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

Find a research project »

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.

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. 

Professor Cedric Simenel

Measuring electric quadrupole moments - the shapes of atomic nuclei

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. 

Professor Andrew Stuchbery, Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane, Mr Ben Coombes

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

Exotic nuclear structure towards the neutron dripline

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

Dr AJ Mitchell, Professor Gregory Lane

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