# A Program of Medium Energy Nuclear Physics

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL) · $2,350,000

## Abstract

It is now a well-established fact that nucleons, protons and neutrons—particles that make up the vast majority of the visible matter in the Universe—are made up of more elementary particles called quarks. The main physics program supported by this grant is to measure how quarks are distributed in nucleons.  In this quark form of matter, energy and mass are traded back and forth on short timescales according to the famous E = mc2.  Particularly intriguing questions regarding this essential feature of quark matter include: What is the role of anti-matter in the nucleon?  What happens when the temperature inside a nucleon is increased to a high value?  The goal of these experiments is to compare with theoretical predictions from the so-called Standard Model of Particle Physics, both to better understand it, as well as to look for signs of new phenomena that are not described by it.  These research efforts will contribute to the education of postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates in a broad array of skills needed in the advanced high tech workforce.  The research program also includes a number of outreach activities aimed at young students and the general public.

The prevailing theory of the strong force, quantum chromodynamics or QCD, is a generalization of the highly successful QED, yet we are hard-pressed to provide truly QCD-based quantitative or intuitive descriptions of nucleons. This project will focus on investigating key properties of the proton, targeting th

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2515008
- **Awardee organization:** University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** Y8CWNJRCNN91
- **PI:** Anne Sickles
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- **Estimated total:** $2,350,000
- **Funds obligated:** $2,350,000
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2027

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2515008

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2515008, A Program of Medium Energy Nuclear Physics. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2515008. Licensed CC0.

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