We present the state-of-the-art single-zone nuclear reaction network WinNet , which is capable of calculating the nucleosynthetic yields of a large variety of astrophysical environments and conditions. This ranges from the calculation of the primordial nucleosynthesis, where only a few nuclei are considered, to the ejecta of neutron star mergers with several thousands of involved nuclei. Here we describe the underlying physics and implementation details of the reaction network. We additionally present the numerical implementation of two different integration methods, the implicit Euler method and Gears method, along with their advantages and disadvantages. We furthermore describe basic example cases of thermodynamic conditions that we provide together with the network and demonstrate the reliability of the code by using simple test cases. With this publication, WinNet will be publicly available and open source at GitHub and Zenodo.

This manuscript reviews recent progress in our understanding of the nucleosynthesis of medium and heavy elements in supernovae.Recent hydrodynamical models of core-collapse supernovae show that a large amount of proton rich matter is ejected under strong neutrino fluxes.This matter constitutes the site of the ν p-process where antineutrino absorption reactions catalyze the nucleosynthesis of nuclei with A > 64.Supernovae are also associated with the r-process responsible for the synthesis of the heaviest elements in nature.Fission during the r-process can play a major role in determining the final abundance patter and in explaining the almost universal features seen in metal-poor r-process-rich stars.

A generalized method to calculate the excitation-energy dependent parity ratio in the nuclear level density is presented, using the assumption of Poisson distributed independent quasi particles combined with BCS occupation numbers. It is found that it is crucial to employ a sufficiently large model space to allow excitations both from low-lying shells and to higher shells beyond a single major shell. Parity ratios are only found to equilibrate above at least 5-10 MeV of excitation energy. Furthermore, an overshooting effect close to major shells is found where the parity opposite to the ground state parity may dominate across a range of several MeV before the parity ratio finally equilibrates. The method is suited for large-scale calculations as needed, for example, in astrophysical applications. Parity distributions were computed for all nuclei from the proton dripline to the neutron dripline and from Ne up to Bi. These results were then used to recalculate astrophysical reaction rates in a Hauser-Feshbach statistical model. Although certain transitions can be considerably enhanced or suppressed, the impact on astrophysically relevant reactions remains limited, mainly due to the thermal population of target states in stellar reaction rates.

Rapid neutron capture in stellar explosions is responsible for the heaviest elements in nature, up to Th , U and beyond. This nucleosynthesis process, the r-process, is unique in the sense that a combination of nuclear physics far from stability (masses, half-lives, neutron-capture and photodisintegration, neutron-induced and beta-delayed fission and last but not least neutrino-nucleus interactions) is intimately linked to ejecta from astrophysical explosions (core collapse supernovae or other neutron star related events). The astrophysics and nuclear physics involved still harbor many uncertainties, either in the extrapolation of nuclear properties far beyond present experimental explorations or in the modeling of multidimensional, general relativistic (neutrino-radiation) hydrodynamics with rotation and possibly required magnetic fields. Observational clues about the working of the r-process are mostly obtained from solar abundances and from the abundance evolution of the heaviest elements as a function of galactic age, as witnessed in old extremely metal-poor stars. They contain information whether the r-process is identical for all stellar events, how abundance features develop with galactic time and whether the frequency of r-process events is comparable to that of average core collapse supernovae - producing oxygen through titanium, as well as iron-group nuclei. The theoretical modeling of the r-process has advanced from simple approaches, where the use of static neutron densities and temperatures can aid to test the influence of nuclear properties far from stability on abundance features, to more realistic expansions with a given entropy, global neutron/proton ratio and expansion timescales, as expected from explosive astrophysical events. The direct modeling in astrophysical events such as supernovae still faces the problem whether the required conditions can be met.

We have developed a full set of fission rates that include spontaneous fission, neutron-induced fission, beta-delayed fission and, neutrino-induced fission, that are supplemented with realistic distributions of fission yields. Using this new input data we have carried out r-process calculations assuming adiabatic expansions that mimic the conditions achieved in the supernova neutrino driven wind. We have explored the sensitivity of the final abundances to different mass models. The resulting abundance distribution turns out to be very sensitive to the strength of the N=82 shell gap far from stability. Mass models with a strong shell gap converge to an r-process distribution that is independent of the initial conditions once fission sets in. This convergence is not achieved in mass models with a quenched N=82 shell gap.

We present spin- and parity-resolved level densities extracted from high-resolution hadron and electron scattering data by means of a fluctuation analysis. A nearly model-independent method based on discrete wavelet transform is introduced for the determination of a non-resonant background. The data obtained are compared to the predictions of two models widely used in applications for astrophysical network calculations with an emphasis on a possible parity dependence of nuclear level densities.

Nucleosynthesis is the science related to all astrophysical processes which are responsible for the abundances of the elements and their isotopes in the universe. The astrophysical sites are the big bang and stellar objects. The working of nucleosynthesis processes is presented in a survey of events which act as abundance sources. For intermediate-mass and heavy elements, these are stellar evolution, type la and core collapse supernovae as well as hypernovae. We discuss successes and failures of existing processes and possible solutions via new (hitherto unknown) processes. Finally an analysis of their role is given in the puzzle to explain the evolution of the elemental and isotopic compositions found in galaxies, and especially the mixture found in the solar system. Different timescales due to the progenitor mass dependence of the endpoints of stellar evolution (type II supemova. explosions - SNe II vs. planetary nebulae) or single vs. binary stellar systems (the latter being responsible for novae, type la supernovae - SNe la, or X-ray bursts) are the keys to understand galactic evolution. At very early times, the role of explosion energies of events, polluting pristine matter with a composition originating only from the big bang, might also play a role. We also speculate on the role of very massive stars not undergoing SN II explosions but rather causing "hypernovae" after the formation of a central black hole via core collapse. @ 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

This manuscript reviews recent progress in our understanding of the nucleosynthesis of medium and heavy elements in supernovae. Recent hydrodynamical models of core-collapse supernovae show that a large amount of proton rich matter is ejected under strong neutrino fluxes. This matter constitutes the site of the vp-process where antineutrino absorption reactions catalyze the nucleosynthesis of nuclei with A > 64. Supernovae are also associated with the r-process responsible for the synthesis of the heaviest elements in nature. Fission during the r-process can play a major role in determining the final abundance patter and in explaining the almost universal features seen in metal-poor r-process-rich stars.

Astrophysical reaction rates are sensitive to the parity distribution at low excitation energies. We combine a formula for the energy-dependent parity distribution with a microscopic-macroscopic nuclear level density. This approach describes well the transition from low excitation energies, where a single parity dominates, to high excitations where the two densities are equal.

Astrophysical reaction rates are sensitive to the parity distribution at low excitation energies. We combine a formula for the energy-dependent parity distribution with a microscopic-macroscopic nuclear level density. This approach describes well the transition from low excitation energies where a single parity dominates to high excitations where the two densities are equal.

Nuclear physics is a basic ingredient in a large number of energetic astrophysical environments which are characterized by sufficient temperatures and densities to permit scattering events among particles, leading to nuclear reactions and possibly the production of unstable reaction poducts. Strong, electromagnetic and weak interactions (fusion, exchange reactions, photodisintegrations, beta-decays, electron [and positron] captures on nucleons and nuclei, neutrino scattering and captures [i.e. neutral and charged current reactions]) can produce nuclei far form stability and require extended knowledge of nuclear structure near and far from stability, including decay and fission properties. Last, but not least, the nucleon-nucleon interaction determines the nuclear equation of state at and beyond nuclear densities and is ultimately connected to the question under which conditions a phase transitions from hadrons to the quark-gluon plasma occurs. In this review we will survey how these aspects of nuclear physics enter the modeling of astrophysical objects.

We studied the reaction C-12(e,e(')p) in quasielastic kinematics at momentum transfers between 0.6 and 1.8 (GeV/c)(2) covering the single-particle region. From this the nuclear transparency factors are extracted using two methods. The results are compared to theoretical predictions obtained using a generalization of Glauber theory described in this paper. Furthermore, the momentum distribution in the region of the 1s-state up to momenta of 300 MeV/c is obtained from the data and compared to the correlated basis function theory and the independent-particle shell model.

We have carried out an (e,e'p) experiment at high momentum transfer and in parallel kinematics to measure the strength of the nuclear spectral function S(k,E) at high nucleon momenta k and large removal energies E. This strength is related to the presence of short-range and tensor correlations, and was known hitherto only indirectly and with considerable uncertainty from the lack of strength in the independent-particle region. This experiment locates by direct measurement the correlated strength predicted by theory.

This introductory review aims at understanding r-process nucleosynthesis by addressing the issues involved, nuclear properties, necessary environment conditions, properties of different suggested r-process sites, observational constraints and Galactic evolution. We summarize the remaining challenges and uncertainties which need to be overcome for a full understanding of the nature and site(s) of the r-process.

A simple description for obtaining the parity distribution of nuclear levels in the pf + g9/2 shell as a function of excitation energy was recently derived. We implement this in a global nuclear level density model. In the framework of the statistical model, cross sections and astrophysical reaction rates are calculated in the Fe region and compared to rates obtained with the common assumption of an equal distribution of parities. We find considerable differences, especially for reactions involving particles in the exit channel.