Nuclei in the Cosmos

Buch | Softcover

XII, 236 Seiten

2012 | 1. Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1991
Springer Berlin (Verlag)
978-3-642-48842-9 (ISBN)

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Nuclear astrophysics as it stands today is a fascinating science. Even though, compared to other scientific fields, it is a young discipline which has developed only in this century, it has answered many questions concerning the under standing of our cosmos. One of these great achievements was the concept of nucleosynthesis, the creation of the elements in the early universe in interstellar matter and in stars. Nuclear astrophysics has continued, to solve many riddles of the evolution of the myriads of stars in our cosmos. This review volume attempts to provide an overview of the current status of nuclear astrophysics. Special emphasis is given to the interdisciplinary nature of the field: astronomy, nuclear physics, astrophysics and particle physics are equally involved. One basic effort of nuclear astrophysics is the collection of ob servational facts with astronomical methods. Laboratory studies of the nuclear processes involved in various astrophysical scenarios have provided fundamen tal information serving both as input for and test of astrophysical models. The theoretical understanding of nuclear reaction mechanisms is necessary, for example, to extrapolate the experimentally determined reaction rates to the thermonuclear energy range, which is relevant for the nuclear processes in our cosmos. Astrophysical models and calculations allow us to simulate how nuclear processes contribute to driving the evolution of stars, interstellar matter and the whole universe. Finally, elementary particle physics also plays an important role in the field of nuclear astrophysics, for instance through weak interaction processes involving neutrinos.

Heinz Oberhummer studierte Physik und Mathematik in Graz und München und habilitierte an der TU Wien, wo er sich dann als Professor für Theoretische Physik mit den Forschungsgebieten Kernphysik, Astrophysik, Kosmologie und Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften auseinandersetzte. Forschungsaufenthalte führten ihn an die Universitäten Zürich, Tübingen, Leuven, Bergen, Notre Dame, Washington, Gent und ans Centre de Recherches Nucléaires Straßburg. Neben seiner Arbeit als Forscher (über 160 wissenschaftliche Veröffentlichungen) engagiertsich Heinz Oberhummer für die Vermittlung wissenschaftlicher Inhalte und koordiniert von der Europäischen Kommission geförderte Bildungsprojekte. Außerdem ist er einer der Gründer und Mitwirkender des erfolgreichen Wissenschaftskabaretts Science Busters.

Experimental Determination of Stellar Reaction Rates.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Direct Measurements.- 3. Indirect Approaches.- 4. Reactions Involving Radioactive Nuclides.- References.- Radioactive Ion Beams in Nuclear Astrophysics.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Interest of Radioactive Ion Beams in Nuclear Astrophysics.- 3. Production of Radioactive Ion Beams.- 4. Special Experimental Techniques in Nuclear Astrophysics Using Radioactive Ion Beams.- 5. Conclusions.- References.- Direct Reaction Mechanism in Astrophysically Relevant Processes.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Qualitative Features of Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms.- 3. Nuclear Reactions in Astrophysical Scenarios.- 4. Optical Potentials.- 5. Theoretical Descriptions of Direct Reactions.- 6. Examples.- 7. Summary.- Acknowledgements.- References.- Nuclear Reaction Rates - from Laboratory Experiments and in the Stellar Plasma.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Theoretical Models for Extrapolating Measured Data.- 3. Electron Screening in Laboratory Experiments.- 4. Screening Effects in the Plasma.- References.- Abundances in Galaxies.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Light Element Abundances.- 3. Abundance Trends Between and Across Galaxies.- 4. Stellar Populations in Our Galaxy.- 5. Differential Abundance Variations Among Elements.- References.- Nuclei in Cosmic Rays.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Techniques for Measuring Composition from Satellites and Balloons.- 3. Results of Satellite and Balloon Experiments.- 4. How to Measure Cosmic Ray Composition above 1015 eV.- 5. Summary.- References.- Primordial Nucleosynthesis: Beyond the Standard Model.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Standard Primordial Nucleosynthesis.- 3. Observational Tests of the Standard Model.- 4. The QCD Phase Transition.- 5. Neutrinos in the Early Universe.- 6. CosmicStrings.- 7. Conclusions.- References.- Production of Heavy Elements in Inhomogeneous Cosmologies.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The QCD Transition in the Early Universe.- 3. The Standard Big Bang.- 4. Inhomogeneous Big Bang Scenarios.- 5. Computational Method.- 6. Results.- Acknowledgements.- References.- The s-Process: Branchings and Chronometers.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Chronometers - Models and Reality.- 3. s-Process Concepts.- 4. s-Process Time Scales.- 5. Selected Examples.- 6. Conclusions.- References.- Beta Decay Far from Stability and Double Beta Decay, and Consequences for Astrophysics.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Calculations of Beta Decay Properties of Nuclei Far from Stability.- 3. Beta Decay Far from Stability and the Astrophysical r-Process.- 4. The r-Process and the Age of the Universe.- 5. Age of the Universe, Cosmology and Neutrino Mass.- 6. Double Beta Decay and Neutrino Mass.- 7. Conclusion.- References.

Erscheint lt. Verlag	27.6.2012
Reihe/Serie	Graduate Texts in Contemporary Physics
Co-Autor	J.H. Applegate, J.J. Cowan, F. Käppeler, H.V. Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, K. Langanke, R.A. Malaney, H. Oberhummer, B.E.J. Pagel, C. Rolfs, G. Schatz, G. Staudt, F.-K. Thielemann, J. Vervier, M. Wiescher
Zusatzinfo	XII, 236 p.
Verlagsort	Berlin
Sprache	englisch
Maße	155 x 235 mm
Gewicht	387 g
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Atom- / Kern- / Molekularphysik
Schlagworte	Astronomie • Astronomy • astrophysics • Astrophysik • Cosmology • Kosmologie • nuclear astrophysics • Nukleare Astrophysik • star evolution • Sternentwicklung
ISBN-10	3-642-48842-0 / 3642488420
ISBN-13	978-3-642-48842-9 / 9783642488429
Zustand	Neuware