Virtually all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium were synthesized in the interiors of stars, during supernova and nova explosions, during mass accretion by compact stars (often accompanied by so-called X-ray bursts), and during stellar collisions. The only exception are such elements as lithium, nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and slightly heavier elements, which may have been formed in trace amounts during the big bang. The Principal Investigator (PI) proposes to study nucleosynthetic processes in the range of astrophysical environments listed above: in supernovae, novae, X-ray bursts, stellar collisions, and the big bang. In addition, the work will focus on 3-dimensional (3-D) hydrodynamic modelling of stellar explosions and how the mixing and clumping of matter during such explosions affects nuclear processes, and how the latter affects the former (e.g., by radioactive decay). Particular attention will be paid to neutron capture cross sections for very neutron-rich light nuclei, electron captures on nuclei beyond atomic mass 60, and inelastic neutrino scattering. The topics to be covered are far-ranging. The PI intends to collaborate with Ken Nomoto of Tokyo (supernovae), W. Benz of Harvard (3-D smooth particle code), J. Cowan of the U. of Oklahoma and A.G.W. Cameron of Harvard (r-process scenarios), and J. Applegate of Columbia Univ. (big bang nucleosynthesis). The work is a continuation of research previously funded by NSF.
