Nuclear weak-interaction processes in stars

Abstract

Recent experimental data and progress in nuclear structure modeling have led to improved descriptions of astrophysically important weak-interaction processes. This review discusses these advances and their applications to hydrostatic solar and stellar burning, to the slow and rapid neutron-capture processes, to neutrino nucleosynthesis, and to explosive hydrogen burning. Special emphasis is given to the weak-interaction processes associated with core-collapse supernovae. Despite significant progress, improvements in the modeling of these processes are still warranted and are expected to come from future radioactive ion-beam facilities.