Studies of Antiprotonic Atoms and of the Strange Quark Content of the Nucleon

这笔计划拨款将支持两个理论物理领域的初步研究，这两个领域与我们对核子和反核子结构和相互作用的基本理解有关：1)解释反质子原子的能级移动和宽度；2)确定奇怪夸克对核子结构的贡献。计划拨款的目的是开发一项竞争性的研究提案，该提案将提交给国家科学基金会的“本科院校研究”计划。在编写该提案时将支持的活动包括：参加国家核理论研究所的“原子和分子中的核物理”方案；与活跃在这两个研究领域的物理学家协商；研究用于核子和反核子结构和相互作用的模型；开发计算机代码；并进行初步计算，以确定最有希望的研究方向。将制定一项计划，将本科生纳入他们可以接触到的研究领域。

This planning grant will support preliminary studies in two areas of theoretical physics that bear on our fundamental understanding of nucleon and antinucleon structure and interactions: 1) the interpretation of antiprotonic atom energy level shifts and widths; and 2) the determination of strange quark contributions to nucleon structure. The objective of the planning grant is the development of a competitive research proposal that will be submitted to the "Research in Undergraduate Institutions" program of the National Science Foundation. The activities to be supported in the preparation of that proposal will include: participation in the "Nuclear Physics in Atoms and Molecules" program of the National Institute for Nuclear Theory; consultation with physicists active in both areas of research; study of models used for nucleon and antinucleon structure and interactions; the development of computer code; and preliminary calculations to determine the most promising direction for the research. A program will be developed to include undergraduate students in aspects of the research that are accessible to them.