Related papers: Anthropic considerations in nuclear physics

In the last years, chiral effective field theory has been successfully developed for and applied to systems with few nucleons. Here, I present a new approach for ab initio calculations of nuclei that combines these precise and systematic…

We present an ab initio calculation of the quark mass dependence of the ground state energies of ^4He, ^8Be and ^{12}C, and of the energy of the Hoyle state in ^{12}C. These investigations are performed within the framework of lattice…

I discuss the fine-tuning of the nuclear forces and in the formation of nuclei in the production of the elements in the Big Bang and in stars.

During the past two decades, chiral effective field theory has evolved into a powerful tool to derive nuclear forces from first principles. Nearly all two-nucleon interactions have been worked out up to sixth order of chiral perturbation…

The Hoyle state plays a crucial role in the helium burning of stars that have reached the red giant stage. The close proximity of this state to the triple-alpha threshold is needed for the production of carbon, oxygen, and other elements…

A major goal of nuclear theory is to explain the spectra and stability of nuclei in terms of effective many-body interactions amongst the nucleus' constituents-the nucleons, i.e., protons and neutrons. Such an approach, referred to below as…

How does nuclear binding emerge from first principles? Our current best understanding of nuclear forces is based on a systematic low-energy expansion called chiral effective field theory. However, recent {\it ab initio} calculations of…

Fundamental issues involving nuclei in the celebrated solar neutrino problem are discussed in terms of an effective field theory adapted to nuclear few-body systems, with a focus on the proton fusion process and the hep process. Our…

How does nature hold together protons and neutrons to form the wide variety of complex nuclei in the universe? Describing many-nucleon systems from the fundamental theory of quantum chromodynamics has been the greatest challenge in…

We discuss the role effective field theory plays in making predictions in nuclear physics in an approach that combines both the high sophistication of the standard nuclear many-body approach and the power of systematic higher chiral-order…

Born in the aftermath of core collapse supernovae, neutron stars contain matter under extraordinary conditions of density and temperature that are difficult to reproduce in the laboratory. In recent years, neutron star observations have…

I start with a historical review of the attempts to construct theories for the origin of nuclear forces, for which I also summaries the most important properties. The review then shifts to its main focus, which is the chiral effective field…

In the modern description of nuclear forces based on chiral effective field theory, four-nucleon operators with unknown coupling constants appear. These couplings can be fixed by a fit to the low partial waves of neutron-proton scattering.…

The triple-alpha process, whereby evolved stars create carbon and oxygen, is believed to be fine-tuned to a high degree. Such fine-tuning is suggested by the unusually strong temperature dependence of the triple-alpha reaction rate at…

Nuclear theory has entered an exciting era. This is due to advances on many fronts, including the development of effective field theory and the renormalization group for nuclear forces, advances in ab-initio methods for nuclear structure,…

Chiral effective field theory has established itself as the method of choice to study nuclear forces and low-energy nuclear dynamics. I review the status and prospects of this approach and discuss ongoing efforts to advance the precision…

We review the impact of nuclear forces on matter at neutron-rich extremes. Recent results have shown that neutron-rich nuclei become increasingly sensitive to three-nucleon forces, which are at the forefront of theoretical developments…

I will review recent progress in our understanding of the nuclear force. In the course of the 1990's, so-called high-precision, charge-dependent nucleon-nucleon potentials have been constructed which are, essentially, phenomenological…

Electron beams provide important probes and constraints for nuclear astrophysics. This is especially exciting at energies within the regime of chiral effective field theory (EFT), which provides a systematic expansion for nuclear forces and…

Most nuclear physics ranges from insensitive to relatively insensitive to many-nucleon forces. The dominant ingredient in calculations of nuclear properties is the nucleon-nucleon potential. Three-nucleon forces nevertheless play an…