UK Research in Nuclear Physics P J Nolan University of Liverpool

Nuclear Physics has been funded by EPSRC funding was on a project by project basis Nuclear Physics is now funded by STFC funding decisions are yet to be made, but are likely to be more strategic

Nuclear Physics research is carried out in 10 UK institutions there are ~60 academic staff past support has resulted in: ~45 PDRAs ~100 Research students ~20 Expert support staff ~20 Technical support staff

Nuclear Physics experimental research is carried out at international facilities All experimental work is in international collaborations with UK physicists leading individual physics programmes There is a programme of theoretical research based at Manchester and Surrey, also with strong international collaborations

Nuclear Physics Research in the UK is in FOUR main areas: Nuclear Structure Nuclear Astrophysics Hadron Physics The Phases of Strongly Interacting Matter

Nuclear Structure Some key questions: What are the limits of nuclear existence? What is the heaviest element we can make? How does nuclear structure evolve at the highest angular momentum, just before the fission limit? Are there new forms of nuclear matter in very loosely bound nuclear systems? How does the ordering of quantum states, with all of its consequent implications for nuclear structure and reactions, alter in highly dilute or neutron-rich matter? Do symmetries seen in near-stable nuclei also appear far from stability and do we observe new symmetries? etc.

Nuclear Astrophysics Some key questions: How are the elements and isotopes found in the Universe formed? Where are the sites of the r-process(es) of nucleosynthesis? What are the reaction rates of key exotic nuclei in the hot CNO cycles and rp processes? What are the ultra low energy nuclear astrophysical reaction rates at the Gamow peak in stellar burning scenarios? What is the nuclear equation of state for neutron stars? How do density induced pyconuclear fusion reactions take place in the crusts of neutron stars? etc.

Hadron Physics Some key questions: Why are there no free quarks in nature? What is the exact mechanism for the confinement of quarks in hadrons What is the origin of the masses of the hadrons? What is the origin of the spin of the nucleons? What is the connection between parton degrees of freedom and the low energy structure of hadrons? What is the excitation spectrum of the nucleon? Do new forms of hadrons such as exotic hybrid mesons (qqg) or glueballs (ggg) exist, as predicted by lattice-QCD? etc.

The Phases of Strongly Interacting Matter Some key questions: Is there evidence of gluon saturation in nuclei in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions? Can we determine the bulk properties of the quark-gluon plasma and with what accuracy? How does the collective behaviour of hot, quark-deconfined matter challenge our understanding of QCD derived from low energy hadronic physics? Are there indications of the deconfinement phase transition at high baryon density? Can we locate the critical point on the QCD phase diagram? Are exotic states of matter such as strange-particle condensates formed in such collisions? etc.

Nuclear Physics research requires a range of facilities as: Different nuclear species have to be made in optimum conditions Radioactive beam facilities Stable beam facilities The radiation emitted has to be detected in spectrometers designed for the purpose, examples include AGATA, PANDA, etc. Each experiment has to be optimised depending on its goals

Physics overview (Nuclear Structure)

Development of Radioactive Beam Accelerator Facilities in Europe ISOL SPIRAL2 at GANIL, France HIE-ISOLDE, CERN EURISOL, to be decided In-Flight Fragmentation Facilities FAIR at GSI, Germany

Next generation RIB facilities in Europe SPIRAL2 ISOL beams HIE-ISOLDE ISOL beams FAIR IF beams

Radioactive ion production

SPIRAL2 at GANIL, Caen

HIE-ISOLDE at CERN Increase in REX energy from 3 to 10 MeV/u (first step in increase to 5.5 MeV/u) Super-HRS for isobaric separation RILIS upgrade & LIST RFQ cooler, REX-TRAP, REX-EBIS REX-ECR upgrades Increase proton intensity 2  6  A (LINAC4, PSB upgrade) - target and front-end upgrade

FAIR – Planned Experimental Facilities 100 m UNILAC SIS 18 SIS 100/300 HESR Super FRS NESR CR RESR ESR

1 GeV p and other light ions 100kW direct production 5 MW spallation n target 0  150 MeV/u RIB x 10 5 increase in yield for 90 Kr products from existing European RIB (e.g. SPIRAL, REX-ISOLDE) R&D will benefit 2 nd generation ISOL projects: HIE-ISOLDE, SPIRAL2 Eurisol

EURISOL layout 150 MeV/a (for 132 Sn)

European Roadmap for RIB facilities Jan 07 agreement – Complimentarity; Collaboration EU EURISOL Design Study ESFRI list 10 7 € 10 8 € 10 9 € EU FAIR Design Study SPL (CERN) decision

Two examples of large detectors/spectrometers being developed in big collaborations

PANDA

One example of a typical experiment Aim was to study structure of deformed nuclei at the proton drip line Radioactive beam required to populate the nuclei of interest near 130 Sm, beam was 76 Kr with energy 4.3 MeV/A Gamma-rays detected in EXOGAM Residual nuclei identified in VAMOS Charged particle detected in DIAMANT About 1 in 10 4 gamma-rays are from the reaction

Fusion-Evaporation with Radioactive Beams 76 Kr + 58 Ni 130 Nd (4p) 131 Pm (3p) 129 Pr (5p)

Summary UK Nuclear Physicists lead Physics Programmes in large international collaborations They contribute to large detectors, instruments and spectrometers at international laboratories, often playing a leading role The community is working with the STFC to explore the possibility of more formal agreements with some of the large European Facilities