nuclear physics in poland 1996 – 2006

the heavy ion cyclotron up to an energyof 5-10 MeV/A on the 6,7 Li, 9 Be, 12,13,14 C targets.The experimentally obtained angulardistributions of the reaction products wereanalyzed by means of the coupled-reactionchannelsmethod. The parameters describing thestructure of the nuclei and mechanisms of nuclearreactions as well as nucleus-nucleus interactionswere deduced. One of the spectacular outcomeswas the determination of the quadrupoledeformation parameter to the 7.012 MeV (2 + )excited state in 14 C.One has to admit that the experimentallow energy nuclear physics in Poland is a veryactive field of research. We have groups that carryout various studies in the frontiers of the area incollaboration with most of the major laboratoriesin the world. We have a good experimentalpotential at home. We are involved in many largeinternational collaborations and we have plans todevelop new instrumentation at our labs.However, we have to continue making efforts toattract young people. We can do it by advertisingattractiveness of the low energy nuclear science.This attractiveness arises from both the closeperspective for reaching very exotic neutron-richnuclei that may reveal unexpected phenomena,and from the fact that our field, in spite of thecomplexity of experiments and the most advancedtechnologies and techniques used, it is still an areain which one person is able to follow the wholeproject from the beginning to the very end.While planning our research, ourinvolvement in collaborations, or preparing thefuture projects, we cannot forget that the successin scientific studies relies first of all on theappropriate attitude of the researcher towardsresearch. It was nicely expressed by MariaSkłodowska-Curie: “A scientist in his laboratory isnot a mere technician: he is also a childconfronting natural phenomena that impress himas though they were fairy tales”.20