Reaction theory is fascinating because it sits at the intersection of the experimental world and the theory that explains the internal organization in nuclei themselves. Reaction theory is the essential bridge between these two worlds. In the FRIB few-body reaction group, our goal is to improve the theoretical description of reactions involving exotic nuclei, needed to interpret experimental data, and arrive at a more fundamental understanding of the their dynamical processes. A large part of our focus is on direct reactions, such as capture, breakup, knockout, transfer reactions, many of which are of astrophysical interest.  Our research is key to both, unveiling exotic phenomena away from stability, such as halo formation, and improving our understanding of the nucleosynthesis occurring in explosive stellar environments.  In addition, our group uses Bayesian analysis to quantify uncertainties and to explore experimental design.

Figure: From ab initio to few-body description of reactions.