联合研究所（JINA）密切配合。

Research topics covered by this award include (i) development of new analytical and computational tools for the description of nuclear structure, especially for the nuclei far from stability; (ii) detailed consideration of specific new nuclear phenomena encountered with experimental advances into virgin territory of unstable nuclei; (iii) modeling of structural and dynamical aspects of nuclear processes of astrophysical interest; (iv) understanding nuclear matrix elements related to fundamental symmetries and double-beta decay and (v) development of the unified description of structure and reactions in open and marginally stable mesoscopic systems, including nuclear reactions, conductance fluctuations and quantum transport.We will train graduate students who are attracted to the activities in our group and to the number one ranked graduate school in nuclear physics in the US. Our proposed research relates to broad questions in science including: What are the limits of nuclear stability? How did the chemical evolution of the Universe proceed? How do nuclear properties emerge from the underlying nucleon-nucleon interactions? How can we use nuclear data to understand fundamental symmetries and neutrino properties? How does order coexist with chaos and complexity in quantum mesoscopic systems? The suggested program is expected to have appreciable impact on developments in the field of nuclear theory, nuclear astrophysics and the general field of mesoscopic physics. Many of the projects are connected to the experimental programs at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) and other laboratories. Projects are also closely coupled with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA).