Related papers: Nucleosynthesis: what direct reactions can do for …
In the present work we apply non extensive statistics to obtain equations of state suitable to describe stellar matter and verify its effects on microscopic and macroscopic quantities. Two snapshots of the star evolution are considered and…
Unknown neutron-capture reaction rates remain a significant source of uncertainty in state-of-the-art $r$-process nucleosynthesis reaction network calculations. As the $r$-process involves highly neutron-rich nuclei for which direct…
Nuclear physics offers us a powerful tool: using nuclear resonance absorption lines to infer the physical conditions in astrophysical settings which are otherwise difficult to deduce. Present-day technology provides an increase in…
(abridged) We analyse the evolution of the fractional ionisation in a steady-state protoplanetary disc with a vertical temperature gradient and with gas-grain chemistry including surface reactions. The ionisation due to stellar X-rays,…
The astrophysical direct nuclear capture reaction $^{12}{\rm C}(p, \gamma)^{13}{\rm N}$ is studied within the framework of a potential model. Parameters of the nuclear $p-^{12}$C interaction potentials of the Woods-Saxon form are adjusted…
The 13C(a,n)16O reaction is the main neutron source of the s-process taking place in thermally pulsing AGB stars and it is one of the main candidate sources of neutrons for the i-process in the astrophysical sites proposed so far.…
Magnetically active stars are the sites of efficient particle acceleration and plasma heating, processes that have been studied in detail in the solar corona. Investigation of such processes in young stellar objects is much more challenging…
The formation and evolution of stars depends on various physical aspects of stellar matter, including the equation of state (EOS) and transport properties. Although often dismissed as `ideal gas-like' and therefore simple, states occurring…
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…
Photon-induced reactions during the astrophysical p- (or gamma-) process occur at typical temperatures of 1.8 < T9 < 3.3. Experimental data of (gamma,n), (gamma,p), or (gamma,alpha) reactions - if available in the relevant energy region -…
Multi-electron screening effects encountered in laboratory astrophysical reactions are investigated by considering the reactants Thomas-Fermi atoms. By means of that model, previous studies are extended to derive the corresponding screening…
This article presents a review about the main CERN n\_TOF contributions to the field of neutron-capture experiments of interest for $s$-process nucleosynthesis studies over the last 25 years, with special focus on the measurement of…
The rapid-neutron capture process ($r$ process) is identified as the producer of about 50\% of elements heavier than iron. This process requires an astrophysical environment with an extremely high neutron flux over a short amount of time…
The nature of the dark matter in the Universe is one of the hardest unsolved problems in modern physics. Indeed, on one hand, the overwhelming indirect evidence from astrophysics seems to leave no doubt about its existence; on the other…
Detailed balance is often invoked in discussions of nuclear weak transitions in astrophysical environments. Satisfaction of detailed balance is rightly touted as a virtue of some methods of computing nuclear transition strengths, but we…
The slow neutron capture process in massive stars (the weak s-process) produces most of the s-only isotopes in the mass region 60 < A < 90. The nuclear reaction rates used in simulations of this process have a profound effect on the final…
Star formation is a complex process involving the interplay of many physical effects, including gravity, turbulent gas dynamics, magnetic fields and radiation. Our understanding of the process has improved substantially in recent years,…
The $^{13}$C(p,$\gamma$)$^{14}$N reaction is the second reaction of the CNO cycle. This cycle takes place in our Sun and fuels massive, Red, and Asymptotic Giant Branch stars. The $^{13}$C(p,$\gamma$)$^{14}$N rate affects the final…
We study the effect of vacuum polarization in nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest. This effect has the opposite sign compared to the screening by the atomic electrons. It is shown that vacuum polarization further increases the…
Stellar evolution models are a cornerstone of young star astrophysics, which necessitates that they yield accurate and reliable predictions of stellar properties. Here, I review the current performance of stellar evolution models against…