Strong Interactions in Nuclear Physics

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Particles in nature come in two fundamental varieties: fermions (which, it may be said, are "solitary" entities) and bosons (many of which can group together). Fermions make up all the basic ingredients of matter, such as electrons, protons, neutrons, and even quarks. Thus, it can be reasonably said that nuclear physics deals with fermions. Nucleons (a term used to describe either protons or neutrons) not only make up the nuclei inside of atoms, but also appear on their own (i.e. outside nuclei) in the dense astrophysical objects known as neutron stars. Composite particles (i.e. ones that are made up of other particles) can be either fermions or bosons. In atomic experiments over the last decade lithium and potassium atoms are routinely used to probe fundamental properties of strongly interacting systems. One such example is the study of superfluidity (the absence of viscous flow). These atomic systems are similar to the dilute neutron matter present inside the compact objects known as "neutron stars", the main difference being that atoms can be directly studies in the lab whereas neutrons stars are only subject to astronomical observation. In its turn, neutron matter is connected to nuclei that contain considerably more neutrons than protons, which are a subject of active study in a number of large experimental facilities in Canada and abroad. This research project uses high-performance theoretical techniques on modern supercomputers to elucidate the behavior of neutron stars, nuclei, and ultracold atoms.