Press Tips for the 2021 Fall Meeting of the APS Division of Nuclear Physics

Nuclear scientists will present the latest research on the fundamental nature of matter at the 2021 Fall Meeting of the APS Division of Nuclear Physics.

Held fully virtually October 11 through October 14, 2021, the meeting includes talks on the neutron lifetime, quark matter, designer molecules, quantum hadrons, catastrophic astrophysical events, and nuclear fission. Sessions cover topics from hadron physics, nuclear astrophysics, and rare isotopes to quantum technology and the frontiers of nuclear science.

Members of the media and student journalists are invited to explore more than 100 live sessions and poster sessions. Featured talks and additional meeting highlights are listed below. Four live news briefings will be held virtually. Please consult the scientific program for the most up-to-date schedule.

Please note all sessions are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Complimentary registration is available to those with APS press credentials on the general meeting registration page. Request press credentials through this form.

Featured Talks

The Most Precise Measurement of the Neutron Lifetime
A multi-institutional team of physicists will present new measurements that may explain how atomic nuclei formed in the early universe. The huge improvement in precision will finally allow researchers to probe a discrepancy in the standard model. Read more and view times | Indiana University Bloomington Press Release | PRL Paper | Live News Briefing Registration
Image Credit: Los Alamos National Lab / Michael Pierce

The main UCN detector in the UCNtau experiment.

Novel Experiment Measures Neutron Skin in Calcium
First results from a precision measurement of the neutron skin in a calcium nucleus will be announced. “We expect to set a benchmark with this measurement. The neutron skin in lead came out thick relative to our expectations, so we expect the same with calcium,” says Robert Michaels, a staff scientist at Jefferson Lab. Read more and view times | Jefferson Lab Press Release | Live News Briefing Registration

Jeffersons Lab

New Results From the RHIC Spin Program
Researchers will present the latest results on contributions of quarks and gluons and future measurement opportunities at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The findings will also be published in Physical Review Letters. Read more and view times

Quarks and gluons

Quarks and Antiquarks at High Momentum Shake the Foundations of Visible Matter
Jefferson Lab and Fermilab experiments present new results on nucleon structure. Preliminary results using a novel tagging method could explain the origin of the longstanding nuclear paradox known as the EMC effect. Meanwhile, authors will share next steps after the recent observation of asymmetrical antimatter in the proton. Read more and view times | Live News Briefing Registration

Artistic rendering of quarks in deuterium.

Nuclear Physicists Track Money Crimes From Ancient Rome to Benjamin Franklin
A new project unearths the history of fraud, forgery, and currency—and might clear Emperor Nero’s name. Read more and view times

X-ray images of Roman coins and early American paper money.

Surprising Results From Nuclear Reactions Inside Stars
When extremely high temperatures and magnetic fields meet in space, they change the environments where elements are forged. Preliminary data shows unexpected effects of magnetic fields on neutron stars. “It may actually explain some of the strange behavior that we see in stellar environments,” said Western Michigan University professor Michael Famiano. Read more and view times | Live News Briefing Registration

A remnant of neutron stars merging.

To Find Sterile Neutrinos, Think Small
Two small-scale experiments may beat the massive machines pursuing evidence of new physics—and could improve cancer treatment. Read more and view times

Ion beam inside the IsoDAR’s ion source.

Seeking the Star Stuff That Made Us
Novel techniques provide a new picture of cosmic heavy-element formation by unifying theory, observation, and experiment. These complementary approaches are yielding surprising results. Read more and view times

Merging neutron stars being measured by a “ruler” made of heavy elements

A 5-Sigma Standard Model Anomaly Is Possible
From the moon to the math, latest attempts at breaking CKM matrix unitarity—and discovering new physics. Read more and view times

Lunar Prospector spacecraft counting ejected neutrons.

 

  

Additional Meeting Highlights

News Briefing Schedule

Live virtual news briefings for the 2021 Fall Meeting of the APS Division of Nuclear Physics will be held online. Researchers will take questions from the media. Register at the links below. Recordings of the briefings will be available upon request.


Novel Experiment Measures Neutron Skin in Calcium
Register for the news briefing
Tuesday, October 12, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EDT

This highly-anticipated, long-awaited measurement of the neutron skin of the modestly sized, neutron rich 48Ca nucleus will provide an important benchmark for nuclear theory.


Quarks and Antiquarks at High Momentum Shake the Foundations of Visible Matter
Register for the news briefing
Tuesday, October 12, 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. EDT

SeaQuest’s measurement of light sea-quark flavor asymmetry is surprising as it clearly shows that even at high momentum fractions, antimatter is an important part of the proton.

Results from a new transformative measurement of a novel observable that provides direct insight into the origin of the EMC effect, with major implications for our understanding of the QCD structure of visible matter.


The Most Precise Measurement of the Neutron Lifetime
Register for the news briefing
Wednesday, October 13, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. EDT

Gonzalez will present the most precise measurement of the lifetime of the "free" neutron, which, along with the proton, is a building block of atomic nuclei. 


Surprising Results From Nuclear Reactions Inside Stars
Wednesday, October 13, 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EDT
Register for the news briefing

Preliminary data on the effects of high magnetic fields on accreting neutron stars will be explained, including magnetar accretion and x-ray bursts.