Progress and Prospect of Basic Research on Nuclear Physics in China Institute of Atomic Energy

The recent progress and prospect on the nuclear physics at the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) was summarized in this paper. Significant advancements have been made in nuclear reaction mechanisms, nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear theory, and laser-driven nuclear physics, leveraging advanced experimental platforms and theoretical frameworks. In nuclear reaction mechanisms, experimental studies on fission modes of ^176,186Pt revealed asymmetric fission contributions and proton-shell dominance in fragment distribution. Theoretical improvements in coupled-channel models enhanced the understanding of heavy-ion fusion and quasi-elastic reactions, providing insights into superheavy element synthesis. Nuclear structure research benefited from advancements in Coulomb excitation experiments and charged-particle detection technologies. Studies on high-Z nuclei, such as ²⁰⁵Po, validated the applicability of shell models and expanded knowledge of nuclear deformation and energy-level structures. In nuclear astrophysics, the team proposed a novel method to determine neutrino mass hierarchy using supernova neutrino signals and investigated the ¹²C+¹²C fusion reaction, critical for stellar evolution. The development of windowless gas targets supports low-energy nuclear astrophysics experiments, such as those at the Jinping Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA) facility. Theoretical nuclear physics research progressed in quantum many-body methods, microscopic transport theories, and relativistic nuclear collision simulations, offering robust theoretical support for complex nuclear phenomena. Moreover, significant progress has been made on laser-driven electron acceleration and imaging experiments using a petawatt laser system. By optimizing laser pulse contrast and spectral width, high-energy electrons exceeding 200 MeV were generated. A supersonic gas target was developed, and electron imaging experiments demonstrated a system resolution of about 78 μm. In the future, the research team will delve deeper into key scientific issues such as the optical potential properties of highly deformed nuclei, threshold anomalies in exotic nuclear systems, nuclear spectroscopy far from the stability line, and superheavy nuclear synthesis. They will also focus on enhancing the accuracy and reliability of theoretical models and optimizing laser nuclear physics experimental technology to propel the development of fundamental nuclear physics research. In terms of large-scale scientific facilities: BRIF is the first radioactive beam facility to be put into operation in Asia. Currently, based on BRIF, decay measurements of ²⁰Na and reaction measurements of unstable nuclei such as ^21,22Na and ³⁸K have been carried out. The multi-particle variable energy cyclotron has been constructed and is currently in the optimization phase. The upgrade project of JUNA has been completed, and the second batch of experimental measurements is about to commence. Under the guidance of physical objectives, the nuclear physics fundamental research team will further promote the development of the aforementioned large-scale scientific facilities and enhance the competitiveness of the CIAE in the field of nuclear physics fundamental research.