Nuclear Astrophysics

Nuclear reactions and decays have produced the elements that humans and the whole Universe consist of. These processes also produce the energy which makes the vast majority of stars shine. Moreover, the energy on which we depend for life originates in nuclear reactions occuring at the center of the nearest star, our sun. In our research, we study how nuclear processes influence astrophysical phenomena.

The UNC Nuclear Astrophysics Group is part of the Physics & Astronomy Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The group's research is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The abundances of the elements and isotopes also provide important information about the astrophysical environments where they were created. Using the observational information, we identify and describe primordial nucleosynthesis, the major burning stages in the life of a star, the evolution of stellar populations, and the evolution of the Galaxy as a whole. This involves measuring the nuclear reactions responsible for producing a particular atomic nucleus in certain stellar environments.

We are always looking for good graduate students to work in our group. If you are a prospective graduate student with interest in our research area and you would like to join our group, you need to be admitted first to the Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information regarding this process, please contact one of the group faculty members (Arthur E. Champagne, Christian Iliadis, or Jonathan Engel).