5.4: Nuclear Astrophysics
Investigate nuclear astrophysics. Other Information:
Nuclear physics research is essential if we are to solve important problems in astrophysics—the origin of the chemical elements,
the behavior of neutron stars, core-collapse supernovae and the associated neutrino physics, and galactic and extragalactic
gamma-ray sources. Almost all the chemical elements in the universe were generated by nuclear reactions in stars or in cataclysmic
stellar explosions. Given the high temperatures and particle densities in stellar objects and explosions, the relevant nuclear
reactions typically occur among radioactive or exotic nuclei. Our strategy includes the following emphases: • Using exotic
beams of nuclei that have many neutrons, study interactions in nuclear matter like those that occur in neutron stars and those
that create the nuclei of most atomic elements inside stars and supernovae. • Develop computer simulations for the behavior
of supernovae, including core collapse and explosion, which incorporate the relevant nuclear reaction dynamics. • Develop
a unique nextgeneration facility with forefront experimental instrumentation that will provide new species of exotic beams
at unprecedented intensities to advance science at the intersection of nuclear physics and astronomy. This facility is similarly
described in section 5.2.
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