Nuclear astrophysics is a research area at the interface of nuclear physics and astrophysics that investigates how nuclear processes govern the origin, evolution, and observable properties of cosmic objects and matter. It focuses on nuclear reaction rates, decay schemes, and equation-of-state properties under astrophysical conditions, and applies them to models of stellar structure, nucleosynthesis, supernovae, compact objects, and the early universe. The field integrates laboratory measurements, theoretical nuclear structure and reaction calculations, and astronomical observations to constrain reaction networks and to interpret elemental and isotopic abundances, energy generation, and neutrino and gravitational-wave signals in astrophysical environments.
Researchers from Kyushu University, Japan have revealed how a special type of force within an atom's nucleus, known as the three-nucleon force, impacts nuclear stability. The study, published in Physics Letters B, provides ...
General Physics
Jan 28, 2025
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Researchers have pioneered an innovative method using helioseismology to measure the solar radiative opacity under extreme conditions. Their work, published in Nature Communications, not only reveals gaps in our understanding ...
Astronomy
Jan 27, 2025
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At extremely high densities, quarks are expected to form pairs, as electrons do in a superconductor. This high-density quark behavior is called color superconductivity. The strength of pairing inside a color superconductor ...
General Physics
Jan 14, 2025
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Neutron stars, the remnants of massive stars after a supernova explosion, have often been the focus of studies aimed at testing and unveiling exotic physics. This is because these stars are among the densest objects in the ...
Collapsed dead stars, known as neutron stars, are a trillion times denser than lead, and their surface features are largely unknown. Nuclear theorists have explored mountain building mechanisms active on the moons and planets ...
Astronomy
Jan 13, 2025
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The sun, the essential engine that sustains life on Earth, generates its tremendous energy through the process of nuclear fusion. At the same time, it releases a continuous stream of neutrinos—particles that serve as messengers ...
General Physics
Dec 11, 2024
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When a star dies in a supernova, one possible outcome is for the remains to become a neutron star. Inside a neutron star, the protons and electrons combine into uncharged neutrons. This substance is called neutron matter.
General Physics
Nov 27, 2024
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Have you ever wondered how long it took our sun to form in its stellar nursery? An international collaboration of scientists is now closer to an answer. They succeeded in the measurement of the bound-state beta decay of fully-ionized ...
Astronomy
Nov 14, 2024
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Most of the diverse elements in the universe come from supernovae. We are, quite literally, made of the dust of those long-dead stars and other astrophysical processes. But the details of how it all comes about are something ...
Astronomy
Nov 2, 2024
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What is the heaviest element in the universe? Are there infinitely many elements? Where and how could superheavy elements be created naturally?
