DEPARTMENT COLLOQUIUM | Physics with Exotic Nuclei and Atoms

A new frontier in physics in recent years has been the generation and use of exotic nuclei and atoms (i.e. nuclei and atoms with N>>Z or Z>>N) for basic research. In this talk I will outline the initial motivation for this, along with some examples of UM's and others' work in this area together with some of the interesting results obtained. The latter have impacted important topics such as the origin of dark matter, our understanding of supernovae and neutron stars, the abundance and origin of the elements, nuclear and atomic models, as well as generating new technologies with applications in many other fields. The new Facility for Rare-Isotope Beams (FRIB) now being constructed nearby at MSU, as well as several existing facilities, provide new research (and funding) opportunities for UM faculty and students in this field.