[Triumf-seminars] TRIUMF Special Seminar today at 11:00

[TRIUMF Seminars]

Date/Time: Fri 2013-11-01 at 11:00

Location:  ISAC-II Conf. Rm.   

Speaker:   Javier Menéndez (Technische Universität Darmstadt)

Title:     From Nuclear Structure to Fundamental Symmetries: Towards an ab-initio understanding

Abstract: First ab-initio nuclear structure calculations were performed for light nuclei over a decade ago, and recent efforts have pushed the frontier to exotic medium-mass nuclei. I present theoretical predictions using two- and three-nucleon forces from chiral effective field theory (EFT) for the shell evolution of neutron-rich oxygen and calcium isotopes, which have been confirmed by precision Penning trap mass measurements. I also discuss the extension of these works to other medium-mass nuclei.

In addition, chiral EFT predicts the consistent electroweak currents that enter the transition operators that test Fundamental Symmetries. I show matrix elements calculated with state-of-the-art nuclear structure and chiral EFT currents. I focus on the impact of two-body currents for neutrinoless double-beta decay, a key process to determine the character of neutrinos and their masses, and the scattering of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) off nuclei, which sheds light on the nature of Dark Matter.

Stimulants available 15 minutes before the talk.

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General TRIUMF seminar information available at http://www.triumf.ca/home/upcoming-events/about-seminars-lectures