Home > National Research Council, nuclear, science > Nuclear Physics: Exploring the Heart of Matter

Nuclear Physics: Exploring the Heart of Matter

June 27, 2012

Nuclear Physics: Exploring the Heart of Matter

Source: National Research Council (Board on Physics and Astronomy)

Nuclear physics today is a diverse field, encompassing research that spans dimensions from a tiny fraction of neutrons and protons in the atomic nucleus to the enormous scales of astrophysical objects in the cosmos.

Its research objectives include the desire not only to better understand the nature of matter interacting at the nuclear level but to describe the liquid state of the Universe that existed at the big bang—a phenomenon that can now be replicated in the most advanced colliding-beam accelerators. Its discoveries impact other fields such as astrophysics, particle physics, and cosmology, while the tools developed by nuclear physicists not only are employed by other basic sciences but have found wide-spread applications in a range of technologies that benefit society.

The Committee on Assessment of and Outlook for Nuclear Physics (NP 2010) has prepared a report assessing the outlook for nuclear physics research in the United States. Building on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Science Advisory Committee’s "2007 Long-range Plan Report," this report, Exploring the Heart of Matter, develops a clear and compelling articulation of the scientific rationale and objectives for nuclear physics, placing near-term goals in a broader international context. This report also puts the long-term priorities for the field (in terms of major facilities, research infrastructure, and scientific manpower) into a global context and recommends a strategy that can serve as a framework for progress in U.S. nuclear physics through 2020 and beyond.

See: National Research Council presents long-term priorities for US nuclear physics program (EurekAlert!)

About these ads
Categories: National Research Council, nuclear, science
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 495 other followers

%d bloggers like this: