School description
In recent years, progress in microscopic approaches to solving the nuclear many-body problem has been rapid, for both nuclear structure and reactions. Notably, significant advances have been made in the treatment of continuum couplings, which is essential for describing weakly-bound and unbound states in exotic nuclei. These methods should form part of the core curriculum for all physicists working in nuclear theory and experiment.
The course aims at teaching modern theoretical approaches that are used in studies of weakly-bound and unbound quantum many-body systems. The theoretical concepts, which will be explained using examples of the atomic nucleus, can be applied in any mesoscopic system. This course will be of interest to advanced Master's students, PhD students, and junior postdoctoral researchers studying the physics of weakly-bound or unbound nuclear states.
The duration of the course is three weeks, with an expected attendance of 20-25 students. To accommodate Master's students, in particular, those from local programs at the University of Caen, the first week will primarily feature introductory lectures that provide essential background knowledge.
The school is free (no fee), and both lodging and meals will be provided to all participants.
Topics covered
- Phenomenology of nuclei as open quantum systems
- General properties of resonances
- Basic concepts of scattering theory
- Overview of nuclear decays and related processes
- Continuum in nuclear Density Functional Theory
- Real-energy continuum Shell Model
- Shell Model in the complex energy plane
- Unification of structure and reactions
- Time-dependent approaches
- Examples of continuum shell-model applications
- Uniform complex scaling method
- From few- to many-body resonances
- Near-threshold physics and low-energy universality
- Examples of continuum shell-model applications
Main lecturers
- Kevin Fossez, Florida State University, USA
- Witek Nazarewicz, FRIB & Michigan State University, USA
- Marek Płoszajczak, GANIL, France
- Alexander Volya, Florida State University, USA
Additional lecturers
- Alan Dassie, GANIL, France
- Kostas Kravvaris, LLNL, USA
- Simin Wang, Fudan University, China
Guest lecturers
- Marek Pfützner, University of Warsaw, Poland
- Nigel Orr, LPC Caen, France
Application & Requirements
Applications are currently opened. We will start reviewing applications on a rolling basis on Apr. 1, 2026 until all spots have been filled. Please, use the "Application" tab on the left to apply.
For successful participation in this course, students are expected to have a working proficiency in quantum mechanics at the graduate level. This encompasses a solid understanding of essential physics concepts and mathematical physics tools, including but not limited to:
- The concept of the wave function
- Schrödinger equation
- Spin and Hilbert spaces
- Complex variables
- Fourier transform
- Linear algebra
- Fundamental aspects of quantum many-body problems
Furthermore, students should possess practical skills in scientific computing. Familiarity with programming languages commonly used in the field, such as Fortran, C/C++, Python, or Julia, is necessary. While students may opt to use other programming languages, it should be noted that assistance from the teaching staff might be more limited in those cases.
Sponsors / Partners
