Ab-Initio Nuclear Theory: From Nuclei to Neutron Stars

理解为什么宇宙中的可见物质是稳定的是核物理基础研究的巨大智力挑战之一。这些挑战的核心是将原子核的存在和性质与基本力和自由度联系起来的可能性。新的实验设施，如密歇根州立大学正在建造的稀有同位素束设施，将探测迄今未知的原子核性质，从而进一步了解宇宙中最小部分的物理学。新的见解从原子核的物理学及其合成到紧凑的物体，如中子星，比我们的太阳质量更大的恒星的奇异最终产物。该项目的理论研究目标与上述知识挑战紧密结合，并提供了理论与实验研究相结合的绝佳范例。结合最近的理论发展，结合先进的核力模型和先进的计算设施，有可能提供新的知识和理解核力如何塑造我们的物质。为了应对这一挑战，PI和他的合作者将开发、研究和应用各种多体方法到各种各样的核系统，从稳定的闭合壳层核和致密核物质到远离壳层闭合的奇异的松散束缚的中子和质子丰富的核。该项目的总体目标是寻求更好地了解核系统，以及对所涉及的理论方法的更好的约束。在这个项目中，PI将开发软件和理论工具，通过现代版本控制系统和软件库提供给科学界。

Understanding why the visible matter in the Universe is stable is one the great intellectual challenges of basic research in nuclear physics. Central to these challenges is the possibility to link the existence and properties of nuclei to the underlying fundamental forces and degrees of freedom. New experimental facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams being built at Michigan State University, will probe hitherto uncharted properties of nuclei, allowing for further insights into the physics of the smallest parts in the Universe. The new insights span from the physics of nuclei and their synthesis to compact objects like neutron stars, exotic end products of stars more massive than our Sun. The theoretical research aims of this project are tightly woven with the above intellectual challenges and provide an excellent example of integration of theoretical and experimental studies. The combination of recent theoretical developments, combined with advanced models for nuclear forces and access to leading edge computational facilities, has the potential to offer new knowledge and understanding of how the nuclear forces shape the matter we are made of. In turn, this cutting-edge research will provide excellent training opportunities for graduate students.To address this challenge, the PI and his collaborators will develop, study and apply various many-body methods to a wide variety of nuclear systems, ranging from stable closed-shell nuclei and dense nuclear matter to exotic loosely-bound neutron and proton rich nuclei far from shell closures. The overarching aim of the project is to seek a better understanding of nuclear systems, as well as better constraints on the theoretical approaches involved. In this project the PI will develop software and theoretical tools that are being made available to the scientific community via modern version control systems and software libraries.