Stellar models require accurate thermonuclear reaction rates to predict the nuclear power production and dynamic evolution of these systems. Direct measurement of nuclear reaction rates in thermonuclear plasmas is challenging because these conditions are difficult to produce and diagnose. Still, there are physics issues such as plasma electron-screening or other plasma-nuclear effects that are...
Carbon and oxygen burning reactions, such as $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C, $^{12}$C+$^{16}$O, and $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O are believed to be important for late stellar burning phases. The strength of these fusion reactions could also determine the ignition, burning, and nucleosynthesis pattern in cataclysmic binary systems such as type Ia supernovae and x-ray superbursts. Various experimental work and...
Metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo and in local dwarf galaxies offer unique windows into the nature and nucleosynthesis of the first stars. But to best interpret the chemical signatures locked in today’s metal-poor stars, the mixing of heavy elements and the formation and assembly of galaxies in the early stages of the Universe must be understood. Indeed, the chemical evolution cycle, which...
With regards to modeling the p-process reaction network, determining the branching points along isotopic chains is crucial for accurately modeling the mass abundances. Recent sensitivity studies have identified nuclei which have reaction rate uncertainties that have the largest impact on these reaction networks. Based upon these sensitivity studies as well as target availability the...
The activation method is proved to be a useful tool to determine cross sections of nuclear reactions relevant to nuclear astrophysics based on off-line detection of the decay of residual isotopes. The activation method can be used successfully if the final nucleus of the reaction studied is radioactive with an adequate half-life and branching ratio. This method, while having serious...
