Nuclear Physics
The nuclear theory group carries out research into the structure and behavior of strongly-interacting matter in terms of its basic constituents -- quarks and gluons -- over a wide range of conditions: from nucleons and nuclear matter to the cores of stars, and from the Big Bang that was the birth of the universe to the heavy-ion collisions in present-day experiments.
Our group is internationally recognized for leading the development of effective field theories of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), having invented the Soft Collinear Effective Theory to describe high-energy quarks and gluons, and Nuclear Effective Field Theories to deduce the force among nucleons. We have formulated the innovative No-Core Shell Model to predict the properties of nuclei from fundamental nucleon interactions, and have investigated equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of nuclear matter. We have also done pioneering work on applications of perturbative QCD to nuclear collisions at the highest attainable energies, and discovered that heavy quarks provide a revolutionary tool for the investigation of a new state of matter -- the quark-gluon plasma -- formed in these collisions.
Members of our group have received numerous awards, including two Sloan Fellowships, two DOE Outstanding Junior Investigator Awards, and a Humboldt Senior Scientist Award. One of us has also authored several books on relativistic nuclear collisions, and two are APS Fellows.
Faculty
Bruce Barrett
Professor of Physics
Ph.D., 1967, Stanford University
bbarrett@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 370
Phone: 520-621-2979
Personal Website
Douglas J Donahue
Professor Emeritus of Physics
Ph.D., 1952, University of Wisconsin
djd@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 265
Phone: 520-621-2480
Sean Fleming
Assistant Professor of Physics
Ph.D., 1995, Northwestern University
fleming@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 386C
Phone: 520-626-4377
Personal Website
Sigurd Kohler
Professor Emeritus of Physics
Ph.D., 1956, Uppsala University
kohler@physics.arizona.edu
Larry McIntyre
Professor Emeritus of Physics
Ph.D., 1965, Univerisity of Wisconsin
mcintyre@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 271
Phone: 520-621-6813
Johann Rafelski
Professor of Physics
Dr. Phil. Nat, 1973, University of Frankfurt
rafelski@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 386D
Phone: 520-990-4213
Personal Website
Ina Sarcevic
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Ph.D., 1986, University of Minnesota
ina@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 420B
Phone: 520-621-4392
Personal Website
Robert Thews
Professor Emeritus of Physics
Ph.D., 1966, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
thews@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 420A
Phone: 520-621-2453
Personal Website
Bira van Kolck
Associate Professor of Physics
Ph.D., 1993, University of Texas
vankolck@physics.arizona.edu
Office: PAS 386B
Phone: 520-621-4230
Personal Website
