APS Division of Nuclear Physics

The Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) is comprised of scientists and educators who study fundamental problems related to the nature of matter. Nuclear scientists probe the properties of nuclei and nuclear matter and the interactions of their ultimate constituents — quarks and gluons. They also address interdisciplinary questions: the basis of fundamental symmetries in nature, the first moments of the universe, the origin of the elements, education, and the application of nuclei and nuclear techniques to meet societal needs including medical diagnoses and treatment, energy, advanced materials, and Homeland Security. DNP interests have significant overlap with other APS Divisions, Topical Groups and Forums.

Deadlines in the next six weeks

Origin of the Spin of the Proton

The proton is far from being an elementary Dirac particle. The quest to discover how its spin is distributed among the quarks and gluons of which it is composed is one of the most fascinating challenges in modern nuclear physics. In the simplest model, the proton spin arises from the spins of its three constituent quarks. More realistically, the quarks and the gluons that bind them carry both spin and orbital angular momentum. More