May 2025
Deciphering the universe with exotic nuclei
“I work in theoretical nuclear physics, developing ab-initio techniques that describe atomic nuclei using the constituent nucleons and the forces between them as the building blocks of the theory.
My focus within the research group is on the calculation of so-called electromagnetic responses, properties of nuclei resulting from the influence of the electromagnetic force. These properties can be measured in laboratory experiments using radioactive beams and provide a unique lens into the internal structure of nuclei. The project, which is carried out in collaboration with experimental groups at the TU Darmstadt, aims to provide accurate predictions for nuclei that will be accessible in the laboratory in the coming years.
©: Jonas Werner Photography
The goal of my project is to extend the theory to better account for so-called exotic nuclei, which are unstable and have a significant excess of neutrons over protons. Exotic nuclei are at the forefront of nuclear physics research in part because extrapolating from electromagnetic observables provides a way to access the properties of so-called nuclear matter, a kind of fluid of unbound neutrons and protons that is a key model for neutron stars. Therefore, this theory has implications for other studies that span multiple scales, allowing us to describe properties that are at the macroscale from inputs at the microscale.
Nuclear physics deals with very complex problems, which is what makes it so interesting. To study these systems, I develop new techniques and work with complicated codes that require a lot of computing power. I routinely use MOGON, the in-house supercomputer, for testing and development, as well as for production calculations. The final aim is to obtain robust results that can be compared with experimental measurements.
This research allows me to collaborate with several research groups, which gives me an overview of the broad picture of the field in theory and experiment, as well as in applications to astrophysics.”
Dr. Francesco Marino has been a postdoc since January 2024 in the research group of Professor Sonia Bacca. He moved to Mainz for his first postdoctoral position after his PhD studies at the university of Milano, where he studied nuclear matter with ab-initio techniques