Related papers: A Note on the Prehistory of Superheavy Elements
This is a summary of a series of lectures on the current experimental and theoretical status of our understanding of origin and nature of cosmic radiation. Specific focus is put on ultra-high energy cosmic radiation above ~10^17 eV,…
Spectroscopic observations of distant cosmological sources continue to exhibit a surprising result; that the chemical abundance of the universe seems to be approximately solar for the observed sources at redshifts of 5, 6, and even 7, even…
The emergence of the first sources of light at redshifts of z ~ 10-30 signaled the transition from the simple initial state of the Universe to one of increasing complexity. We review recent progress in our understanding of the formation of…
Cosmic high energy neutrinos are inextricably linked to the origin of cosmic rays which is one of the major unresolved questions in astrophysics. In particular, the highest energy cosmic rays observed possess macroscopic energies and their…
The chemical elements are created in nuclear fusion processes in the hot and dense cores of stars. The energy generated through nucleosynthesis allows stars to shine for billions of years. When these stars explode as massive supernovae, the…
A possibility of existence of ultra-heavy (quasi)stable particles, mechanisms leading to their large life-time, their production in the early universe, and cosmological manifestations are reviewed.
Mathematical model of heavy and superheavy nuclei production in intensive pulsed neutron fluxes of explosive process is developed. The pulse character of the process allows dividing it in time into two stages: very short rapid process of…
In this review, I briefly summarize the present status of experimental and theoretical investigations of the properties of matter under conditions characteristic of planetary interiors, from terrestrial to jovian planets. I first focus on…
The discovery and characteristics of transneptunian binaries are reviewed. In the 20 years since their first discovery, a wealth of detail has emerged including the frequency of binaries in different populations, their relative sizes and…
The most abundant particles in the Universe are photons and neutrinos. Both types of particles are whirling around everywhere, since the early Universe. Hence the neutrinos are all around us, and permanently pass through our planet and our…
Technetium, element 43, is the only radioactive transition metal. It occurs naturally on earth in only trace amounts. Experimental investigation of its possible compounds is thus inherently difficult and limited. Half of the…
We revisit the Bohr-Sommerfeld atomic model to explore hydrogen-like ions of Uranium ($Z=92$), Oganesson ($Z=118$), and hypothetical superheavy elements beyond. Although superseded by the Dirac equation and modern quantum electrodynamics,…
A prediction of standard inflationary cosmology is that the elemental composition of the medium out of which the earliest stars and galaxies condensed consisted primarily of hydrogen and helium 4He with small admixtures of deuterium,…
In the last few decades, reading the literature, we realized that we Astronomers have a strong preference to undertake very ambitious projects, and search for answers to the most fundamental questions in the history of the entire Universe.…
A neutron star is pictured as a gigantic nucleus overwhelmed by the number of neutrons, unlike real atomic nuclei, that have a similar number of neutrons and protons. Is this true? What if we could find, or create nuclei without protons?…
Half a century has passed since the foundation of nuclear astrophysics. Since then, this discipline has reached its maturity. Today, nuclear astrophysics constitutes a multidisciplinary crucible of knowledge that combines the achievements…
Nuclear physics has a long and productive history of application to astrophysics which continues today. Advances in the accuracy and breadth of astrophysical data and theory drive the need for better experimental and theoretical…
As the most recently discovered and heaviest quark, the top presents us with theoretical challenges. How are we to understand its properties within the larger effort to explain the origins of electroweak and flavor symmetry breaking ? This…
Nine years ago, superconductors based on the magnetic element iron were discovered. A flurry of research activity has revealed an unprecedented diversity of chemical structures and physical properties. Similarly to other unconventional…
Magnetars are the most magnetic objects in the Universe, serving as unique laboratories to test physics under extreme magnetic conditions that cannot be replicated on Earth. They were discovered in the late 1970s through their powerful…