Second CaeSAR Summer School on Fundamental and Applied Nuclear Physics

3 sept. 2026, 08:30 → 4 sept. 2026, 14:30 Europe/Paris

Caen

The school will provide a modern and broad view on timely topics related to fundamental nuclear physics and its societal applications. The subjects selected for this edition are

• an historical view of the main discoveries in experimental nuclear physics
• the applications of quantum few-body calculations to neutron-rich nuclei and
• an overview of applications of nuclear physics in the electronuclear field.

   

Target audience: The school is open primarily to Master and PhD students.

Practical information: There is no registration fee to participate to the school, but attendance is limited to 25 participants. Lodging (double occupancy rooms at the hotel venue) and all meals will be provided free of charge.

 

 

jeu. 3 septembre

1 Introduction

2 Quantum few-body calculation method and its application to neutron-rich nuclei (1/2)

Many important subjects in physics can be attributed to solving accurately Schroedinger equation for 3- and 4-body problem. By solving the equation,
i) we can predict various observable before measurement, and
ii) we can obtain new understandings by comparing the observed data and our theoretical prediction.
For this purpose, it is necessary
i) to develop the method to calculate 3- and 4-body problems precisely, and
ii) to apply to various fields such as nuclear physics
as well as atomic physics.
I have been developing ‘Gaussian Expansion Method (GEM)’ which is one of few-body calculation method. Here, I explain GEM and its application to nuclear physics.

Orateur: Emiko Hiyama (RIKEN)

10:30 coffee break

3 Quantum few-body calculation method and its application to neutron-rich nuclei (2/2)

Many important subjects in physics can be attributed to solving accurately Schroedinger equation for 3- and 4-body problem. By solving the equation,
i) we can predict various observable before measurement, and
ii) we can obtain new understandings by comparing the observed data and our theoretical prediction.
For this purpose, it is necessary
i) to develop the method to calculate 3- and 4-body problems precisely, and
ii) to apply to various fields such as nuclear physics
as well as atomic physics.
I have been developing ‘Gaussian Expansion Method (GEM)’ which is one of few-body calculation method. Here, I explain GEM and its application to nuclear physics.

Orateur: Emiko Hiyama (RIKEN)

12:30 Lunch

4 A brief history of nuclear physics: from the discovery of the nucleus to element 118 (1/2)

The year 2011 marked the centennial of Rutherford’s discovery of the atomic nucleus. We also celebrated the centennial of Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These two events are closely linked and marked the dawn of a science that would revolutionize physics and change the course of history. To get to this point, it took luck, countless hours of hard work, and genius.
Starting in 1911, a wave of technological innovations and conceptual revolutions gave rise to quantum mechanics and led to the discovery of the proton, the neutron, antimatter, artificial radioactivity, and fission. Since World War II, discoveries have continued, and the nucleus has revealed itself in all its forms: magical, deformed and exotic.
In these lectures, I will briefly retrace the history of nuclear physics and give a glimpse of what is done today in the field of modern nuclear-structure physics.

Orateur: Araceli LOPEZ-MARTENS (IJCLab)

15:30 coffee break

5 A brief history of nuclear physics: from the discovery of the nucleus to element 118 (2/2)

The year 2011 marked the centennial of Rutherford’s discovery of the atomic nucleus. We also celebrated the centennial of Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These two events are closely linked and marked the dawn of a science that would revolutionize physics and change the course of history. To get to this point, it took luck, countless hours of hard work, and genius.
Starting in 1911, a wave of technological innovations and conceptual revolutions gave rise to quantum mechanics and led to the discovery of the proton, the neutron, antimatter, artificial radioactivity, and fission. Since World War II, discoveries have continued, and the nucleus has revealed itself in all its forms: magical, deformed and exotic.
In these lectures, I will briefly retrace the history of nuclear physics and give a glimpse of what is done today in the field of modern nuclear-structure physics.

Orateur: Araceli LOPEZ-MARTENS (IJCLab)

ven. 4 septembre

6 Applications of Nuclear Physics in Everyday Life (1/2)

Nuclear physics plays a major role in modern society, with a wide range of applications relying on the properties of radioactive decay to support everyday life. Following a brief introduction highlighting some of the most common applications, this course will first address the importance of nuclear data. Key recommended nuclear databases will be presented, along with a discussion of the evaluation processes used in their production, focusing in particular on decay data. Special attention will be given to the proper retrieval and use of information from these databases. The second part of the course will focus on ionizing radiation metrology, which is essential for most applications of nuclear physics. After a short introduction to metrology, the specific challenges associated with radionuclide metrology will be examined. The main detection methods will be presented and critically discussed. Finally, issues related to decommissioning and radioactive waste management will be addressed. In particular, the importance of precise contamination characterization will be emphasized as a means to reduce waste management costs in a context of increasing reliance on nuclear technologies. The challenges associated with field measurements will be discussed, and selected innovative approaches will be presented.

Orateur: Sylvain Leblond (LNE/LNHB)

10:30 coffee break

7 Applications of Nuclear Physics in Everyday Life (2/2)

Nuclear physics plays a major role in modern society, with a wide range of applications relying on the properties of radioactive decay to support everyday life. Following a brief introduction highlighting some of the most common applications, this course will first address the importance of nuclear data. Key recommended nuclear databases will be presented, along with a discussion of the evaluation processes used in their production, focusing in particular on decay data. Special attention will be given to the proper retrieval and use of information from these databases. The second part of the course will focus on ionizing radiation metrology, which is essential for most applications of nuclear physics. After a short introduction to metrology, the specific challenges associated with radionuclide metrology will be examined. The main detection methods will be presented and critically discussed. Finally, issues related to decommissioning and radioactive waste management will be addressed. In particular, the importance of precise contamination characterization will be emphasized as a means to reduce waste management costs in a context of increasing reliance on nuclear technologies. The challenges associated with field measurements will be discussed, and selected innovative approaches will be presented.

Orateur: Sylvain Leblond (LNE/LNHB)

12:30 Lunch