Our Research:

We are interested in finding answers to some of the most fundamental questions in science: the origin of the elements and the nature of extremely compact stellar objects, such as white dwarfs and neutron stars. Extremely unstable nuclei that decay within fractions of seconds are formed in stellar explosions and might provide the link to the synthesis of many heavy elements that we find in nature. We make use of the unique opportunities at the NSCL to recreate these nuclei, study them within fractions of seconds, and explore the consequences of our measurements in astrophysical model calculations. Currently we concentrate on two nuclear processes, the rapid neutron capture process (r process) possibly occuring in supernova explosions and the rapid proton capture process (rp process) on the surface of accreting neutron stars.

Hendrik Schatz - Nuclear Astrophysics Group
NSCLLeft Border

Last Updated 2004/11/25