Related papers: LUNA: Status and Prospects
The manuscript reviews progress achieved in recent years in various aspects of nuclear astrophysics, including stellar nucleosynthesis, nuclear aspects of supernova collapse and explosion, neutrino-induced reactions and their possible role…
The outcome of helium burning is the formation of the two elements, carbon and oxygen. The ratio of carbon to oxygen at the end of helium burning is crucial for understanding the final fate of a progenitor star and the nucleosynthesis of…
The synthesis of nuclei in diverse cosmic scenarios is reviewed, with a summary of the basic concepts involved before a discussion of the current status in each case is made. We review the physics of the early universe, the proton to…
Reactions between atomic nuclei are measured in great detail in terrestrial laboratory experiments; transferring and extrapolating this knowledge to how the same reactions act within cosmic environments presents major challenges.…
In stars with temperatures above 20*10^6 K, hydrogen burning is dominated by the CNO cycle. Its rate is determined by the slowest process, the 14N(p,gamma)15O reaction. Deep underground in Italy's Gran Sasso laboratory, at the LUNA 400 kV…
Fusion reactions with light nuclei play an essential role in understanding the energy production, the nucleosynthesis of chemical elements and the evolution of massive stars. The measurement of key fusion reactions at stellar energies is…
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…
This review focuses on nuclear reactions in astrophysics and, more specifically, on reactions with light ions (nucleons and alpha particles) proceeding via the strong interaction. It is intended to present the basic definitions essential…
Neutron capture reactions are the main contributors to the synthesis of the heavy elements through the s-process. Together with $^{13}$C($\alpha$,n)16O, which has recently been measured by the LUNA collaboration in an energy region inside…
The creation of carbon and oxygen in our universe is one of the forefront questions in nuclear astrophysics. The determination of the abundance of these elements is key to both our understanding of the formation of life on earth and to the…
A precise determination of the proton capture rates on oxygen is mandatory to predict the abundance ratios of oxygen isotopes in a stellar environment where the hydrogen burning is active. The 17O(p,{\gamma})18F reaction, in particular,…
Extremely low background experiments to measure key nuclear reaction cross sections of astrophysical interest are conducted at the world's deepest underground laboratory, the Jingping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA).…
We observe photons and neutrinos from stars. Based on these observations, complemented by measurements of cosmic rays energies and composition, we have been able to constrain several models for the Big Bang and for stellar evolution. But…
We introduce the LUNA neutron detector array developed for the investigation of the 13C(a,n)16O reaction towards its astrophysical s-process Gamow peak in the low-background environment of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS).…
The nuclear astrophysics setup at the Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Germany is dedicated to measurements of total and partial cross sections of charged-particle induced reactions at astrophysically relevant energies.…
In the first lecture of this volume, we will present the basic fundamental ideas regarding nuclear processes occurring in stars. We start from stellar observations, will then elaborate on some important quantum-mechanical phenomena…
During the slow neutron capture process in massive stars, reactions on light elements can both produce and absorb neutrons thereby influencing the final heavy element abundances. At low metallicities, the high neutron capture rate of 16-O…
Studies in nuclear astrophysics have long been associated with long runs at small accelerators, measuring ever-decreasing cross sections as one approached (but rarely reached) the energy of reactions in stars. But in recent years pioneering…
Properties of atomic nuclei important for the prediction of astrophysical reaction rates are reviewed. In the first part, a recent simulation of evolution and nucleosynthesis of stars between 15 and 25 solar masses is presented. This study…
Neutrino-driven ejecta in core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) offer an interesting astrophysical scenario where lighter heavy elements between Sr and Ag can be synthesized. Previous studies emphasized the important role that ($\alpha,n$)…