Session 1WB: New Frontiers in Low-Energy Nuclear Theory I

Lattice QCD for nuclei

Over the last several decades, theoretical nuclear physics has been evolving from a very-successful phenomenology of the properties of nuclei, to a first-principles derivation of the properties of visible matter in the Universe from the known underlying theories of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) and Electrodynamics. Many nuclear properties have now been calculated using lattice QCD, a method for treating QCD numerically with large computers. In this talk, some of the most recent results in this frontier area of nuclear theory will be reviewed.   

Advances in ab initio theories for nuclear reactions

Driven by high-performance computing and new ideas, in recent years \textit{ab initio} theory has made great strides in achieving a unified description of nuclear structure, clustering and reactions from the constituent nucleons and their strong and electroweak interactions. This is giving access to forefront tools and new fertile grounds to further our understanding of the nuclear force and electroweak currents in nuclei in terms of effective degrees of freedom. A fundamental understanding of nuclear reaction mechanisms and a new capability to accurately compute their properties is also relevant for nuclear astrophysics, terrestrial applications of nuclear fusion, and for using nuclei as probes of fundamental physics through, for example, neutrino-nucleus scattering. In this talk, I will present recent highlights and reflect on future perspectives for this area of nuclear theory. Prepared by LLNL under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344.   

Ab initio theories for light nuclei and neutron stars

In this talk I will touch upon several features of modern ab initio low-energy nuclear theory. I will start by discussing what "ab initio" means in this context. Specifically, I will spend some time going over nucleon-nucleon and three-nucleon interactions and their connections with the underlying theory of Quantum Chromodynamics. I will then show how these interactions are used to describe light nuclei using essentially exact few-body methods. I will then discuss heavier systems, especially those of astrophysical relevance, as well as the methods used to tackle them.