This U.S.-Bulgaria research project between Dr. Stuart Pittel, Dr. Jonathan Engel, Mr. Roland Larsson, of the Bartol Research Institute, and Dr. Peter Raichev, Dr. Roussy Roussev, Dr. Ana Georgieva, Dr. Mario Stoitsov, Dr. Lilia Mariova, Dr. Borislav Slavov, Dr. Vessilin Dimitrov, Tsetsa Dankova, Nikolai Minkov, of the Bulgarian Institute for Nuclear Research & Energy (INRNE) and Sofia University in Bulgaria, will focus on "Contemporary Issues in Nuclear Structure Theory." The researchers will (1) develop mapping methods to use in quark descriptions of finite nuclei; and (2) use some new many-body methods developed in Sofia to study galactic dark matter detection by 73Ge. Access to the Bulgarians' new approach to odd-mass nuclei should prove useful in future studies. Understanding the dark matter in galaxies and in the universe as a whole represents one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary physics. An enormous experimental effort is underway to search for galactic dark matter with terrestrial detectors and in particular with a 73Ge detector. %%% This project in theoretical physics fulfills the program objective of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling leading experts in Bulgaria and the United States to combine complementary talents and pool resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence.
