Speaker: Daniel Haden

Abstract: Photons carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), known as optical vortices are predicted to interact in new ways with atomic and nuclear systems. In atomic systems, effects of OAM transfer have been predicted to manifest in; a modification of electric dipole selection rules in both photoexcitation and photoionization, a vorticity dependent angular distribution in photoionization, dichroism in x-ray absorption, and enhanced resonance in resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. Optical vortices have also been suggested as a tool to study nuclear processes in direct/indirect photoexcitation of nuclear states, and even possibly QCD for the resolving of the proton spin dilemma. In this presentation, we will examine these theories and evaluate their merit either by using experimental evidence or proposing experimental methods.