Project description
A homegrown synthesis spurs discovery in the field of nuclear astrophysics
Nature generally surprises us with its simple yet elegant solutions. The Periodic Table of the elements is an excellent example. There are only 118 known elements that make up matter as we know it. The creation of new atomic nuclei, or nucleosynthesis, began almost instantaneously after the Big Bang and continues today in our stars. Nuclear astrophysics shines a light on the origin of chemical elements and the evolution of our cosmos. The EU-funded ChETEC-INFRA project will unify access to three critical infrastructures for nuclear astrophysics research: laboratories, telescopes and spectrometers, and supercomputer facilities. The tools, combined approach and transnational access will overcome barriers to progress in nuclear astrophysics.
Objective
Nuclear astrophysics studies the origin of the chemical elements: from the Big Bang, to stellar burning, and to neutron star mergers. ChETEC-INFRA networks the three types of infrastructures that, together, provide the capabilities needed for this quest: astronuclear laboratories supply reaction data, supercomputer facilities perform stellar structure and nucleosynthesis computations, and telescopes and mass spectrometers collect elemental and isotopic abundance data. ChETEC-INFRA will overcome existing barriers to progress: Specifically, we will unify access to nuclear astrophysics research infrastructures using a novel integrated web portal. We will develop improved nuclear reaction targets and detectors, open-source nucleosynthesis software tools, and three-dimensional model atmospheres for stellar spectral analysis based on up to date physics. We will pioneer complementary techniques to address the same science case, and we will link telescopes to nuclear labs and supercomputers. ChETEC-INFRA provides the community with the tools needed to address key questions on solar fusion, neutron capture nucleosynthesis, and explosive stellar processes. In a combined approach designed to facilitate and boost accessibility, synergies and training, the large amount of transnational access provided will enable projects exploiting at least two different types of infrastructures. Within ChETEC-INFRA, data are archived and catalogued for long-term sustainability beyond the end of the project, ranging from evaluated nuclear reaction rates to detailed abundance data for a multitude of stars to tracer nucleosynthesis calculations. ChETEC-INFRA will reach out to PhD students, secondary school students, and to the detector industry. The ChETEC-INFRA community builds on the success of the ChETEC COST Action CA16117 (Chemical Elements as Tracers of the Evolution of the Cosmos). ChETEC-INFRA is networked with the nuclear astrophysics communities in the United States, China, and Japan.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
01328 Dresden
Germany
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Participants (31)
1010 Wien
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1050 Bruxelles / Brussel
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1784 Sofia
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25165 Ondrejov
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8000 Aarhus C
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75794 Paris
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14076 Caen
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Participation ended
75238 Paris
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14482 Potsdam
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60323 Frankfurt Am Main
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80539 Munchen
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38116 Braunschweig
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01069 Dresden
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50931 Koln
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4026 Debrecen
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1121 Budapest
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91904 Jerusalem
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00136 Roma
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00044 Frascati
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94100 Enna
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20122 Milano
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35122 Padova
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01513 Vilnius
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05 400 Otwock
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077125 MAGURELE ILFOV
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28006 Madrid
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08034 Barcelona
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751 05 Uppsala
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8092 Zuerich
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ST5 5BG Keele
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HU6 7RX Hull
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