The exploration of nuclear systems at extremes is one of main topics of modern nuclear physics. Different types of such extremes exist. One extreme is related to large values of isospin; it is represented by very neutron-rich nuclei at and in the vicinity of neutron-drip experimental facilities is built to address the physics of this extreme. The extreme of charge is represented by superheavy nuclei; the only nuclear systems in nuclear chart which are solely stabilized by quantum effects. Nuclear systems at very large values of angular momentum in excess of 60—h or at extreme deformation are other examples of nuclear extremes.
In my talk I will use an unified approach and will show how nuclear phenomena at these extremes can be described in the framework of single theory, namely, covariant density functional theory (CDFT). In CDFT, the nucleus is described as a system of nucleons which interact via the exchange of different mesons. Not only the physics of nuclear systems will be discussed, but also theoretical uncertainties will be considered.
A global approach allows to establish theoretical uncertainties in the description of physical observables in known regions of nuclear chart, to define their sources for future refinement of the theories and to extrapolate these uncertainties towards nuclear extremes.
