Three Vietnamese scientists have works in the first-class international physics magazine

Three Vietnamese scientists have created a new feat for the history of Vietnamese physics, when for the first time, research was published in the first-class international physics magazine.

The study "Simultaneous microscopic description of nuclear level densities and radiative strength functions" (Micro descriptions and radioactivity levels of nuclear nuclei) are published in Physical Review Letters January 9 / 2017

Among the three authors with two working people in Vietnam are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Hung (Duy Tan University, Da Nang) and PhD student Le Thi Quynh Huong (University of Khanh Hoa, Nha Trang); and Dr. Nguyen Dinh Dang works at RIKEN Institute, Japan.

"This is my 5th publication in Physical Review Leters, but this time it is the first paper on nuclear physics that all three authors are Vietnamese," Dr. Nguyen Dinh Dang said, adding, Through this event, it has been shown that researchers at Nam Nam nuclear physics have achieved important results at the level published in the international first-class physics journal.

In nuclear physics, the study of two levels of density and radioactivity has become a key topic, because they have an important role in understanding nuclear synthesis in the universe, as well as Nuclear energy production technology and nuclear waste treatment.

The field has been promoted since 2000, after experimental physicists at the University of Oslo (Norway) proposed a method that allowed simultaneously extracting both of these quantities, from the primary level. Gamma decay was obtained in the same experiment. However, the above method has uncertainties in the standardization process.

No unified theory has ever been able to describe simultaneously these two quantities simultaneously. Therefore, building a consistent theoretical basis to understand the two quantities becomes an urgent need.

Three scientists from left to right: Master Le Thi Quynh Huong, Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Hung and Dr. Nguyen Dinh Dang.

In their research work, the Vietnamese scientists group has for the first time built a theoretical model that allows simultaneous description of both quantities, namely, density and radioactive force functions. "Our model is valuable in that it is a micro model and consistent, well described empirical data without having to add any new parameters, nor does it have to be calibrated. parameters according to temperature or energy of gamma rays , " said Nguyen Dinh Dang.

The article was submitted by three authors to the Physical Review Letters on September 13, 2016, and underwent three rounds of criticism with three private reviewers who are the world's leading experts in the same field of research. In the review rounds, all three reviewers acknowledged that the article met the second criterion of the journal "research to solve, or to take basic steps to solve, urgent problems exist". .

Dr. Nguyen Quang Hung said that the strict requirements of the magazine made the drafting stage the most difficult. The article must be brief, not exceeding 3,750 words but still convey the full content, meaning and importance. Besides, the expressive language must be accurate and clear."It took us 90 days to complete the first draft of the article," Hung said.

Physical Review Letters is the first-class international magazine in the world's physical and mathematical journals. In the last 5 years, the rate posted in this magazine is about 30%, ie for every 10 postings, 7 items are rejected.

An article to be published in Physical Review Letters, must meet one of three criteria.First , the research must open up a new field, or new research pathways in an established field, which have important implications for research in other areas. Second , the research must solve, or do the basic steps to solve, urgent problems exist.

Third , the study must present a new technique, or a new methodology, that plays a key role in future physical research and has clear direct consequences for physicists.

MSc Le Thi Quynh Huong graduated with a bachelor's degree in physics, Hue University of Education and a master's degree in technical physics, Dalat University. She is a lecturer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, University of Khanh Hoa, Nha Trang and a 3rd year graduate student of the University of Natural Sciences, Ho Chi Minh City.

Associate Professor Nguyen Quang Hung holds a doctorate in theoretical physics and mathematical physics from the Institute of Physics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the Institute of Physics and Chemistry Research, RIKEN (Japan). He studied postdoctoral research at RIKEN Institute and was invited to exchange and participate in research cooperation at the Faculty of Physics, University of Notre Dame (USA); NSCL National Superconducting Laboratory, Michigan State University (USA) and CENBG Nuclear Research Center, University of Bordeaux (France). Returning to the country in September 2010, Dr. Hung worked at the Center for Nuclear Physics, Institute of Physics (Hanoi); Technical Department, Tan Tao University (Long An); and now is the High-tech Research and Development Institute, Duy Tan University (Da Nang).

Dr. Nguyen Dinh Dang is a researcher of nuclear physics theory. In 1990 he was a doctorate in mathematical science at Moscow National University (Soviet Union). He currently works at the Japan Institute of Physics and Chemistry Research (RIKEN). Besides, he is also a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, a member of the Japan Fine Arts Association.