Each mini-symposium consists of one 36 min invited presentation and five 12 min contributied presentations. The planned mini-symposia for DNP 2025 are listed below and further details are given in the DNP Epitome.
- Computational Nuclear Physics for Exotic Nuclei and Astrophysics
Organizers: Nicole Vassh (TRIUMF) and Pablo Giuliani (FRIB)
This session aims to celebrate the addition of the new Computational Nuclear Physics sorting category by highlighting incredible new applications of computational nuclear physics that are aiming to inform astrophysics. Machine learning has been applied across the nuclear chart and is capable of mass predictions in regions where experiment may never reach. Ab initio nuclear theory has taken big leaps in their reach in recent years and has now been able to explore heavier nuclei near N=126. Fission theory on the neutron-rich side has progressed in recent years, which is desperately needed by nucleosynthesis calculations which rely heavily on theoretical fission inputs given the lack of experimental information. During this session, these three directions will be explored as paramount examples of computational thrusts for exotic nuclei and astrophysics. - Data-driven Discoveries in Nuclear Physics
Organizers: Pablo Giulani (MSU), Kyle Godbey (MSU), Gaute Hagen (ORNL), Rahul Somasundaram (LANL), and Ingo Tews (LANL)
The theory-experiment/observation cycle has, and continues to be, the progress driver of nuclear science. As theoretical models become increasingly more complex, and the observations and experiments harder to perform, groups and methods continue to evolve to make the most of the available data. In this mini-symposium we explore recent advancements in data science techniques applied to challenges at the forefront of nuclear physics, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, and Bayesian statistics, with applications spanning broad areas such as model discovery, emulation, system control, data evaluation, uncertainty quantification, and experimental design. To promote broad adoption of these methods, speakers will be encouraged to share relevant codes and tutorials with the audience. Discussions after the sessions will be fostered in an online space. - Exploiting Hard Probes to Study the Quark-Gluon Plasma
Organizers: Helen Caines (Yale)
This mini-symposium will focus on new methods and results that exploit hard probes to study the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP). Hard probes, such as jets, high $p_T$ particles and those containing charm and bottom quarks, have proven important tools for understanding the properties of the QGP. Many of the heavy-ion experiments have new capabilities to study hard probes and sPHENIX at RHIC has begun operation. A wealth of new data is therefore becoming available that will enable more differential measurements. At the same time there has been significant progress in theoretical modeling. In combination, these results should provide new insights into the QGP properties. - Highlights in Nucleosynthesis
Organizers: Hendrik Schatz (MSU) and Nicole Vassh (TRIUMF)
It has been a longstanding goal of nuclear astrophysics to identify, isolate, and disentangle the contributions of distinct nucleosynthesis processes to the elemental context we see in the Universe. Over the last decades, not only has significant progress been made for established nucleosynthesis processes, but many more possible types of nucleosynthesis as well as new possibilities for nucleosynthesis sites have been introduced. This session aims to highlight the progress in understanding how to decode observables in terms of distinct processes, as well as discuss the zoo of nucleosynthesis processes now believed to be possible. A primary goal of the session is to gather such discussions in one place to discover overlaps and make meaningful connections. - New Advances in Lattice QCD
Organizers: Dean Lee (MSU)
In recent years there have been several new advances in lattice QCD such as calculations of generalized parton distributions, hadronic vacuum polarization for the anomalous muon magnetic moment, and applications of gradient flow methods. This mini-symposium will highlight some of these advances to the rest of the nuclear physics community. - New Results in Hadron Spectroscopy
Organizers: Jim Napolitano (Temple)
Large acceptance detectors such as GlueX and CLAS12 have made it possible to disentangle the spectroscopy of hadrons, including polarization observables. New experimental results confront theory and phenomenology. - Nuclear Effects in Neutrino Interactions
Organizers: Steven Gardiner (Fermilab) and Rik Gran (UMN Duluth)
Neutrino reactions with nuclei are a topic of major importance for current and next-generation experiments. After an overview talk surveying a variety of ways in which nuclear physics understanding becomes critical for enabling new discoveries, we invite contributed talks on current results in neutrino-nucleus scattering, broadly defined. Experimental and theoretical contributions are both encouraged. - Parton Fragmentation in Hard Processes
Organizers: Nadia Fomin (UTK) and Jim Napolitano (Temple)
Fragmentation functions are fundamental ingredients to understanding semi-inclusive hard scattering processes in QCD. This mini-symposium will bring together people who measure them in various processes or utilize them in phenomenologies of deep inelastic scattering and related reactions. - Progress in Neutron Beta Decay
Organizers: Nadia Fomin (UTK) and Leah Broussard (ORNL)
There has been quite a bit of theory and experimental progress in the last two years. This mini-symposium will include experimental landscape talks, including some new results on neutron lifetime and beta decay correlation parameters. - What are the Necessary Conditions for Quark-Gluon Plasma Formation?
Organizers: Helen Caines (Yale)
This mini-symposium will discuss the question “What are the minimal conditions for QGP formation?” both in terms of medium size produced and initial energy density. Initial results from the RHIC Beam Energy Scan (BES) indicate that Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) formation ceases at collision energies below 5 GeV per nucleon, while studies using $p+A$ and $p+p$ collisions that suggest a QGP might be created in small system collisions with high multiplicity. Additional studies from the BES, pp and p+A data are needed, as are new theoretical insights. In addition, measurements from O+O, Ru+Ru, and Zr+Zr collisions from RHIC, and O+O, p+O and potentially Ne+Ne data, to be collected during LHC Run 3, will provide critical input to resolving this question.
