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Nuclear Theory Lab
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A lab that uses quantum many-body theory to work out the shapes of atomic nuclei and how they break apart.
AboutAbout the lab
Drawing the shapes of atomic nuclei from theory.
The Nuclear Theory Lab theoretically studies the structure and reactions of atomic nuclei as quantum many-body systems.
A nucleus is a bound system of a few to several hundred nucleons (protons and neutrons) held together by the nuclear force, and it displays the rich phenomena characteristic of many-body systems.
In recent years, accelerator experiments have artificially produced short-lived nuclei that do not exist stably in nature (unstable nuclei), greatly broadening the scope of research.
Understanding atomic nuclei is also key to solving fundamental physics problems, such as the origin of matter, the synthesis of heavy elements in the early universe, and tests of fundamental symmetries.
Key terms
- Nucleon
- A particle that makes up an atomic nucleus. The term refers to protons and neutrons collectively.
- Unstable nucleus
- An atomic nucleus that does not exist stably in nature and changes into another nucleus within a short time.
- Double-beta decay
- A very rare decay in which two neutrons (or protons) in a nucleus change at the same time.
NewsLab news
Predicting the shapes of unknown nuclei with AI-based nuclear modeling
A new connection between nuclear deformation and double-beta decay is revealed
First successful microscopic description of shape phase transitions in odd-mass nuclei
ResearchResearch themes
The lab explores the structure and reactions of atomic nuclei, treated as quantum many-body systems, from a theoretical standpoint. It develops methods that it proposes itself, combining density functional theory for many-nucleon systems with algebraic models of collective motion.
*Illustrative imageMicroscopic description of collective motion
Atomic nuclei can vibrate at the surface, or deform into an ellipsoid and rotate as a whole. The lab is building a theoretical framework that describes this collective motion, which involves many nucleons, microscopically and in a unified way, even for heavy nuclei.
*Illustrative imageShape phase transitions and coexistence
As the number of nucleons changes, the shape of a nucleus shifts from a vibrational state to a deformed, rotational one. The lab is working on describing this phase transition, as well as "shape coexistence," in which several deformed states appear at the same time, with microscopic theory.
*Illustrative imageHigher-order deformations
Nuclei with certain nucleon numbers are thought to undergo octupole deformation, a pear-like distortion. The lab has developed a method that also incorporates still higher-order hexadecapole deformation, and has shown that it describes the states of deformed nuclei with high accuracy.
*Illustrative imageFundamental nuclear decay processes
Beta decay, in which a neutron turns into a proton, is also important for understanding how heavy nuclei were produced in the early universe. The lab is also developing a framework for calculating the nuclear matrix elements of neutrinoless double-beta decay.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Nuclear Theory Lab consist of faculty members and students at the doctoral, master's, and undergraduate levels.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorKosuke Nomura
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “REX-ISOLDE” Maximilien Brice / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Microscopic description of collective motion: “Miniball overhead” Maximilien Brice / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Shape phase transitions and coexistence: “Water Converting to ice - Lamayuru Trek” Nikitaparwani / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Higher-order deformations: “Four pears” Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Fundamental nuclear decay processes: “Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A” NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Rho (Caltech-SSC) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Fundamental Medical Physics Lab): “Cyclotron with glowing beam” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Quantum Condensed Matter Physics Lab): “Thin section scan crossed polarizers Siilinjärvi R edit” kallerna / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (J-Material Strongly Correlated Electron Physics Lab): “Liquid helium dewars” Adville / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Theoretical Astrophysics Lab): “The spiral galaxy NGC 941 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope” ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick / Public domain (cropped)
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