World Consensus Initiative 2004
Texas
A&M University Meeting 
12-16 February 2005
The study of nuclear reaction dynamics and
thermodynamics in the Fermi-energy regime has progressed dramatically in the past
20 years. We, the undersigned, believe that it is important at this time to
reflect on those advances and to produce a status report outlining both what we
have learned and what outstanding questions remain. This exercise is important
both for the focus it will give us internally in the field and the increased
appreciation it should generate externally. For these reasons we hope by this
letter to initiate a community-wide review of our field. We want to stress that
we have no particular legitimacy except the fact that we are ready to work with
the community in order to achieve such a review.
The desired outcome of this exercise will be
threefold:
- a comprehensive review article for present and future nuclear scientists;
- a brochure and accompanying web page aimed at explaining our accomplishments
to other scientists and students;
- and an article in Scientific American (or equivalent journal) that presents
this material to a more general audience.
We
envision a multi-step process through which we can develop community consensus
about the recent progress, current status and open issues:
- The first step of this
process was gathering information with the enclosed
questionnaire.
- Step two was to hold in-depth discussion workshops in early 2004.
·
Texas
A&M University Meeting (12-16 February 2005)
- Step three is the production of a report on the status of the art of the field.
- These steps will be followed by a public presentation of the final report.
Initial responses
to the questionnaire
International
Advisory Committee
Steering Committee:
Philippe Chomaz
Pawel Danielewicz
Massimo Di Toro
Francesca Gulminelli
Hisashi Horiuchi
William G. Lynch
Joe Natowitz
Rolf Scharenberg
Lee Sobotka
Bernard Tamain
Wolfgang Trautmann
Victor E. Viola
Sherry Yennello