Explosive Burning and Nucleosynthesis

Awe-inspiring results from the Planck satellite mission and Hubble Space Telescope have long-since highlighted the key role modern Astronomy plays in our understanding of Big Bang Cosmology. However, more recent publicity on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has also illustrated the similar wealth of observational data now available on explosive stellar phenomena. These astronomical events, such as novae, supernovae, X-ray bursts and neutron star mergers, are responsible for the synthesis of almost all the chemical elements we find on Earth and observe in our Galaxy, as well as energy generation throughout the cosmos. Regrettably, understanding the latest collection of observational data is severely hindered by the current, large uncertainties in the underlying nuclear physics processes that drive such stellar scenarios.

 

In order to resolve this issue, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is a need to explore the unknown structure and reaction properties of key unstable nuclei that exist away from the line of stability. Consequently, state-of-the-art accelerator beam facilities have become terrestrial laboratories for the study of astrophysical reactions that occur in explosive stellar events. That being said, the ability to investigate such reactions depends crucially on the detection systems available, and innovative setups are now required to make best use of the significant advancements that have been made in radioactive ion beam technology. In this talk, both direct and indirect methods for studying key astrophysical reactions using accelerated beams will be discussed.