Nuclear Data and Experiments for Astrophysics

Abstract

Nuclear astrophysics aims to understand the origin of elements and the role of nuclear processes in astrophysical events. Nuclear reactions and reaction rates depend strongly on nuclear properties and on the astrophysical environment. Nuclear inputs for stellar reaction rates involve a variety of nuclear properties, theoretical models, and experimental data. Experiments providing data for nuclear astrophysics range from stable ion beam direct measurements to radioactive beam experiments employing inverse kinematics or indirect methods. Many properties relevant for astrophysical calculations, such as nuclear masses and β-decays, have also been intensively studied. This contribution shortly introduces selected astrophysical processes, discusses the related nuclear data needs, and gives examples of recent experimental and theoretical efforts in the field. Origin of Elements and Nucleosynthesis Processes The Composition of the UniverseOur knowledge of the composition of the Universe in general, and of our Solar System in particular, results almost entirely from the analysis of electromagnetic spectra originating from the various observable sources in the Universe, i.e., the