This research line is dedicated to the experimental investigation of fundamental aspects of the structure of atomic nuclei, and to develop applications of nuclear science to other fields, notably astrophysics and nuclear technology.
In the case of nuclear structure studies, this research line addresses forefront topics. One of the topics is the study of up to which point protons and neutrons behave as alike particles (apart from charge) when immerse in the nuclear matter, the so called isospin symmetry. Nuclear systems with equal or “mirror” number of protons and neutrons are investigated for this purpose. Another main topic is the evolution of the nuclear properties when we increase the neutron-proton ratio far away from the stable isotope values, in particular the shell like structure of nuclei and the existence of magic numbers. Another subject is related to the study of the shapes that nuclei can adopt and the changes observed between close-by nuclei (which can be viewed as phase transitions). In the field of nuclear astrophysics, the main topic is the study of neutron capture reactions intervening in the stellar s-process responsible for the formation of half of the elements heavier than iron. In the field of nuclear technology, our goal is to produce high quality data for two topics. One is the design of advanced nuclear systems for the transmutation of high level waste; the other is the calculation of the reactor decay heat after shutdown.
This activity is carried out using a variety of methods and techniques. The experiments are performed at a number of the most relevant international facilities, mainly in Europe. These installations are able to produce the nuclei of interest using radioactive ion beam or high intensity stable beam accelerators. New high intensity radioactive beam facilities are being constructed or planned, which will greatly enhance the opportunities for nuclear structure and astrophysics studies. This research line is actively pursuing the participation in these initiatives in order to take full advantage of the new opportunities.
From the experimental point of view, essentially three types of studies are carried out in this research line: in one case we study the disintegration of the unstable isotopes produced (decay spectroscopy), in another case we study the de-excitation of "hot" reaction products (in-beam spectroscopy), and in the third case we study the absorption of neutrons by nuclei from the subsequent de-excitation.
The common tool that we employ in the three types of studies is the gamma-ray spectroscopy, which comes however in quite different realizations: high resolution germanium detectors, in particular advanced multi-detector arrays, or total absorption scintillation detectors. These techniques are usually accompanied by complementary particle and neutron detection techniques. The development of advanced instrumentation is also an important part of the activity of this research line.
At present the main research lines and topics are the followings:
- Exotic nuclei. Experiments in FAIR
- Nuclear Structure. Nuclear Astrophysics
- Gamma ray spectroscopy
