Norton M. Hintz, Principal Investigator

Analysis of Nuclear Reaction Data

During the late eighties and early nineties, a number of experiments were performed at Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility and at the Indiana University Cyclotron. These consisted of proton scattering and two-neutron pickup reactions. The purpose was to investigate the basic nucleonnucleon (NN) interaction inside the nucleus, which differs form the free NN interaction. There are several controversial and somewhat conflicting theories of how the free NN interaction is modified by the presence of other nucleons. Fundamentally, the underlying quark structure of neutrons and protons (nucleons) is involved. Analysis of the data requires numerical integration of second-order partial differential equations in three dimensions.

In most problems worked on by these researchers, sets of coupled differential equations were involved and many interactions are required in parameter search routines. This research group has begun to collaborate with a physicist at the University of Colorado to develop a more sophisticated program for analysis of the two particle transfer data. The results of this project were expected to have important implications in astrophysics, particle physics, and condensed matter physics.

Research Group

Michael A. Franey, Research Associate