Clustering in light nuclei

The Nuclear Physics Group at the University of Birmingham is a world
leader in exploring light, exotic nuclear states via charged-particle
spectroscopy. Light nuclei play key roles in the both the synthesis of
elements in stars and also in studying fundamental properties of the
nuclear force. Of particular importance to these investigations are a class
of energy levels in nuclei comprised of sub-clusters of protons and neutrons;
so called nuclear cluster states.
This project focuses on understanding cluster states
by making precision measurements of their decay branches, energies and
widths. The Nuclear Physics Group at Birmingham has its own detection and data
acquisition systems with which to carry out experiments at laboratories in
Europe, South Africa and the U.S.A.