Executive Summary : | Contemporary physics relies on understanding the basic properties of the atomic nucleus, but a fundamental theory for understanding nuclei structure and decay remains elusive. Nuclear physics is envisioned through various models, which are not very versatile due to their strong dependence on parameters. Most nuclear models agree well when explaining nuclei for which experimental information is known. With a wealth of data available in various domains of nuclear physics, it is often feasible to validate models representing the nature of nuclear forces.
Experimental data can be accessed through nuclei far from stability and neutron star matter. High-density regimes can be probed through heavy-ion collisions at intermediate and high energies, while low-density nuclear matter can be studied by studying density oscillations.
Giant dipole resonances (GDR) have been proven to be unique and effective probes for nuclei at high excitation energies. GDR emission reflects the effect of different time scales relevant to the process. The most dominant mode of GDR is the isovector giant dipole resonance, which can be extracted from the cross-section as a function of photon energy.
The research will continue to advance to new regimes with state-of-the-art techniques in the proposed plan. |