From stars to the Standard Model: The far reaching effects of studying exotic nuclei

The study of the atomic nucleus impacts our understanding of physical systems across vastly different length scales, from quarks (10-18 m) to red giants (1010 m). Starting from only the number of protons and neutrons, nuclear physicists aim to describe the properties and behavior of all nuclei. These properties are governed by the nuclear force, which has strong and weak components, as well as electromagnetic forces – all of which we can (to some level) describe quantitatively. However, our best understanding of the strong force is significantly more difficult to solve at nuclear scales. To complicate matters further, a comprehensive theory describing the nuclear force is a true many-body problem and must explain equally well the behavior of two-body and 300-body systems.

Our best models and theories are put to the test by studying rare and exotic nuclei, which can only be produced at a few facilities worldwide. At TRIUMF, Canada's national lab for nuclear and particle physics, a new detector array has been recently brought online to study the decays of these exotic nuclei: GRIFFIN, the Gamma-Ray Infrastructure for Fundamental Investigations of Nuclei. Within the first year of its operation, scientists from around the globe have used GRIFFIN to measure a wide range of exotic nuclei to search for physics beyond the Standard Model, pin down the processes leading to the formation of heavy elements in stars, and expand our understanding of nuclear structure.