Nuclear Physics Consolidated Grant 2023

宇宙可见质量的大部分是由位于原子中心的原子核组成的。核物理学试图回答一些基本问题，例如：“当被推向极端时，物理定律是如何工作的？宇宙的基本成分和结构是什么？它们是如何相互作用的？宇宙是如何开始的？它是如何演化的？核物质和强子物质的性质是什么？”我们研究的目的是研究和测量原子核和热核物质的性质，以此作为回答这些基本问题的途径。我们的研究建立在我们在仪器方面的专业知识之上，并利用了以前在探测器、数据采集和实验方法方面的大量投资。这些仪器包括旨在研究已知的最奇异物质状态--夸克-胶子等离子体的Alice内部跟踪器探测器；探测自旋和同位旋极端核的先进伽马射线跟踪阵列Agata；以及研究单个核子在复杂奇异核中的作用的螺线管光谱仪。我们将研究随着质子和中子数的变化而发生的核形状和结构的演变，以及它们对原子形成的影响，直到最重的人造元素。我们将研究奇异的原子核，它们决定了在地球和宇宙中发现的元素的组成，以及最终决定了可以束缚在原子核中的质子和中子数的极限。我们还将以接近光速的速度研究重离子的碰撞，在接近大爆炸的条件下可以复制。通过这个雄心勃勃的实验计划，我们将继续分享我们的技术专长，通过我们的跨社区专业工程师核心支持英国所有团体追求他们自己的研究优先事项，并在大型国际实验设施中发挥积极作用，如瑞士和法国的CERN或德国的FIRE。

The majority of the visible mass of the universe is made up of atomic nuclei that lie at the centre of atoms. Nuclear physics seeks to answer fundamental questions such as: "How do the laws of physics work when driven to the extremes? What are the fundamental constituents and fabric of the universe and how do they interact? How did the universe begin and how is it evolving? What is the nature of nuclear and hadronic matter?" The aim of our research is to study and measure the properties of atomic nuclei and hot nuclear matter as a route to answering these fundamental questions. Our research is built around our expertise in instrumentation and exploits the large investments previously made into detectors, data acquisition and experimental methods. Such instruments include the ALICE inner tracker detector aimed at the study of the most exotic state of matter known, the quark-gluon plasma; the advanced gamma-ray tracking array AGATA exploring nuclei at the extremes of spin and isospin; and the solenoidal spectrometer ISS studying the role of individual nucleons in complex exotic nuclei. We will study the evolution of nuclear shapes and structure following changes in proton and neutron numbers and their influence on the formation of atoms, right up to the heaviest man-made elements. We will study exotic nuclei that determine the composition of elements found on earth and in the universe, and what ultimately determines the limits of proton and neutron number that can be bound into an atomic nucleus. We will also study the collisions of heavy ions at nearly the speed of light where conditions close to the big bang can be replicated.Throughout this ambitious experimental programme we will continue to share our technical expertise to support all groups in the UK via our core of specialist cross-community engineers in the pursuit of their own research priorities, and play active roles in large international experimental facilities, such as CERN in Switzerland & France or FAIR in Germany.