Towards a new global view of nuclear structure and nuclear matter through nuclei with large neutron to proton ratio

寻找我们的起源一直是人类最伟大的探索之一。原子核构成一切物质的核心。它们的特性决定了它们之间的相互作用，从而创造了我们生存所必需的元素。正是通过恒星核心的核级联反应，才产生了我们生存所必需的碳、氧、铁和钙等关键元素。在宇宙的某些环境中，原子核的中子与质子的比例是极不对称的。因此，这些中子-质子不对称核形成了我们周围大多数物质，尤其是重元素存在的途径。中子-质子不对称核在我们面前展现了一种意想不到的关于原子核的新观点，质疑和挑战了我们对原子核和核力的百年知识。解开这些奇异原子核的秘密现在是全世界核物理学的前沿研究活动。这些原子核寿命很短，在地球上不以自然的方式存在。在过去的二十年里，科学家们在实验室里通过核反应产生这些稀有同位素方面取得了显著的成就。这个研究项目使用这种稀有同位素的加速束来走出我们对地球上稳定核物种的有限认识。

Searching for our origins has been one of mankind's greatest quests. Nuclei form the core of all matter. Their properties determine their interactions, allowing for the creation of elements necessary for our survival. It is through cascade of reactions of nuclei in the core of stars that key elements such as carbon, oxygen, iron and calcium that are necessary for our survival, came into being. Some environments in the universe are such that nuclei there have largely asymmetric ratio of neutrons to protons. Therefore, these neutron-proton asymmetric nuclei form the pathways to existence of majority of the matter, particularly heavy elements, that we see around us. The neutron-proton asymmetric nuclei are unfolding before us an unexpectedly new view of the nucleus, questioning and challenging our century-old knowledge of nuclei and nuclear forces. Unraveling the secrets of these exotic nuclei is now the forefront research activity in nuclear physics worldwide. These nuclei being very short-lived do not exist in natural way on earth. Over the last two decades scientists have made a remarkable achievement to produce these rare isotopes in the laboratory through nuclear reactions. This research program uses accelerated beams of such rare isotopes to step out of the restricted knowledge we have from stable nuclear species on earth.