Research summary
The study of high-energy nuclear physics aims to understand the deep inner workings of nuclear matter. But a problem arises when certain modern Bayesian model-to-data comparisons (which are used to compare theoretical models to actual data) fail to account for uncertainties in the simulations. (A Bayesian study applies probability to statistical problems. It updates the probability estimate for an event as new evidence becomes available.)
To address this gap, Dr. Gojko Vujanovic, Canada Research Chair in Subatomic Physics Phenomenology, is taking a closer look at these theoretical uncertainties to see how they affect our understanding of the properties inside atomic nuclei. He and his research team are also developing a new way to study how rotational motion, or spin, moves and spreads within nuclear matter. Ultimately, they aim to provide an accurate understanding of the nature of atomic nuclei.