PHY982 Nuclear Dynamics, Spring 2019

Scope and objectives:

This course provides the basic theory for direct nuclear reactions. We will start with one-channel scattering theory and build onto it more complexity in order to describe many of the reactions presently being measured at low-energy rare isotope laboratories worldwide. These include inelastic excitations, transfer reactions, breakup and capture. An important component of the course is the hands-on experience. The aims are to develop both (i) background knowledge and (ii) confidence in making choices of methods and physical parameter selections to solve (approximately) the quantum many-body reaction problems using available theoretical tools. The course will provide discussions of the underlying principles and approximations and their limitations. The acquired skills should enable the student to ask critical questions of published work and the results of codes, and to begin to work with existing reactions machinery to make estimates of cross sections for a number of cases.

Teaching model:

Course materials will be made available every week in D2L (d2l.msu.edu). You should login with your MSU NetID (for the remote students use your community ID), and will be able to see the course's content by clicking on Content at the top. Each week you are expected to watch video material prior to class and respond to a simple quiz question. Once you have successfully completed the quiz, you will be given access to the classwork. You should also read the sections of the textbook prior to class, as requested in the classwork sheet. Classes will take place in a workshop format. Every class will start with Q&A from the viewed material and any clarifications on the classwork. Students, organized in groups, will then spend the class working through the problems on the classwork sheet while the instructor is available for questions and further discussions. For the remote students we will be running a zoom session during class.

Lecturer: Filomena Nunes (nunes@nscl.msu.edu), FRIB/NSCL 2107

Schedule: Class times: Thu 2:00-4:00 (FRIB/NSCL 1309)

Office hours: Wed 11am-12pm (FRIB/NSCL 2107)

Grading System: Project (30%) + Homeworks (60%) + Quizzes (10%)

Project: The project should be developed during the semester on a nuclear reaction topic of interest to the student, determined after discussion with the professor. It can be completely theoretical, or it can contain numerical applications. A one page abstract should be prepared prior to 28 Feb 2019. The project will be evaluated based on a previously recorded zoom presentations (10 minutes long). Presentations will be viewed and discussed in class, in the last 2 weeks of April.

Homeworks: The evaluation is also based on 3 homework sets including the material covered in the course, to be worked out in a group (3-4 members). For each homework, a report not exceeding 10 pages should be prepared. Deadlines for handing in the reports (pdf version by email) are strict and given below. A list of the homeworks is given below. A discussion of the submitted report will at times be requested.

Quizzes: The quizzes capture basic concepts and serve to confirm you have done the work prior to class, as requested. These should be completed individually, after watching the corresponding video, in D2L. Beware: variations on these quiz questions will be included in a surprise quiz during class, sometime in the semester.

Proposed program

Week	Dates	Topic	Reading	Lecturer
1	Jan 10	Introduction and background	Ch 1,2	FN
2	Jan 17	Single-channel scattering	Ch 3
3	Jan 24	Resonances Homework1:single-channel scattering	Ch 3	FN
4	Jan 31	Optical potential and Coulomb	Ch 3+4	FN
5	Feb 7	Integral forms, two potential, DWBA Homework2: optical potential fitting	Ch 3,4,15	FN
6	Feb 14	Multichannel reactions	Ch 3	FN
7	Feb 21	Inelastic couplings	Ch 3,4	FN
8	Feb 28	Transfer reactions Homework3: one nucleon transfer	Ch 3,14	FN
		Spring break
9	Mar 14	Breakup reactions	Ch 7	FN
10	Mar 21	Capture reactions and R-matrix	Ch 3,6,10	FN
11	Mar 28	Fusion reactions	Notes
12	Apr 4	Microscopic methods for reactions	Notes	FN
13	Apr 11	Compound reactions	Ch 11	FN
14	Apr 18	Students projects
15	Apr 25	Students projects

Homeworks:

1) scattering states and phase shifts (deadline: 7 Feb 12pm)

2) optical potential fitting (deadline: 28 Feb 12pm)

3) transfer reactions (deadline: 14 Mar 12pm)

Webpage: http://www.nscl.msu.edu/~nunes/phy982/

Textbook: Nuclear Reactions for Astrophysics by Thompson and Nunes (Cambridge University Press).

Additional bibliography:

1) Introduction to nuclear reactions, Bertulani and Danielewicz;

2) Introduction to nuclear reactions, Satchler;

3) Direct nuclear reaction theories, Austern;

4) Direct nuclear reactions, Glendenning;

5) Collision theory, Goldberger and Watson;

6) Quantum collision theory, Joachain.

Other resources can be found in: http://www.nucleartheory.net/Talent_6_Course/