Advancing Nuclear Reaction Descriptions for Astrophysics and Applications

Jutta Escher

Director of the FRIB Theory Alliance
Staff Scientist, Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division
Nuclear Data & Theory Group
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
1993 LSU PhD alumna

Nuclear reactions play a fundamental role in terrestrial applications and the universe at large. They drive stellar evolution and the production of the elements, power nuclear reactors, and generate medical isotopes. Knowledge of nuclear reaction cross sections is key to simulating these processes and to shedding light on the environments in which they occur. Particularly compelling are astrophysics simulations. The extreme environments in which the important astrophysical processes take place and the exotic nature of the nuclei involved pose unique challenges for nuclear theory and experiment.

Dr. Escher will introduce some approaches that Livermore scientists are developing to provide better nuclear reaction data for various applications. The presentation will cover ongoing efforts to achieve predictive descriptions of nuclear reactions, as well as progress in developing indirect methods that rely on a combination of theory and experiment. Advances in both areas are needed to fully utilize the opportunities provided by radioactive beam facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), and to answer some of the most compelling questions in science.

https://lsu.zoom.us/j/98107812055?pwd=ZEpoNVUyU1JkQ1B1S2ZmcjZwR2d3Zz09
passcode:519854 

This work is performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344, with support from LDRD Project 19-ERD-017.