9500474 Draayer This Americas Program award will support Professor Jerry Draayer of Louisiana State University in a research collaboration with Professor Jorge Hirsch of the Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional (CINVESTAV- IPN) in Mexico City. The investigators intend to carry out computer shell-model calculations in heavy, strongly-deformed nuclei with particular interest in the determination of double beta decay rates. Ultimately, the researchers intend to obtain a better understanding of the role pairing correlations play in deformed nuclei and how they can best be incorporated into an expanded geometrical collective model. Through this research, the investigators hope to develop and apply versatile and exportable SU(3)-based shell model code that can be used to study problems of both a general and fundamental nature, and to broaden and expand links between strong research groups in both countries. ***
