International Workshop "Shapes and Dynamics of Atomic Nuclei: Contemporary Aspects" (SDANCA-26), 10-12 September 2026, Sofia, Bulgaria

The International Workshop "Shapes and Dynamics of Atomic Nuclei: Contemporary Aspects" (SDANCA-26) was held in Sofia, Bulgaria from the 10-th to the 12-th of September 2026. The Workshop was organized by researchers from the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE) in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) with the partial financial support of the Bulgarian National Science Fund under contract No. KP-06-N98/2. It appeared as the sixth issue of the SDANCA Workshop series SDANCA-15, -17, -19, -21 and 23 held in the period 2015 - 2023.


The aim of the Workshop was to gather researchers in the field of nuclear shape dynamics, symmet- ries and related areas. The meeting outlined direc- tions and ideas for further joint theoretical and experimental works in the field expected to give a raise to the understanding of fundamental properties of matter. We believe it strengthened the existing collaborations and initi- ated new activities on the topic.

The SDANCA-26 Workshop covered the following main topics:
- Collective and microscopic theories of nuclear deformation
- Shapes, shells and symmetries - geometric and algebraic aspects
- Shape coexistence and shape-phase transition phenomena
- Shapes and dynamics at the limits of stability
- Masses and deformation, isomers and cluster phenomena
- New data and advanced experimental techniques
- Related topics in astrophysics, fundamental constants, dark matter,
  atomic and laser physics.
The Workshop was attended by 47 participants from 14 countries: Australia, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom, USA and Bulgaria. The scientific program contained 39 talks in total and a poster session with a short oral presentation of each poster. After the last session of each day a common discussion was held including questions and comments on the talks of the day and other related problems, as well. The talks covered problems of microscopic and collective approaches and new experimental results as well, including: density and covariant-density functional theory, many-body self-consistent theories, group-theoretical (algebraic) models exploring different kinds of symmetries (unitary, symplectic, "proxy", "pseudo", tetrahedral and octahedral, etc.) associated with the most actual effects of shape coexistence, shape-phase transitions, shell effects, configuration interactions, geometric models describing rigidity and softness, triaxiality and chirality, octupole shapes, clustering effects, nuclear masses and moments, K-isomers, shapes and fission, properties of superheavy nuclei. Special session was devoted to the 229Th clock isomer and related topics including tests of fundamental constants, dark matter detection, laser driven excitations, electron-nucleus interactions, ect. A number of talks highlighted the subject from astrophysical aspects including dark matter contribution to neutron stars structure, properties of nuclear matter in superstrong magnetic fields, etc.

The SDANCA-26 Workshop contribution articles are invited for submission to a joint focus collection between Physica Scripta and Journal of Physics G (see PUBLICATION) and can be published after passing the standard peer review procedure of the chosen journal.

The Organizing Committee of SDANCA-26 cordially thanks all participants and strongly hopes that all we meet again.

Nikolay Minkov

Conference Photo (download)



Conference Poster (download):



Announcements:

SDANCA-26 articles are invited for submission to a joint focus collection between Physica Scripta and Journal of Physics G (see PUBLICATION)


The programme and abstracts are available at PROGRAMME


First Announcement:

The International Workshop SDANCA-26 will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria between the 9-th (arrival day) and 13-th (departure day) of September 2026. The Workshop is organized by a research group of scientists from the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and the Faculty of Physics at Sofia University "St. Kl. Ohridski". It appears as the sixth issue after SDANCA-15, -17, -19, -21 and 23 held in the period 2015 - 2023.

Aim: The aim of the Workshop is to gather researchers with interests in the field of nuclear structure and related areas giving a foundation for discussion of actual problems and new ideas, with a focus on shape dynamics and related phenomena. It is expected to outline directions of common interest and inspire further joint theoretical and experimental works on different aspects of the shape-dynamics problem in atomic nuclei and other physical systems. We believe this meeting can strengthen the existing collaborations and initiate new activities on the topic.

Main topics:

  • Collective and microscopic theories of nuclear deformation;

  • Shapes, shells and symmetries - geometric and algebraic aspects;

  • Shape coexistence and shape-phase transition phenomena;

  • Shapes and dynamics at the limits of stability;

  • Masses and deformation, isomers and cluster phenomena;

  • New data and advanced experimental techniques;

  • Related topics in astrophysics, fundamental constants, dark matter,
      atomic and laser physics.

    • Program: The program will start in the morning of 10-th of September (Thursday) and will end in the evening of 12-th of September (Saturday) 2026. Depending on the number of participants we plan to schedule 20+5 min talks. A poster session may be organized. As in the previous issues we will try to provide enough time for common discussions.

    Publication: We are in communication with Physica Scripta considering the possibility to organize a focus issue with articles based on SDANCA-26 talks. Information about the final decision about the issue will be distributed in due time.

    Venue and Accommodation The Workshop venue and accommodation are arranged in the hotel complex Park-Hotel Moskva in Sofia (25 Nezabravka Str, Sofia).

    Fee and arrangements: The Workshop fee is 700 EUR for regular participants and 500 EUR for students and accompanying persons. It covers 4 nights accommodation with breakfast from the evening of 9-th of Sep. (arrival day) to the morning of 13-th of Sep. (departure day), lunch and dinner (one of which official) for the days 10-12 Sep., coffee breaks and working materials. The fee has to be paid by the 15-th of July 2026 through a bank transfer to account given at Accommodation & Fee.
    NOTE:     the hotel reservations and payments are managed by the organizers. Any e-mail or telephone call claiming arrangement by company, agency, etc. would be malicious.

    Access from the Airport: The conference venue is reached from Terminal 2 of Sofia Airport by metro taken to Joliot Curie station. The ticket price is 0.80 EUR. Alternatively a taxi can be used (only the company at the official taxi station is recommended).

    Visa: Invitation letters for participants who need to apply for a visa can be sent by the Organizers under request to the contact e-mail below.

    Registration for participation: Colleagues who wish to participate in the Workshop are kindly invited to fill in the registration form and notify us by e-mail by 30-th of June as well as submit their abstracts (up to 1 page in LaTeX, Template here) to the contact e-mail by 31-st of July 2026.

    Contact: Nikolay Minkov
    (Chair of the Organizing Committee)
    E-mail 1: Nikolay.Minkov@mpi-hd.mpg.de
    E-mail 2: nminkov@inrne.bas.bg (in case of a problem with E-mail 1)