Speaker
Description
Summary
Unlike powerful explosive scenarios such as supernovae and novae, quiescent stellar evolution is characterised by nuclear reactions at the lowest thermal energies, well below the Coulomb barrier of interacting nuclei. When trying to reproduce these processes in terrestrial laboratories, we are faced with tremendous experimental challenges that require the use of dedicated setups ideally in an underground environment to maximise the possibility for rare event detection.
In this talk I will present some updates from recent investigations of key nuclear reactions that take place in various astrophysical sites and during different stages of stellar evolution. I will underline the challenges faced in each and review upcoming opportunities for future scientific advances.
