Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics
Encyclopedia
The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA) in USA is a collaboration between Michigan State University
, the University of Notre Dame
, and the University of Chicago
to address a broad range of experimental, theoretical, and observational questions in nuclear astrophysics
. In the fall of 2003, JINA received a five year grant by the National Science Foundation
Physics Frontier Center (PFC) program. This funding offers the opportunity for JINA to develop as an intellectual center with the goal enabling swift communication and stimulating collaborations across field boundaries and at the same time providing a focus point in the rapidly growing and diversifying field of nuclear astrophysics. The current PIs
include Timothy Beers, Hendrik Schatz
, Jim Truran.
Nuclear astrophysics focuses on questions at the interface of nuclear physics
and astrophysics
. It addresses the role of nuclear structure and nuclear reaction processes as engines of stellar evolution and stellar explosions and seeks to find answers to the fundamental questions about the origin of the elements found today throughout the universe. Because of the extreme nature of the stellar conditions, the understanding of these nuclear processes poses an enormous challenge to astrophysics, nuclear theorists, and experimentalists. Advances in experimental nuclear astrophysics now allow physicists to investigate many stellar processes in the laboratory. These advances span a wide range of techniques and facilities. They include innovative methods to measure the extremely slow reactions in the interiors of stars, as well as new facilities to produce the very same exotic, short-lived nuclei that come to existence in the extreme environments of stellar explosions.
While these experiments are pursued at the accelerator facilities at Notre Dame, Michigan State University, and Argonne National Laboratory, complementary theoretical questions about the macrophysics aspects and conditions of stellar evolution and stellar explosion are addressed by JINA at the University of Chicago, at Notre Dame, and with associated groups at the University of California
at Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, the University of Arizona
, Argonne National Laboratory
and Los Alamos National Laboratory
. This component branches towards fundamental understanding of the processes governing life and death of stars as well as to the identification of unique signatures for present and future observation. Close collaboration and exchange of scientists between these institutions is necessary to address the broad and complex range of scientific goals.
JINA will foster an interdisciplinary approach to the open questions in nuclear astrophysics. It will drive further advances in nuclear physics and astrophysics that are specifically needed to answer open questions in nuclear astrophysics, and it will ensure that advances in individual fields will ultimately lead to progress in our understanding of nuclear astrophysics.
rate library called REACLIB. REACLIB contains over 75,000 thermonuclear reaction rates.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
to address a broad range of experimental, theoretical, and observational questions in nuclear astrophysics
Nuclear astrophysics
Nuclear astrophysics is an interdisciplinary branch of physics involving close collaboration among researchers in various subfields of nuclear physics and astrophysics, with significant emphasis in areas such as stellar modeling, measurement and theoretical estimation of nuclear reaction rates,...
. In the fall of 2003, JINA received a five year grant by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
Physics Frontier Center (PFC) program. This funding offers the opportunity for JINA to develop as an intellectual center with the goal enabling swift communication and stimulating collaborations across field boundaries and at the same time providing a focus point in the rapidly growing and diversifying field of nuclear astrophysics. The current PIs
Principal investigator
A principal investigator is the lead scientist or engineer for a particular well-defined science project, such as a laboratory study or clinical trial....
include Timothy Beers, Hendrik Schatz
Hendrik Schatz
Hendrik Schatz is a professor of Nuclear Astrophysics at Michigan State University. He is one of the Primary Investigators for the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, is a leading expert on nuclear astrophysics, and is on the science advisory committees for the Facility for Rare Isotope...
, Jim Truran.
Nuclear astrophysics focuses on questions at the interface of nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
and astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
. It addresses the role of nuclear structure and nuclear reaction processes as engines of stellar evolution and stellar explosions and seeks to find answers to the fundamental questions about the origin of the elements found today throughout the universe. Because of the extreme nature of the stellar conditions, the understanding of these nuclear processes poses an enormous challenge to astrophysics, nuclear theorists, and experimentalists. Advances in experimental nuclear astrophysics now allow physicists to investigate many stellar processes in the laboratory. These advances span a wide range of techniques and facilities. They include innovative methods to measure the extremely slow reactions in the interiors of stars, as well as new facilities to produce the very same exotic, short-lived nuclei that come to existence in the extreme environments of stellar explosions.
While these experiments are pursued at the accelerator facilities at Notre Dame, Michigan State University, and Argonne National Laboratory, complementary theoretical questions about the macrophysics aspects and conditions of stellar evolution and stellar explosion are addressed by JINA at the University of Chicago, at Notre Dame, and with associated groups at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
at Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is the first science and engineering research national laboratory in the United States, receiving this designation on July 1, 1946. It is the largest national laboratory by size and scope in the Midwest...
and Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
. This component branches towards fundamental understanding of the processes governing life and death of stars as well as to the identification of unique signatures for present and future observation. Close collaboration and exchange of scientists between these institutions is necessary to address the broad and complex range of scientific goals.
JINA will foster an interdisciplinary approach to the open questions in nuclear astrophysics. It will drive further advances in nuclear physics and astrophysics that are specifically needed to answer open questions in nuclear astrophysics, and it will ensure that advances in individual fields will ultimately lead to progress in our understanding of nuclear astrophysics.
REACLIB Database
One of the many projects of JINA is the maintenance of an up to date nuclear reactionNuclear reaction
In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, a nuclear reaction is semantically considered to be the process in which two nuclei, or else a nucleus of an atom and a subatomic particle from outside the atom, collide to produce products different from the initial particles...
rate library called REACLIB. REACLIB contains over 75,000 thermonuclear reaction rates.