Prof. Jonathan Engel, postdoc David Kekejian, and
grad students Qunqun Liu, David Stilwell, and Matthew Dai are working on several
crucial problems at the interface of nuclear physics, particle physics and
astrophysics:
Calculating nuclear double-beta decay rates so that we can determine
neutrino masses, learn whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles, and
discover the new particles that underlie the Standard Model of particle
physics.
Studying the synthesis of the heaviest elements from lighter elements
in an intense flux of neutrons. This "r process"
is thought to take place in supernova explosions or neutron-star mergers but is
far from well understood.
Investigating ways in which CP (charge-parity) symmetry is violated in
nuclei, so that we can understand why there is so much more matter than
antimatter in our universe (and solve other puzzles).
Developing new many-body methods, most significantly a marriage of the
generator coordinate method with the in-medium renormalization group, for
nuclear structure in heavy nuclei.
We collaborate with experimental groups at TUNL, as well as with
theorists from UNC
and from other universities. For a list of publications
click here.