Related papers: Nuclear physics in the cosmos
We introduce neutrino astronomy from the observational fact that Nature accelerates protons and photons to energies in excess of 10^{20} and 10^{13} eV, respectively. Although the discovery of cosmic rays dates back close to a century, we…
This review concentrates on nucleosynthesis processes in general and their applications to massive stars and supernovae. A brief initial introduction is given to the physics in astrophysical plasmas which governs composition changes. We…
We study two different physical scenarios of thermonuclear reactions in stellar plasmas proceeding through a narrow resonance at low energy or through the low energy wing of a wide resonance at high energy. Correspondingly, we derive two…
We investigated the impact of uncertainties in neutron-capture and weak reactions (on heavy elements) on the s-process nucleosynthesis in low-mass stars using a Monte-Carlo based approach. We performed extensive nuclear reaction network…
In this lecture, we give a first introduction to neutron stars, based on fundamental physical principles. After outlining their amazing macroscopic properties, as obtained from observations, we infer the extreme conditions of matter in…
We investigated the impact of uncertainties in neutron-capture and weak reactions (on heavy elements) on the s-process nucleosynthesis in low-mass stars and massive stars using a Monte-Carlo based approach. We performed extensive nuclear…
Nucleosynthesis beyond Fe poses additional challenges not encountered when studying astrophysical processes involving light nuclei. Astrophysical sites and conditions are not well known for some of the processes involved. On the nuclear…
Transfer reactions are an important tool in nuclear astrophysics. These reactions allow us to identify states in nuclei and to find the corresponding energies, to determine if these states can contribute to astrophysical nuclear reactions…
Astrophysics and cosmology can be used to test the standard model of particle physics under conditions and over distance and time scales not accessible to laboratory experiments. Most of the astrophysical observations are in good agreement…
Some nuclear and astrophysical aspects of the r-process are discussed. Particular attention is paid to observations of abundances in metal-poor stars and their implications for the astrophysical site and yield patterns of the r-process. The…
Rare isotopes are most often studied through nuclear reactions. Nuclear reactions can be used to obtain detailed structure information but also in connection to astrophysics to determine specific capture rates. In order to extract the…
Studying the physical processes occurring in the region just above the magnetic poles of strongly magnetized, accreting binary neutron stars is essential to our understanding of stellar and binary system evolution. Perhaps more importantly,…
Primordial nucleosynthesis is considered a success story of the standard big bang (SBB) cosmology. The cosmological and elementary particle physics parameters are believed to be severely constrained by the requirement of correct abundances…
The majority of the matter in the universe is still unidentified and under investigation by both direct and indirect means. Many experiments searching for the recoil of dark-matter particles off target nuclei in underground laboratories…
Modeling the evolution of the elements in the Milky Way is a multidisciplinary and challenging task. In addition to simulating the 13 billion years evolution of our Galaxy, chemical evolution simulations must keep track of the elements…
Motivated by landscape models in string theory, cosmic nuclear evolution is analyzed allowing the Standard Model Higgs expectation value w to take values different from that in our world (w=1), while holding the Yukawa couplings fixed.…
We have determined the dispersion relation of a neutrino test particle propagating in the cosmic neutrino background. Describing the relic neutrinos and antineutrinos from the hot big bang as a dense medium, a matter potential or refractive…
The dramatic confrontation between new observations and theories of the early and recent universe makes cosmology one of the most rapidly advancing fields in the physical sciences. The universe is a unique laboratory in which to probe…
A promising astrophysical site to produce the lighter heavy elements of the first $r$-process peak ($Z = 38-47$) is the moderately neutron rich ($0.4 < Y_e < 0.5$) neutrino-driven ejecta of explosive environments, such as core-collapse…
The essential ingredients of nuclear astrophysics are the thermonuclear reactions which shape the life and death of stars and which are responsible for the synthesis of the chemical elements in the Universe. Deep underground in the Gran…