Physics Division progress report for period ending September 30, 1988

Abstract

This report covers the research and development activities of the Physics Division for the 1988 fiscal year, beginning October 1, 1987, and ending September 30, 1988. The activities of this Division are concentrated in the areas of experimental nuclear physics, experimental atomic physics, and theoretical nuclear and atomic physics. Operation of the Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility as a national user facility continues to represent the single largest activity within the Division. This year saw the completion of the acceleration tube upgrade of the 25-MV tandem electrostatic accelerator and the achievement of record terminal potentials, operation for an experiment with 25 million volts on terminal, and successful tests with beam at 25.5 MV. The experimental nuclear physics program continues to be dominated by research utilizing heavy ions. These activities, while continuing to center largely on the Holifield Facility, have seen significant growth in the use of facilities that provide intermediate energies and especially ultrarelativistic beams. The UNISOR program, since its inception, has been intimately associated with the Division and, most particularly, with the Holifield Facility. In addition to the Holifield Facility, the Division operates two smaller facilities, the EN Tandem and the ECR Ion Source Facility, as ''User Resources.'' Themore » efforts in theoretical physics, covering both nuclear and atomic physics, are presented. In addition to research with multicharged heavy ions from the ECR source, the effort on atomic physics in support of the controlled fusion program includes a plasma diagnostics development program. The concentration of this program on optical and laser technology is marked by the change in designation to the Laser and Electro-Optics Lab. A small, continuing effort in elementary particle physics, carried out in collaboration with the University of Tennessee, is reported.« less