William Bertozzi '53 PhD '58

Research Interests

Professor Bertozzi is the principal investigator leading the Nuclear Interactions Group of the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science. The research program investigates the structure of nucleons and nuclei using high energy electrons and photons as probes. Experiments are performed at the accelerator facilities of the MIT Bates Linear Accelerator Center; the University of Mainz and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory. The well understood electromagnetic interaction is used to determine the charge; current and magnetization responsible for reactions that lead to a better understanding of the forces between nucleons in a nucleus and the quarks in a nucleon.

Topics of study include:

1. The non,spherical components of the nucleon and non,central character of the force between the constituents of nucleons.
2. The origin of the spin or angular momentum of the nucleons.
3. The origin of the non,nucleonic components of the currents in nuclei.
4. The possible modification of the structure of nucleons in nuclei compared to the structure of free nucleons.
5. The structure of light nuclear systems and the testing of modern theoretical models of nuclei.
6. The short distance behavior of the force between nucleons in nuclei and other questions of topical and fundamental interest.

The unifying central theme of the research is the understanding of strongly interacting systems via the discovery of new phenomena and the comparison with modern theoretical models and concepts. The central goal is to determine the role played by quarks; mesons and nucleons in the making of nuclear and nucleon systems.

As part of the program; novel instrumental modalities are developed as needed. These have included particle detection and precision tracking; particle polarimetry; cryogenic targetry and particle spectrometry. In addition to Professor Bertozzi; the Nuclear Interactions Group includes approximately five Ph.D. research staff members and ten graduate students. The research is emphasized as an important component of graduate education. Undergraduate participation is encouraged.

Biographic Sketch

Professor Bertozzi is the inventor of the NRFI technology. He is a Professor of Physics at MIT and founder and developer of the Bates Linear Accelerator Center; where he served as Head of Research Operations. He now heads the Nuclear Interactions Group of LNS at MIT and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He holds B.S. (1953) and PhD (Physics-1958) from MIT.