Nucleon-pair approximation of nuclear shell model and its cutting-edge applications

This article briefly reviews the research progress of the nucleon-pair approximation of the nuclear shell model (NPA), with a focus on the development history of this theory, the latest M-scheme algorithm, and its cutting-edge applications in research of nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics in recent years. Numerous studies have shown that the NPA can provide reliable theoretical references for the study of low-lying excitation energies, electromagnetic properties, isomeric states, and β-decay lifetimes of near-spherical nuclei, transitional nuclei, and deformed nuclei.