This project will use nuclear reactions to study the basic make-up of atomic nuclei at the quantum level, and investigate the impact of nuclear structure on sub-atomic forces and fundamental physics. 

Use ultra-fast gamma-ray detectors to perform excited-state lifetime measurements and investigate single-particle and collective features of atomic nuclei. 

This project aims to discover if the long-held concept of low-energy nuclear vibrations holds true under scrutiny from Coulomb excitation and nucleon-transfer reactions. 

New methods to determine the shapes of atomic nuclei via the measurement of their electric quadrupole moment are being developed. Most nuclei are prolate spheroids - shaped like an Australian Rules football. As well as giving a picture of the nucleus, the quadrupole moment is an important observable to test theory. 

Investigate the properties of exotic nuclei and their impact on fundamental models and creation of the elements when stars explode. 

Nuclear metastable states, known colloquially as isomers, have energy densities millions of times greater than chemical batteries. This project investigates nuclear pathways for reliably extracting this energy from candidate isotopes on demand.