Nuclear Physics Underground
Precisely known nuclear cross sections are an essential ingredient for the modeling of nuclear processes in our Sun, in stars, and in the Big Bang. Uncertainties due to theoretical extrapolations can be avoided if experimental data are available directly at astrophysically relevant energies. Since such energies are typically far below the Coulomb barrier, this entails cross section measurements in the picobarn range.The Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) inside the Gran Sasso mountain in Italy takes up this challenge by combining accelerator-based experiments with low-background measurement techniques. Using this approach, in recent years several reactions relevant to hydrogen burning have been studied, e.g. {sup 3}He({alpha},{gamma}){sup 7}Be and {sup 14}N(p,{gamma}){sup 15}O. The implications of the data range from an independent lower limit on the age of the universe to a precise solar thermometer.Based on this progress, currently there are efforts in several countries to construct new underground accelerators. The exciting science that can be probed with these new facilities will be highlighted.
- OSTI ID:
- 21410790
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1265, Issue 1; Conference: 8. Latin American symposium on nuclear physics and applications, Santiago (Chile), 15-19 Dec 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3480147; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ACCELERATORS
ALPHA REACTIONS
ASTROPHYSICS
BERYLLIUM 7
COULOMB FIELD
CROSS SECTIONS
EXTRAPOLATION
GAMMA DECAY
HELIUM 3 TARGET
HYDROGEN BURNING
NITROGEN 14 TARGET
NUCLEAR DECAY
NUCLEAR PHYSICS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
OXYGEN 15
PROTON REACTIONS
SIMULATION
SUN
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BARYON REACTIONS
BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECAY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HADRON REACTIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
PHYSICS
RADIOISOTOPES
STAR BURNING
STARS
SYNTHESIS
TARGETS