Un-nuclear physics: conformal symmetry in nuclear reactions
CMSA EVENTS: CMSA QUANTUM MATTER IN MATH & PHYSICS SEMINAR
I discuss a nonrelativistic version of Georgi’s “unparticle physics”. An “un-nucleus” is a field in a nonrelativistic conformal field theory characterized by a mass and a scaling dimension. It is realized approximately in high-energy nuclear reactions involving emission of a few neutrons with relative energies between about 0.1 MeV and 5 MeV. Conformal symmetry predicts a power law behavior of the inclusive cross section in this kinematic regime. I compare the predictions with previous theoretical calculations of nuclear reactions and point out opportunities to measure un-nuclei at radioactive beam facilities. Finally, I comment on the possibility to create unparticles of neutral D mesons in short-distance reactions at the LHC.