2025-10-06 - 2025-10-10
Ragandeep Singh Sidhu
Surrey University
The carbon in your DNA, the oxygen you are breathing, and the indium in your mobile screen were all forged in the hearts and explosive deaths of stars. Understanding the origins and abundances of chemical elements requires studying fundamental nuclear properties—such as nuclear masses, decay half-lives, and the nuclear reactions that power stars and stellar explosions. To investigate these processes, we must recreate, as closely as possible, the extreme conditions found in astrophysical environments.
In this lecture series, I will first introduce the foundations of nuclear astrophysics, then delve into the experimental techniques used to mimic stellar conditions in laboratories on Earth. I will discuss in detail how we produce both stable and radioactive ion beams—including short-lived isotopes that are rare or absent in nature—and how we use them to study their fundamental properties and critical nuclear reactions. Particular focus will be given to storage rings, a powerful and unique experimental tool for storing and investigating rare ion species. I will highlight recent breakthrough results achieved with storage rings and stable beam accelerators and conclude with an overview of modern experimental approaches to studying nucleosynthesis, as well as the major open questions that continue to drive this vibrant field.
