Provide lectures on basics and applications of modern nuclear physics. Discuss important topics concerning a variety of phenomena. Discuss recent relevant articles, some of which are assigned as homework.
Atomic nuclei can be uniquely modeled as strongly correlated, self-bound, many-body quantum systems. By studying the physics of atomic nuclei, students will learn both theory and application of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. This class will also cover cutting-edge experiments on nuclei using modern accelerators, and recent experimental equipment and methods that are important to further understand nuclear physics.
By the end of this course, students will be able to understand basic nuclear physics that treats atomic nuclei as self-bound many-body quantum systems. They will also be able to obtain a better perspective on their own research by leaning about recent theoretical and experimental progress in this field.
In this course, students will learn about the quantum dynamics of nuclei, nuclear structure and reactions, and the basic theory of strong interactions through various models and relevant experiments. They will also learn about recent theoretical and experimental work in this field.
Atomic nuclei, strong interaction, self-bound systems, quantum many-body systems, nuclear structure, nuclear reaction, experiments using accelerators, rare isotopes, nucleo-synthesis
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Two professors of nuclear physics will give lectures: Prof. Emiko Hiyama (theory), and Prof. Takashi Nakamura (experiment)
Lectures are basically given in English
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Basics of nuclear physics | Understand the basics of nuclear physics |
Class 2 | Symmetry in nuclei | Understand the symmetry and relevant physical observables in atomic nuclei |
Class 3 | Nuclear force I (Strong interaction, pion-exchange force, central force) | Understand the basics of nuclear force |
Class 4 | Nuclear force II (Tensor interaction, Deuteron, non-central force, short-range repulsive force, three-body force) | Understand the characteristic features of nuclear force, such as tensor force. |
Class 5 | Nuclear force III (Quantum chromo-dynamics, nuclear force via the quark and gluon model, Lattice QCD) | Understand nuclear force in terms of QCD |
Class 6 | Nuclear Structure (Fermi gas model, Electron scattering, Form factor, Nuclear density) | Understand the basics of nuclear structure |
Class 7 | Nuclear Models I (Single particle orbit, Mean field theory, Harmonic oscillator models, Spin-orbit interaction, Shell structure ) | Understand the single-particle picture of atomic nuclei, such as shell models |
Class 8 | Nuclear Models II (Hartree-Fock Theory, Effective interactions, Excited states, Collective motion, Paring correlation ) | Understand nuclear models based on mean-field theories |
Class 9 | Nuclear Models III (Chiral effective theory, Chiral perturbation theory of nuclei) | Understand chiral effective theories and chiral perturbation theories. |
Class 10 | Nuclear Matter I (Binding energy, Coulomb force, Short-range correlation) | Understand the basics of nuclear matter |
Class 11 | Nuclear Matter II (Bruckner theory, Saturation energy and density, Neutron matter, Neutron star, 3-body force) | Understand properties of nuclear matter in a microscopic way. Learn applications, such as neutron star physics |
Class 12 | Unstable Nuclei I (Nuclear Stability, Decays, Nuclear chart, Drip lines) | Learn about the basics of rare-isotopes physics |
Class 13 | Unstable Nuclei II (Neutron-rich nuclei, halo phenomena, Shell evolution and its dynamics) | Understand the characteristic features of rare-isotope physics |
Class 14 | Nucleosynthesis (Stellar abundance, Big-Bang nucleosynthesis, Nucleosynthesis in stars) | Understand nucleosynthesis microscopically using nuclear physics |
Class 15 | Super-heavy elements (Boundary of nuclear chart, r-process, Super-heavy elements) | Learn about super-heavy element (nuclei) |
Not specified
Reference book: Fuantei-kaku-no-butsuri (Physics of Unstable Nuclei) by Takashi Nakamura (Publisher: Kyoritsu Shuppan)
To be evaluated based on an examination, and report(s) dealing with problems indicated in the class
Basic under-graduate quantum physics course is a prerequisite.
Please check the class schedule. The classes provided by Prof. Hiyama will be done as intensive ones.