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The research activities of our group are focused on the development
and application of theoretical methods in the physics of strong
interactions, the fundamental forces which are responsible
for the inner structure of protons and neutrons as well as for the
structure of nuclei. The basis of these investigations is Quantum
Chromo Dynamics (QCD), the theory of the interaction of quarks and
gluons. Part of this program is the investigation of the substructure of baryons and mesons
as well as the explanation of the wealth of phenomena resulting from
the collective interplay of these particles in nuclei.
The following topics are being investigated:
- QCD and structure functions: Quark-gluon structure of nucleons and nuclei
- Low-energy QCD and the physics of hadrons
- Dense and hot hadronic matter
At high energies, quarks and gluons can be identified as the
elementary constituents of hadrons. Structure functions
describe the distribution of these quarks and gluons in the interior
of nucleons and nuclei. At low energies, the manifestation of the
strong interactions is completely different. Condensates of
quarks and gluons determine what is going on. In low-energy
QCD, the rules for the interplay of these degrees of freedom are
dominated by phenomena of spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Closely related is a central question of modern nuclear physics: How
do the properties of hadrons change in dense and hot matter
Extremeforms of compressed hadronic matter exist, e.g., in the interior of
neutron stars. They can be created for a very short time in the
laboratory in the collision of ultra-relativistic heavy ions.
The above-mentioned projects are being pursued in close contact with
experiments at major accelerator facilities, e.g., CERN (Geneva),
HERA (Hamburg),
GSI (Darmstadt). Our research is supported by funds
from BMBF, DFG, GSI, and the Alexander von Humboldt foundation.
Our cooperation agreement with ECT*, the European Centre for Theoretical Studies
in Nuclear Physics and Related Fields located in Trento, Italy, offers
unique opportunities for diploma and PhD students to benefit from the
international research environment at the centre.
Wolfram Weise conducts with his group an active cooperation program
with ECT* and invites students interested in international projects to
apply for diploma and doctoral thesis work.
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