These peer-reviewed NIC XV conference proceedings present the latest major advances in nuclear physics, astrophysics, astronomy, cosmochemistry and neutrino physics, which provide the necessary framework for a microscopic understanding of astrophysical processes. The book also discusses future directions and perspectives in the various fields of nuclear astrophysics research. In addition, it also includes a limited number of section of more general interest on double beta decay and dark matter.

Nuclear astrophysics as it stands today is a fascinating science. Even though, compared to other scientific fields, it is a young discipline which has developed only in this century, it has answered many questions concerning the under standing of our cosmos. One of these great achievements was the concept of nucleosynthesis, the creation of the elements in the early universe in interstellar matter and in stars. Nuclear astrophysics has continued, to solve many riddles of the evolution of the myriads of stars in our cosmos. This review volume attempts to provide an overview of the current status of nuclear astrophysics. Special emphasis is given to the interdisciplinary nature of the field: astronomy, nuclear physics, astrophysics and particle physics are equally involved. One basic effort of nuclear astrophysics is the collection of ob servational facts with astronomical methods. Laboratory studies of the nuclear processes involved in various astrophysical scenarios have provided fundamen tal information serving both as input for and test of astrophysical models. The theoretical understanding of nuclear reaction mechanisms is necessary, for example, to extrapolate the experimentally determined reaction rates to the thermonuclear energy range, which is relevant for the nuclear processes in our cosmos. Astrophysical models and calculations allow us to simulate how nuclear processes contribute to driving the evolution of stars, interstellar matter and the whole universe. Finally, elementary particle physics also plays an important role in the field of nuclear astrophysics, for instance through weak interaction processes involving neutrinos.

Nuclei in the Cosmos, a volume of conference papers, gathers together astronomers, astrophysicists, and nuclear physicists for a thorough discussion of nucleosynthesis, its role in the evolution of the universe, and its intriguing possibilities as a diagnostic tool for stellar interiors. Nineteen invited papers provide a solid review of nucleosynthesis topics, and approximately another 70 papers bring you up-to-date on the forefront of research in this quickly-developing area.

ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY Provides a thorough and up-to-date overview of radiogenic and stable isotope geochemistry Now in its second edition, Isotope Geochemistry presents a comprehensive introduction to radiogenic and stable isotope geochemistry. The first five chapters cover fundamentals including the physics of nuclei, radioactive decay, nucleosynthesis, geochronology, and the theory of stable isotope fractionation. The next chapter focuses on the isotope geochemistry of meteorites and their constraints on the formation of the solar system and the Earth. The subsequent three chapters cover radiogenic and stable isotope geochemistry evolution of the Earth’s mantle and crust. Three more chapters are devoted to the Earth’s surface, the exogene, including the hydrologic system, the biosphere, and climate. A new chapter in this edition focuses on the use of isotopes in paleontology and archeology. The final chapter is devoted to the isotope geochemistry of the noble gases. Illustrated in full color throughout, Isotope Geochemistry is intended primarily as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. It is also intended as a reference for earth science professionals, reflecting the impact that isotope geochemistry has on virtually every aspect of the earth sciences, from climate change and geomorphology to geodynamics.

Annotation The July 1994 symposium was an international forum in which scientists working in different research branches connected to nucleosynthesis could discuss the most recent achievements in nuclear astrophysics. The topics addressed range from laboratory work of nuclear astrophysics, especially on reaction rates, to models of nucleosynthesis in single and double stars; from measurements of abundances and isotopic anomalies in pristine meteorites to the reconstruction of the early evolutionary phases of the Solar System; and from optical and radio spectroscopic studies of the composition in stellar atmospheres and circumstellar envelopes to modeling of the global chemical evolution of galaxies. No subject index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

"The proceedings of the conference include recent results of experimental and theoretical research on the following topics: reaction dynamics, fusion-fission phenomena, neutron physics, deformed shells, nuclear spectroscopy, and exotic nuclei."--Publisher's website

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