New opportunities for nuclear and atomic physics on the femto- to nanometer scale with ultra-high-intensity lasers
Changbo Fu, Guoqiang Zhang, Y. G.
Abstract
There are a number of puzzles concerning physics on the scale of nanometers to femtometers, including the neutron lifetime, the proton charge radius, and the possible existence of the deep Dirac level. With the development of high-intensity laser technology, lasers today can induce extremely strong electromagnetic fields. Electrons in the deep shells of atoms as well as the atomic nucleus itself can be affected by these fields. This may provide a new experimental platform for studies of physical processes on the femto- to nanometer scale, where atomic physics and nuclear physics coexist. In this paper, we review possible new opportunities for studying puzzles on the femto- to nanometer scale using high-intensity lasers.