EuNPC2015: “The Future of Nuclear Physics, Today!”
The KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology (KVI-CART) was the host of the 3rd European Nuclear Physics Conference (EuNPC2015) that was held from August 31 to September 4, 2015, in the city of Groningen, in the Netherlands. The conference, an activity of the Nuclear Physics Division of the European Physical Society, was the successor of earlier events held in Bochum (2009) and in Bucharest (2012). EuNPC2015 was the showcase for the most recent developments in the field of nuclear physics covering a wide range of topics from fundamental aspects to applications. This year’s edition focused on talented young scientists. Plenary speakers were selected based on their age, talent, impact and with a gender balance, by a scientific program committee on the basis of recommendations of an international advisory committee. This resulted in 28 plenary speakers of which more than half were early career researchers and about 30% were female.
A new feature of EuNPC2015 was the introduction of a one-day master class to start the event. Two role-model physicists, Sinead Ryan in the field of QCD theory, and Klaus Blaum in precision experimental techniques, organized the lectures.
The conference counted more than 200 participants from 37 countries with about 200 contributions in the form of invited oral or poster presentations with a broad spectrum of topics in the field of nuclear and hadron physics, nuclear astrophysics, heavy-ion collisions, fundamental symmetries and interactions, accelerators and instrumentation, few-body systems, and nuclear-physics applications. The diversity in experience, nationality and research expertise led to cross fertilisation between the disciplines, stimulating new ideas and scientific networks.
The invited speakers were the scientific highlight of the conference, presenting recent developments and future perspectives in the different research areas. The afternoons were devoted to parallel and topic-specific sessions providing the opportunity for graduate students and young postdocs to present their work. A dedicated session was organized for the “Young Minds” boosting the creativity of students and postdoctoral researchers.
The conference closed its 2015 edition with an awards ceremony. The 2015 IBA Prize for Applied Nuclear Science and Nuclear Methods in Medicine was awarded to Prof. Mehran Salehpour in recognition of the considerable impact he has made in the field of biomedical Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. The 2012-2014 Dissertation Awards in Nuclear Physics were given to Christopher Walz, Liam Paul Gaffney, and Jose Manuel Alarcon. The best poster presentation was awarded to Andre Ornelas.
