“UNC-CH Nuclear Chalk Talk”
Jens Braun, Technical University of Darmstadt
“Nucleonic Systems as viewed at Different Distance Scales”
The Renormalization Group (RG) represents an important method in modern physics as it allows systematic studies of the changes of physical systems as viewed at different distance scales. In particular, it played a prominent role in the development of a systematic connection of nuclear physics at low energies to the microscopic forces determined by the underlying fundamental theory of the strong interaction. The manifestation of this connection was not only an important achievement for nuclear structure physics but also improved tremendously our general understanding of the dynamical generation of bound many-body systems.
Density Functional Theory (DFT) provides the basis for state-of-the-art studies of ground-state properties of heavy nuclei. However, the direct relation of the density functional underlying these calculations and the microscopic nuclear forces is not yet understood. In recent years, the field-theoretical ground for an RG approach to DFT has now also been laid. It allows for studies of selfbound many-body systems from microscopic interactions in a systematic fashion and offers great potential to guide the development of density functionals for future quantitative DFT studies of heavy nuclei and their decays.
I will assess the potential of ab initio studies based on state-of-the-art RG approaches. In particular, I will discuss a roadmap for novel developments of these approaches with the goal of pushing our understanding of nuclei and dense nuclear matter to a new level.