The Structure of Light Nuclei and Its Effect on Precise Atomic Measurements

Abstract

This review consists of three parts: (a) what every atomic physicist needs to know about the physics of light nuclei; (b) what nuclear physicists can do for atomic physics; (c) what atomic physicists can do for nuclear physics. A brief qualitative overview of the nuclear force and calculational techniques for light nuclei will be presented, with an emphasis on debunking myths and on recent progress in the field. Nuclear quantities that affect precise atomic measurements will be discussed, together with their current theoretical and experimental status. The final topic will be a discussion of those atomic measurements that would be useful to nuclear physics, and nuclear calculations that would improve our understanding of existing atomic data.