Theoretical subatomic physics
Title: Theoretical subatomic physics
DNr: SNIC 2022/2-3
Project Type: SNIC Large Storage
Principal Investigator: Christian Forssén <christian.forssen@chalmers.se>
Affiliation: Chalmers tekniska högskola
Duration: 2022-07-01 – 2023-07-01
Classification: 10301
Homepage: https://www.tsp.chalmers.se/
Keywords:

Abstract

Through the research contained in this proposal we want to make significant advances in the theoretical modeling of atomic nuclei. In particular, we will study chiral effective field theory as a tool to understand the nature of the strong nuclear force. The study of the strong nuclear interaction reveals key scientific connections between fundamental theories (the standard model of particle physics), properties of atomic nuclei and the synthesis of elements, the equation of state of infinite nuclear matter, and colliding neutron stars observed via gravitational waves. In this project we aim to study these connections that are related to major international efforts in both experiment, theory and astronomical observations. We will explore key science questions such as: (i) How details of the nucleon interaction determines properties of neutron stars and the nuclear matter equation of state? (ii) How nuclear matter observables are correlated with each other and with bulk properties of finite nuclei? (iii) What is the theoretical precision for predictions of nuclear matter observables and how is it best quantified? We address these questions using chiral effective field theory and (computationally demanding) no-core shell model, coupled-cluster many-body methods and Faddeev equations for few-nucleon scattering.