The research paper “Prediction of nuclear charge density distribution with feedback neural network,” published in Nuclear Science and Techniques in August 2022 by Prof. Li Jian’s research group from the Jilin University (JLU) College of Physics, was recently recognized as an “Annual Outstanding Paper of 2024” by the journal. The paper’s first author is Shang Tianshuai, a direct-entry Ph.D. student admitted to JLU in 2022, with Prof. Li Jian of JLU and Prof. Niu Zhongming of Anhui University serving as corresponding authors. By integrating feedforward neural networks with the two-parameter Fermi model, the study achieved high-precision predictions of atomic nuclear charge density distribution, offering strong theoretical support for related experimental research.
In recent years, Prof. Li Jian’s team has made a series of important advances in the study of atomic nuclear charge properties. Most recently, in collaboration with external partners, the group published significant findings as a Letter in Physical Review C [Phys. Rev. C 112, L021303 (2025)], successfully resolving the long-standing charge radius anomaly in calcium isotope chains using relativistic density functional theory. For the first time, without introducing any adjustable parameters, the study simultaneously incorporated both the intrinsic electromagnetic structure of nucleons and the quantum fluctuation effects of nuclear shapes. This approach substantially improved the agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental measurements and accurately reproduced the charge radius evolution from ⁴⁰Ca to ⁴⁸Ca. The methodology has further demonstrated strong universality and reliability through its successful application to charge radius shifts in tin (Sn) and cadmium (Cd) isotopes.
In addition, the team has published multiple high-impact studies on topics such as nuclear volume effects in hydrogen-like ions, extraction of nuclear charge radii from muonic atom spectroscopy, calculation of higher-order moments of charge distributions, and global predictions of nuclear charge density. Collectively, these contributions continue to push the boundaries of nuclear physics research. This body of work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Jilin Provincial Natural Science Foundation.
https://journals.aps.org/prc/abstract/10.1103/1kbz-rx3m
The full article can be accessed at:
https://journals.aps.org/prc/abstract/10.1103/1kbz-rx3m
