From Nuclear to Unnuclear Physics

TL;DR

This paper discusses the concept of unnuclear physics, where nuclear reactions involving loosely bound neutrons exhibit conformal symmetry, linking nuclear reaction scaling to ultracold atomic systems and neutron star physics.

Contribution

It introduces the idea of unnuclear physics, highlighting the role of approximate conformal symmetry in nuclear reactions and its connections to ultracold atomic systems and astrophysics.

Findings

Reactions with loosely bound neutrons follow specific scaling laws.

Scaling exponents relate to energies in ultracold atomic drops.

Approximate conformal symmetry influences neutron star physics.

Abstract

We provide a brief commentary on recent work by Hammer and Son on the scaling behavior of nuclear reactions involving the emission of several loosely bound neutrons. In this work they discover a regime, termed unnuclear physics, in which these reactions are governed by an approximate conformal symmetry of the nuclear force. Remarkably, the scaling exponents that govern nuclear reactions can be related to the energies of ultracold atomic drops confined in harmonic potentials. We also comment on the importance and the limitations of this approximate symmetry in the physics of neutron stars.