Nuclear Physics Consolidated Grant

宇宙中可见的大部分物质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，比如：“物理定律在极端情况下是如何起作用的？”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，又是如何演化的？原子核和强子物质的本质是什么？”我们的研究目的是研究和测量原子核和热核物质的性质，作为回答这些基本问题的途径。我们的研究是围绕我们在仪器仪表方面的专业知识建立的，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。这类仪器包括ALICE内部跟踪探测器，旨在研究已知最奇特的物质状态——夸克-胶子等离子体；先进的伽马射线跟踪阵列AGATA探测自旋和同位旋极端的原子核；以及研究单个核子在复杂外来核中的作用的solol - srs电磁光谱仪。我们将研究原子核的形状和结构随着质子和中子数的变化而演变，以及它们对原子形成的影响，直到最重的人造元素。我们将研究决定地球和宇宙中发现的元素组成的外来核，以及最终决定可以结合成原子核的质子和中子数的极限。我们还将研究接近光速的重离子碰撞，在那里可以复制接近大爆炸的条件。在这个雄心勃勃的实验项目中，我们将继续分享我们的技术专长，通过我们的核心专家跨社区工程师来支持英国的所有团体，以追求他们自己的研究重点，并在全球大型实验设施中发挥积极作用，如瑞士和法国的欧洲核子研究中心或德国的FAIR。

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 ISOL-SRS 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 experimental facilities around the globe, such as CERN in Switzerland and France or FAIR in Germany.