Physics of the nucleus

The School operates the premier facility in Australia for accelerator-based research in physics of the nucleus. These facilities are centred on the 14UD electrostatic heavy-ion accelerator and a new modular superconducting linear accelerator booster. The accelerators feed a variety of experiments and instrumentation, enabling the study of:

  • Fusion and Fission Dynamics with Heavy Ions
  • Nuclear Spectroscopy
  • Nuclear Moments and Hyperfine Fields
  • Perturbed Angular Correlations and Hyperfine Interactions applied to Materials
  • Heavy Ion Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA)
  • Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)

Related departments

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Potential student research projects

You could be doing your own research into the physics of the nucleus. Below are some examples of student physics research projects available in our school.

Exotic nuclear structure towards the neutron dripline

Investigate the structure and radioactive-decay properties of exotic nuclei, and the roles they play in advancing modern nuclear theory, stella nucleosynthesis and applications of nuclear technology in society. 

Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane

Impact of nuclear structure on dark matter direct detection

Quantum many-body modelling of the atomic nucleus will help us understand how dark matter particles interact with atomic nuclei, as well as how many scattering events we can expect in underground laboratory search for dark matter. 

Ms Raghda Abdel Khaleq, Dr Navneet Krishnan, Professor Cedric Simenel

Time dependence of nuclear fusion

This project will allow us to understand the time-dependence of quantum tunnelling and nuclear fusion.

Dr Edward Simpson

Neutron stars: understanding physics at the extreme

Neutron stars are a unique laboratory for probing physics under the greatest extremes of density and gravity, far beyond what is capable in terrestrial laboratories.  This project aims to use gravitational wave discoveries and electromagnetic observations of neutron stars to examine fundamental physics.

Dr Karl Wette, Distinguished Prof Susan Scott

Please browse our full list of available physics research projects to find a student research project that interests you.