The Evolution of Nuclear Structure and Reaction Studies in the Era of Rare Isotope Beams

The 2017 Gordon Research Conference on Nuclear Chemistry will continue to explore new results and directions encompassing the subjects of both nuclear structure and reactions from both the theoretical and experimental perspective. For many years, this conference separated "reactions" and "structure" in two separate biennial meetings but starting with the 2011 Gordon Conference, the two communities have joined into a single conference. This "marriage" reflects nicely the evolution of the field towards the study of exotic nuclei utilizing rare-isotope beams. As current facilities are upgraded and new facilities come on line, new capabilities have provided the opportunity to study previously inaccessible nuclei with a wide spectrum of techniques, and as a consequence, the overlap between "structure" and "reactions" has become increasingly larger. The unique format and atmosphere of Gordon Conferences coupled with ample amount of discussion time - formal and informal - will allow an assessment of where the two sub-fields now stand and where they are headed as even larger accelerators such as the Facility for Rare-Isotope Beams (FRIB) are scheduled to become operational in the coming decade.