Current status and future prospects of nuclear physics research in Japan

In this talk, we will highlight some of the remarkable achievements in the experimental nuclear physics research in Japan.

Many hadron physics experiments have been conducted at J-PARC as well as at SPring-8 and ELPH in Japan. Hyperon-nucleon scattering was successfully measured, shedding light on the generalized baryon-baryon interactions within the SU(3) flavor symmetry. Hadron and hyper-nuclear spectroscopic measurements were also extensively performed. Recently, the S-2S spectrometer has been commissioned, opening new possibilities for high-resolution spectroscopies of hyper nuclei.

RI beam experiments at RIBF have revealed the shell evolution of neutron-rich nuclei. Comprehensive mass and life-time measurements provided important insights into the r-process nucleosynthesis. The symmetry energy of the nuclear matter was probed by colliding rare Sn isotopes. A tetraneutron resonance was observed in the alpha-knock out reaction on ⁸He. Another alpha-knock out reaction measured at RCNP proposed a new interpretation of the alpha-cluster correlation in atomic nuclei.

Furthermore, the presentation will outline future prospects of nuclear physics in Japan. The extension project for the J-PARC hadron experimental facility is soon to be launched. Additionally, an upgrade project of RIBF with an innovative idea will be presented.