Fisica | NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS

cod. 0522600045

NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS

	0522600045
	DIPARTIMENTO DI FISICA "E.R. CAIANIELLO"
	EQF7
	PHYSICS
	2017/2018

PERCORSO COMUNE Cohort 2016/2017

	YEAR OF COURSE 2
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2014
	PRIMO SEMESTRE

TEACHING UNITS

	SSD	CFU	HOURS	ACTIVITY	TYPE OF ACTIVITY
	FIS/01	6	48	LESSONS	SUPPLEMENTARY COMPULSORY SUBJECTS

	Objectives
	THE COURSE IS FOCUSED ON THE ROLE OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS IN ASTROPHYSICS. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: STUDENTS WILL ACHIEVE A GOOD GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF NUCLEAR PROCESSES IN ASTROPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, IN PARTICULAR IN NUCLEOSYNTHESIS AND STELLAR EVOLUTION. IN THIS FRAMEWORK, STUDENTS WILL LEARN ABOUT THE EXPERIMENTAL METHODS EMPLOYED TO DETERMINE THE NUCLEAR PHYSICAL QUANTITIES OF ASTROPHYSICAL INTEREST AND THE PATH CONNECTING THEM, THROUGH APPROPRIATE ASTROPHYSICAL MODELS, TO OBSERVATIONS. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: THE CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE WILL BE FOSTERED THROUGH THE CALCULATION OF THE REACTION RATES OF THE RELEVANT REACTIONS IN HYDROGEN AND HELIUM BURNING STARTING FROM EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND THE COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS TO OBSERVATIONAL DATA (SOLAR NEUTRINOS AND WHITE DWARFS COMPOSITION).

THE COURSE IS FOCUSED ON THE ROLE OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS IN ASTROPHYSICS.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
STUDENTS WILL ACHIEVE A GOOD GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF NUCLEAR PROCESSES IN ASTROPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, IN PARTICULAR IN NUCLEOSYNTHESIS AND STELLAR EVOLUTION. IN THIS FRAMEWORK, STUDENTS WILL LEARN ABOUT THE EXPERIMENTAL METHODS EMPLOYED TO DETERMINE THE NUCLEAR PHYSICAL QUANTITIES OF ASTROPHYSICAL INTEREST AND THE PATH CONNECTING THEM, THROUGH APPROPRIATE ASTROPHYSICAL MODELS, TO OBSERVATIONS.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
THE CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE WILL BE FOSTERED THROUGH THE CALCULATION OF THE REACTION RATES OF THE RELEVANT REACTIONS IN HYDROGEN AND HELIUM BURNING STARTING FROM EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND THE COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS TO OBSERVATIONAL DATA (SOLAR NEUTRINOS AND WHITE DWARFS COMPOSITION).

	Prerequisites
	A good knowledge of mathematical analysis, classical physics and a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics, nuclear and subnuclear physics, and detection techniques represent mandatory prerequisites for students planning to follow this course with profit.

	Contents
	1. NUCLEOSYNTHESIS AND STELLAR EVOLUTION: OBSERVATIONAL DATA. INTRODUCTION TO COSMOLOGY. STAR FORMATION. PHYSICS BASIS OF STELLAR EVOLUTION: EQUATION OF STATE AND ENERGY PRODUCTION. STELLAR EVOLUTION. QUIESCENT BURNING. EXPLOSIVE SCENARIOS. STELLAR MODELS. 2. NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN ASTROPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: CHARACTERISTIC QUANTITIES AND PROPERTIES OF NUCLEAR REACTIONS. CHARGED PARTICLE INDUCED NUCLEAR REACTIONS. NEUTRON INDUCED NUCLEAR REACTIONS. NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN ASTROPHYSICAL PLASMAS. 3. NUCLEOSYNTHESIS: BIG BANG NUCLEOSYNTHESIS. STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS. HYDROGEN AND HELIUM BURNINGS. ADVANCED BURNINGS. R-, S-, AND P- PROCESSES. EXPLOSIVE NUCLEOSYNTHESIS. CHEMICAL EVOLUTION OF GALAXIES. 4. EXPERIMENTAL NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS: DIRECT MEASUREMENTS IN NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS: ACCELERATORS, TARGETS, DETECTORS. RADIOACTIVE ION BEAMS. INDIRECT METHODS. DATA ANALYSIS. EXTRAPOLATIONS. 5. ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS: MULTI-MESSENGER ASTRONOMY. DIRECT DETECTION OF COSMIC RAYS. INDIRECT DETECTION OF COSMIC RAYS: ATMOSPHERIC SHOWERS. THE SKY VIEW THROUGH GAMMA RAYS. HIGH ENERGY NEUTRINO ASTRONOMY. LOW ENERGY NEUTRINO ASTRONOMY.

Contents

1. NUCLEOSYNTHESIS AND STELLAR EVOLUTION:
OBSERVATIONAL DATA. INTRODUCTION TO COSMOLOGY. STAR FORMATION. PHYSICS BASIS OF STELLAR EVOLUTION: EQUATION OF STATE AND ENERGY PRODUCTION. STELLAR EVOLUTION. QUIESCENT BURNING. EXPLOSIVE SCENARIOS. STELLAR MODELS.
2. NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN ASTROPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:
CHARACTERISTIC QUANTITIES AND PROPERTIES OF NUCLEAR REACTIONS. CHARGED PARTICLE INDUCED NUCLEAR REACTIONS. NEUTRON INDUCED NUCLEAR REACTIONS. NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN ASTROPHYSICAL PLASMAS.
3. NUCLEOSYNTHESIS:
BIG BANG NUCLEOSYNTHESIS. STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS. HYDROGEN AND HELIUM BURNINGS. ADVANCED BURNINGS. R-, S-, AND P- PROCESSES. EXPLOSIVE NUCLEOSYNTHESIS. CHEMICAL EVOLUTION OF GALAXIES.
4. EXPERIMENTAL NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS:
DIRECT MEASUREMENTS IN NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS: ACCELERATORS, TARGETS, DETECTORS. RADIOACTIVE ION BEAMS. INDIRECT METHODS. DATA ANALYSIS. EXTRAPOLATIONS.
5. ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS:
MULTI-MESSENGER ASTRONOMY. DIRECT DETECTION OF COSMIC RAYS. INDIRECT DETECTION OF COSMIC RAYS: ATMOSPHERIC SHOWERS. THE SKY VIEW THROUGH GAMMA RAYS. HIGH ENERGY NEUTRINO ASTRONOMY. LOW ENERGY NEUTRINO ASTRONOMY.

	Teaching Methods
	The course is based on lectures, total 48 hours. Attending lectures is not mandatory, but strongly recommended. Two hours of individual study for each hour of lecture are on average necessary to follow the course with profit.

	Verification of learning
	The exam consists of an oral test and the presentation of a short report. The oral test will consist in an interview (approx. 60 min) on the contents of the course program. The report (tipically 15 pages) will be focused on the role of nuclear processes in a selected astrophysical scenario and the impact of the uncertainty in the experimental determination of the relevant nuclear quantities.

	Texts
	- CH. ILIADIS, NUCLEAR PHYSICS OF STARS, WILEY - C.E. ROLFS AND W.S. RODNEY, CAULDRONS IN THE COSMOS, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS - D.D. CLAYTON, PRINCIPLES OF STELLAR EVOLUTION AND NUCLEOSYNTHESIS, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS - V. CASTELLANI, ASTROFISICA STELLARE, ZANICHELLI - M. SPURIO, PARTICLES AND ASTROPHYSICS: A MULTI-MESSENGER APPROACH, SPRINGER