Welcome to the UCLA Nuclear Physics Group
The UCLA Nuclear Physics Group is at the forefront of research in strong interactions and neutrino physics, tackling some of the most profound questions in modern science. Our mission is to discover, explore, and understand all forms of nuclear matter—from the microscopic world of quarks and gluons to the elusive nature of neutrinos, which hold the key to understanding fundamental symmetries in the universe.
While quarks and gluons—the building blocks of nuclear matter—are relatively well understood, the mechanisms governing their interactions and the emergence of matter’s diverse forms remain largely unknown. We investigate these questions through Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which governs 99% of the visible mass in the universe. A key focus of our research is the quark-gluon plasma, a primordial state of matter that existed microseconds after the Big Bang, as well as the spin and internal structure of protons and nuclei. These studies advance our understanding of the strong force and the dynamics of nuclear matter.
In parallel, we explore the fundamental nature of neutrinos—mysterious particles that may hold the answers to some of the universe's deepest puzzles. Are neutrinos Dirac or Majorana particles? These questions drive our involvement in cutting-edge neutrino experiments and related theoretical investigations.
Our research program spans both experimental and theoretical nuclear physics. On the experimental side, we are founding members of the STAR and sPHENIX collaborations at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), where we study the quark-gluon plasma to reveal matter under extreme conditions. We are also contributing to the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a next-generation facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The EIC will revolutionize our understanding of gluons and the spin structure of protons and nuclei by providing precision measurements of nuclear matter’s quantum properties.
On the theoretical side, our research focuses on QCD theory and phenomenology, guiding major experiments at RHIC, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and the future EIC. By bridging theory and experiment, we aim to unlock new insights into the strong interaction and the structure of nuclear matter. We are also exploring quantum simulations and machine learning techniques to address challenging problems in QCD, offering innovative tools for theoretical research.
Through this integrated approach, the UCLA Nuclear Physics Group provides graduate students with the opportunity to work on groundbreaking challenges at the forefront of nuclear and particle physics. Whether exploring the origins of the universe, probing the quantum structure of matter, or advancing computational methods, our group prepares the next generation of researchers to make transformative discoveries.
