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1. A Vision for the Science of Rare Isotopes

   https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nucl-121423-091501  

   Crawford, HL; Fossez, K; König, S; Spyrou, A (September 2024, Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science)

   The field of nuclear science has considerably advanced since its beginning just over a century ago. Today, the science of rare isotopes is on the cusp of a new era with theoretical and computing advances complementing experimental capabilities at new facilities internationally. In this article we present a vision for the science of rare isotope beams (RIBs). We do not attempt to cover the full breadth of the field; rather, we provide a perspective and address a selection of topics that reflect our own interests and expertise. We focus in particular on systems near the drip lines, where one often finds nuclei that are referred to as exotic and where the role of the nuclear continuum is only just starting to be explored. An important aspect of this article is its attempt to highlight the crucial connections between nuclear structure and the nuclear reactions required to fully interpret and leverage the rich data to be collected in the next years at RIB facilities. Further, we connect the efforts in structure and reactions to key questions of nuclear astrophysics. 

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2. A Vision for the Science of Rare Isotopes

   Crawford, H; Fossez, K; Konig, S; Spyrou, A (May 2024, Annual review of nuclear and particle science)

   The field of nuclear science has considerably advanced since its begin- ning just over a century ago. Today, the science of rare isotopes is on the cusp of a new era with theoretical and computing advances comple- menting experimental capabilities at new facilities internationally. In this article we present a vision for the science of rare isotope beams (RIBs). We do not attempt to cover the full breadth of the field, but rather provide a perspective and address a selection of topics that re- flect our own interests and expertise. We focus in particular on systems near the drip lines, where one often finds nuclei that are referred to as “exotic,” and where the role of the “nuclear continuum” is only just starting to be explored. An important aspect of this article is the at- tempt to highlight the crucial connections between nuclear structure and nuclear reactions required to fully interpret and leverage the rich data to be collected in the next years at RIB facilities. Further, we con- nect the e↵orts in structure and reactions to key questions of nuclear astrophysics. 

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3. The Manhattan Project and the Development of Nuclear Astrophysics

   https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202430101004  

   Wiescher, Michael (January 2024, EPJ Web of Conferences)

   Bijker, R; Marín_Lámbarri, DJ; Yépez_Martínez, TC (Ed.)

   This paper will provide a historical analysis of the impact of the US Manhattan Project from 1942 to 1945 and the subsequent nuclear test program 1945-1970 towards the development of the field of Nuclear Astrophysics and the interpretation of nuclear reaction processes in stars and explosive stellar environments. 

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4. Exploding stars and the synthesis of heavy elements: Introducing the facility for rare isotope beams

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0175775  

   Spyrou, Artemis (January 2023, AIP Conference Proceedings)

   Since its birth roughly 60 years ago, the field of nuclear astrophysics has strived to provide a comprehensive description of element synthesis in the Universe. While some of the astrophysical processes responsible for stellar nucleosynthesis are well understood, others remained elusive for decades. One of the major open questions in the field centered on the production of elements heavier than iron. An important breakthrough happened in 2017 when gravitational wave and electromagnetic observatories around the world and in space detected for the first time the merging of two neutron stars and the subsequent production of heavy elements. The puzzle, however, is far from solved. Interpreting the observations requires understanding the nuclear processes that drive these events. My work focuses on the measurement of critical nuclear properties needed to explain neutron-star mergers and other astrophysical observations. In this article, I discuss recent experiments performed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University, as well as new initiatives and plans to undertake work at the next-generation rare isotope facility, the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. 

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5. The Lunar Occultation Explorer (LOX): Establishing the Moon as a Platform for Next-Generation Nuclear Astrophysics Investigations

   Miller}, R.~S. and (April 2018, Deep Space Gateway Concept Science Workshop, LPI Contributions)

   The Lunar Occultation Explorer (LOX) is a paradigm shift that will leverage the power of a new observational paradigm to transform our understanding of the nuclear cosmos (0.1-10 MeV) and establish the Moon as a platform for astrophysics. 

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