PROGRAM

PROGRAM AREA OVERVIEW

NUCLEAR PHYSICS

Nuclear physics research seeks to understand the structure and interactions of atomic nuclei and the fundamental forces and particles of nature as manifested in nuclear matter. Nuclear processes are responsible for the nature and abundance of all matter, which in turn determines the essential physical characteristics of the universe. The primary mission of the Nuclear Physics (NP) program is to develop and support the scientists, techniques, and facilities that are needed for basic nuclear physics research. Attendant upon this core mission are responsibilities to enlarge and diversify the nation's pool of technically trained talent and to facilitate transfer of technology and knowledge to support the nation's economic base.

Nuclear physics research is carried out at National accelerator facilities and through university programs. The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF) allows detailed studies of how quarks and gluons bind together to make protons and neutrons. In an upgrade currently being developed, the CEBAF electron beam energy will be doubled from 6 to 12 GeV. The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), in operation at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), is forming new states of matter that have not existed since the first moments after the birth of the Universe. A beam luminosity upgrade is proposed for the future; a new electron-ion collider is also being discussed. The NP program also supports research and facility operations that are directed towards understanding the properties of nuclei at their limits of stability and of the fundamental properties of nucleons and neutrinos. This research is made possible with the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which provide complementary facilities for stable and radioactive beams as well as a variety of species and energies. A local program of basic and applied research is supported at the 88-Inch Cyclotron of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). In addition, the operations of accelerators for in-house research programs at four universities (Yale University, University of Washington, Texas A&M University, and the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) at Duke University) provide unique instrumentation with a special emphasis on the training of students.

The nuclear physics program also supports non-accelerator experiments such as the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) facility, constructed by a collaboration of Canadian, English, and U.S. supported scientists; this facility is now taking data on solar neutrino fluxes and providing the first results on the “appearance” of oscillations of electron neutrinos into another neutrino type. A rare isotope beam facility is being considered which would provide a way to explore the limits of nuclear existence, is being considered. By producing and studying highly unstable nuclei that are now formed only in the stars, scientists could better understand stellar evolution and the origin of the elements.

Our ability to continue making a scientific impact on the general community relies heavily on the availability of cutting edge technology and advances in detector instrumentation, electronics, software, and accelerator design. The technical topics that follow describe research and development opportunities in the equipment, techniques, and facilities that are needed to conduct and advance nuclear physics research at existing and future facilities.

For additional information regarding the Office of Nuclear Physics priorities, click here.

TOPICS:

25. Nuclear Physics Electronics Design and Fabrication

a. Advances in Digital Electronics

b. Circuits

c. Advanced Devices and Systems

d. Manufacturing and Advanced Interconnection Techniques

26. Nuclear Physics Particle and Radiation Detection Systems, Instrumentation and Techniques

a. Advances in Detector and Spectrometer Technology

b. Technology for Rare Particle Detection

c. Large Band Gap Semiconductors, New Bright Scintillators Calorimeters, and Optical Elements

d. Nuclear Targets and High-Radiation Environment Beam Transport Components