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Nuclear astrophysics is that branch of astrophysics which helps understanding some of the many facets of the Universe through the knowledge of the microcosm of the atomic nucleus. In the last decades much advance has been made in nuclear…
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…
It is widely thought that core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), the explosions of massive stars following the collapse of the stars' iron cores, is obtained due to energy deposition by neutrinos. So far, this scenario was not demonstrated from…
We outline the phenomenon of deep crustal heating in transiently accreting neutron stars. It is produced by nuclear transformations (mostly, by pycnonuclear reactions) in accreted matter while this matter sinks to densities rho > 10^{10}…
The explosion energy of thermonuclear (Type Ia) supernovae is derived from the difference in nuclear binding energy liberated in the explosive fusion of light 'fuel' nuclei, predominantly carbon and oxygen, into more tightly bound nuclear…
Neutrinos play a key role in core-collapse supernova explosions. Carrying information from deep inside the stellar core, neutrinos are direct probes of the supernova mechanism. Intriguing recent developments on the role of neutrinos in…
Nuclear reaction rates are one of the most important ingredients in describing how stars evolve. The study of the nuclear reactions involved in different astrophysical sites is thus mandatory to address most questions in nuclear…
The quest for the origin of the chemical elements, which we find in our body, in our planet (Earth), in our star (Sun), or in our galaxy (Milky Way) could only be resolved with a thorough understanding of the nuclear physics properties of…
In cores of supernovae and crusts of neutron stars, nuclei can adopt interesting shapes, such as rods or slabs, etc., which are referred to as nuclear "pasta." Recently, we have been studying the pasta phases focusing on their dynamical…
The gravitational collapse, bounce, the explosion of an iron core of an 11.2 $M_{\odot}$ star is simulated by two-dimensional neutrino-radiation hydrodynamic code. The explosion is driven by the neutrino heating aided by multi-dimensional…
In this review, we emphasize the interplay between astrophysical observations, modeling, and nuclear physics laboratory experiments. Several important nuclear cross sections for astrophysics have long been identified e.g.…
After a brief history of neutron stars and supernovae recent developments are discussed. Based on modern nucleon-nucleon potentials more reliable equations of state for dense nuclear matter have been constructed. Furthermore, phase…
Thermonuclear X-ray bursts from the surface of accreting neutron stars are the most common astrophysical explosions in our galaxy. They provide a unique window into the physics of neutron stars, the physics of matter under extreme…
Nucleosynthesis of heavy elements requires the use of different experimental and theoretical methods to determine astrophysical reaction rates than light element nucleosynthesis. Additionally, there are also larger uncertainties involved in…
The prediction of the equation of state of hot, dense nuclear matter is one of the most complicated and interesting problems in nuclear astrophysics. At the same time, knowledge of it is the basic ingredient for some of the most interesting…
Helium burning is one of the most fundamental steps of stellar nucleosynthesis, as it describes the formation of life-determining element of carbon, while it plays a key role in the evolution of Red Giant, accreting White Dwarfs and Neutron…
The temperature of a newly formed neutron star is believed to be as high as $10^{11}$~K, corresponding to a thermal energy of about $10$ MeV. After a time $t \sim 50 \ {\rm s}$, the neutrino mean free path in nuclear matter exceeds the…
There are strong indications that the process of conversion of a neutron star into a strange quark star proceeds as a strong deflagration implying that in a few milliseconds almost the whole star is converted. Starting from the…
X-ray observations of transiently accreting neutron stars during quiescence provide information about the structure of neutron star crusts and the properties of dense matter. Interpretation of the observational data requires an…
Nuclear reactions heat and cool the crust of accreting neutron stars and need to be understood to interpret observations of X-ray bursts and of long-term cooling in transiently accreting systems. It was recently suggested that previously…