Introduction
The scientific goals of basic research in nuclear physics are thoroughly examined by the research community and the federal agencies in the NSAC periodic long range planning exercises that have been carried out approximately twice a decade since 1979. The most recent plan, The 2002 Nuclear Science Advisory Committee report, Opportunities in Nuclear Science. A Long-Range Plan for the Next Decade, establishes the scientific agenda for the field and identifies the core scientific questions:
What is the structure of the nucleon?
What is the structure of nucleonic mater?
What are the properties of hot nuclear matter?
What is the nuclear microphysics of the universe?
What is to be the new Standard Model?
Nuclear Science is making tremendous strides in answering these fundamental questions. This diverse field of research is organized into four general thrusts:
Hadronic physics -- linking the physics of nuclei to the fundamental theory of strong interactions
Physics of high temperature and high density hadronic matter
Nuclear structure and astrophysics
Neutrinos, neutrino astrophysics and fundamental interactions
The following sections describe the Physics Goals for each of these thrusts and the associated Long Term Performance Measures and Benchmarks.
Nuclear Physics
Home PageMeasures
Long Term
Long-term Measure 1 Long-term Measure 2 Long-term Measure 3
Long-term
Measure 4
Annual
Annual Measure 1 Annual Measure 2 Annual Measure 3
Annual
Measure 4Annual
Measure 5
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Road Maps Project Plan NSAC Reports
