In the realm of nuclear physics and energy research, a team of scientists from the University of Tokyo, including Professor Wataru Horiuchi, Dr. Yoshiko Suzuki, and Dr. Ronald B. Wiringa from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, has made significant strides in understanding high-energy nuclear scattering. Their work, published in the journal Physical Review C, focuses on the application of Glauber theory to analyze nuclear reactions, which has practical implications for the energy sector, particularly in nuclear energy research and development.
The researchers set out to address a longstanding challenge in nuclear physics: the lack of convincing calculations to support the use of Glauber theory in analyzing high-energy nuclear scattering experiments. Glauber theory is a mathematical framework used to describe the scattering of particles, such as protons and nuclei, at intermediate to high energies. Despite its widespread use, the theory had not been rigorously tested with accurate nuclear wave functions derived from realistic nuclear forces.
To tackle this issue, the team performed ab initio (from first principles) Glauber theory calculations for various nuclear systems, including proton-carbon (p+12C), carbon-carbon (12C+12C), and helium-carbon (6He+12C) collisions. They generated the nuclear wave functions using variational Monte Carlo calculations, which incorporate spatial and spin-isospin correlations induced by realistic two- and three-nucleon potentials. This approach allows for a more accurate representation of the nuclear structure and dynamics.
The researchers then computed Glauber’s phase-shift function, which describes the change in the phase of the scattered wave due to the interaction between the projectile and the target nucleus. They performed Monte Carlo integration up to all orders of nucleon-nucleon multiple scatterings, ensuring a comprehensive analysis of the scattering process. Their calculations showed excellent agreement with experimental data for the selected nuclear systems, validating the use of Glauber theory in analyzing high-energy nuclear experiments.
One of the key findings of the study was the rapid convergence of the cumulant expansion of the phase-shift function up to the second order for the investigated systems. This means that the complex scattering process can be accurately described using a relatively simple mathematical expansion, making the analysis more tractable and efficient. This finding has significant implications for the energy sector, particularly in the development of nuclear reactors and the study of nuclear fusion reactions.
The practical applications of this research extend to various aspects of the energy industry. For instance, understanding high-energy nuclear scattering is crucial for optimizing nuclear reactor designs, improving safety measures, and developing advanced nuclear fuels. Additionally, the insights gained from this study can contribute to the ongoing efforts in nuclear fusion research, which aims to harness the power of nuclear fusion reactions for clean and sustainable energy production.
In conclusion, the work of Horiuchi, Suzuki, and Wiringa represents a significant advancement in the theoretical analysis of high-energy nuclear scattering. Their findings not only validate the use of Glauber theory but also pave the way for more efficient and accurate analyses of nuclear experiments. This research has important implications for the energy sector, particularly in nuclear energy research and development, and contributes to the broader goal of advancing our understanding of nuclear physics for practical applications.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.