First-principles investigations of neutron and nuclear matter are at the forefront of research activities in nuclear physics and take ample advantage of the recent advances in high-performance computing. This project will lay the groundwork for finite-temperature studies of nuclear physics by pursuing the systematic study of strongly-coupled Fermi systems and by testing this approach with related few- and many-body problems in atomic physics. The numerical methods developed here focus on nonperturbative aspects of the nuclear many-body problem and the results are expected to impact other fields such as atomic and condensed matter physics, high-energy physics and astrophysics. The group will establish a database of Monte Carlo configurations that will serve the scientific community in the USA and abroad.
This project will promote an interdisciplinary study employing advanced first-principles calculations in several fields, ranging from nuclear physics to condensed matter and atomic physics. This will present unique opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to develop a broad understanding of various physical systems and perform creative multidisciplinary research. The database developed here will provide hands-on tools useful for teaching nonperturbative numerical methods for students worldwide. Education at the undergraduate level will benefit the local Computational Astronomy and Physics Research Experience for Undergraduates (CAP-REU) program.
