Theoretical Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Astrophysics
Among the primary goals of nuclear physics are: (1) Understanding many-body hadronic phenomena in terms of fundamental constituents and their interactions; (2) Extracting information on the elementary processes using nuclei as natural laboratories. As the meaning of "fundamental" and "elementary" changes, the domain and methodology of nuclear physics are steadily expanding. I list below two of my recent main research areas.
Effective Field Theory Approach to Nuclear Physics --- With the advent of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) as a fundamental theory of strong interactions, a big challenge is to make connection between nuclear phenomena and QCD. Effective field theory provides a powerful tool for tackling this problem; in particular, nuclear chiral perturbation theory has been revealing many interesting consequences of chiral symmetry for low-energy nuclear phenomena. Our work in this domain is primarily concerned with: (i) Nuclear exchange currents; (ii) Ab initio calculations of electroweak processes in few-body systems; (iii) Extension of nuclear chiral perturbation theory to higher energy-momentum transfer regimes.
Nuclear Astrophysics --- Astrophysical processes often
depend on the behavior of nuclear systems under extreme conditions
(ultra-high temperature, ultra-high pressure, etc.).
We have been trying to deepen our understanding of these exotic systems;
for instance, we are studying the possibility of
strangeness condensation in a dense medium and its
consequences in astrophysical phenomena and heavy-ion collisions.
In neutrino astrophysics reliable estimates of
neutrino-nucleus reaction cross sections are crucially important.
Our group has been actively engaged in theoretical
studies of these reactions.
For recent calculations of neutrino cross sections
relevant to SNO, see neutrino deuteron
reactions.
For further information see Nuclear Theory
or Nuclear Physics.
"Capture rate and neutron helicity asymmetry for ordinary muon capture in
hydrogen",
S. Ando, F. Myhrer and K. Kubodera, Physical Review
C63, 015203 (2001)
"Effective field theory for nuclei: Confronting fundamental questions in
astrophysics",
T.-S. Park, K. Kubodera, D.-P. Min and M. Rho,
Nuclear Physics A 684, 101 (2001)
"Effective field theory appraoch to n + p to d + gamma at threshold",
T.-S. Park, K. Kubodera, D.-P. Min and M. Rho,
Physics Letters B472, 232 (2000)
"A next-to-next-to-leading-order pp to pp pizero transition operator
in chiral perturbation theory",
V. Dmitrasinovic, K. Kubodera, F. Myhrer and T. Sato, Physics
Letters B465, 43 (1999)
"The power of effective field theories in nuclei:
the deuteron, NN scattering and electroweak processes",
T.-S. Park, K. Kubodera, D.-P. Min and M. Rho,
Nuclear Physics A 646, 83 (1999)
"The solar proton burning process revisited in chiral perturbation theory",
T.-S. Park, K. Kubodera, D.-P. Min and M. Rho,
Astrophys. J. 507, 443 (1998)
"Effective field theory for low-energy two-nucleon systems",
T.-S. Park, K. Kubodera, D.-P. Min and M. Rho,
Physical Review C 58, R637 (1998)
"Radiative muon capture by a proton in chiral perturbation theory" ,
T. Meissner, F. Myhrer and K. Kubodera, Physics Letters B416,
36 (1998).
"Chiral perturbation approach to the pp to pp pizero reaction
near threshold"
B.-Y. Park, F. Myhrer, J.R. Morones, T. Meissner
and K. Kubodera,
Physical Review C53, 1519 (1996).
"Effective Kaon Mass in Baryonic Matter and Kaon Condensation,"
H. Yabu, S. Nakamura, F. Myhrer, and K. Kubodera, Physics LettersB315,
17 (1993).
I can be reached via email at kubodera@sc.edu
Last updated Nov. 2003