Nuclear Physics of Stars

Thermonuclear reactions in stars is a major topic in the field of nuclear astrophysics, and deals with the topics of how precisely stars generate their energy through nuclear reactions, and how these nuclear reactions create the elements the stars, planets and - ultimately - we humans consist of. The present book treats these topics in detail. It also presents the nuclear reaction and structure theory, thermonuclear reaction rate formalism and stellar nucleosynthesis. The topics are discussed in a coherent way, enabling the reader to grasp their interconnections intuitively. The book serves both as a textbook, with many examples and end-of-chapter exercises, but also as a reference book for use by researchers working in the field of nuclear astrophysics.

Thermonuclear reactions in stars is a major topic in the field of nuclear astrophysics, and deals with the topics of how precisely stars generate their energy through nuclear reactions, and how these nuclear reactions create the elements the stars, planets and—ultimately—we humans consist of. The present book treats these topics in detail. It also presents the nuclear reaction and structure theory, thermonuclear reaction rate formalism and stellar nucleosythesis. The topics are discussed in a coherent way, enabling the reader to grasp their interconnections intuitively. The book serves both as a textbook, with many examples and end-of-chapter exercises, but also as a reference book for use by researchers working in the field of nuclear astrophysics.

Christian Iliadis was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto before accepting the position of assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 1996. At present, he holds the position of associate professor at UNC. He has published more than 70 research articles in refereed journals and in conference proceedings and presented about 40 invited talks to professional audiences. Professor Iliadis is a referee for a number of research journals and a reviewer for the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. He is a member of the American Physical Society.