Neutron-capture reactions for astrophysical processes

3 Nov 2025, 08:50 → 7 Nov 2025, 19:00 Europe/Rome

Aula Renzo Leonardi (ECT*)

Ann-Cecilie Larsen (University of Oslo), Artemis Spyrou (Michigan State University), Dennis Muecher (University of Cologne), Mathis Wiedeking (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), Sean Liddick (Michigan State University), Stephane Goriely (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

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One of the most important questions in the field of nuclear astrophysics (and beyond) is “How are the elements heavier than iron synthesized in the universe”. For many decades the answer included three processes, namely the s, r and p processes. During the last decade the advancement in astronomical observations revealed abundance patterns that cannot be explained by a combination of the three above processes and new ones have been introduced. Some examples are the i and n processes on the neutron-rich side and νp process on the proton-rich side of the valley of stability. Disentangling the contributions of all these processes and identifying the astrophysical environments where they might take place requires accurate knowledge of the nuclear physics input.
Neutron-capture reactions are an important ingredient in most of the heavy element nucleosynthesis processes. These reactions are relatively well known along the valley of stability (e.g. s process) where a plethora of experimental data exist, and theoretical models are well constrained. Even a few neutrons from stability, however, (e.g. i, n, r processes) these reactions are practically unconstrained due to the lack of experimental data.

   

Monday 3 November

08:50 → 09:00 Opening remarks

Convener: Artemis Spyrou (Michigan State University)

09:00 → 09:45 Overview Talk and NSTAR Project: Direct Neutron Capture Reactions in A Storage Ring

Speaker: Iris Dillmann (TRIUMF)

09:45 → 10:20 Surrogate reactions at the experimental storage ring

Speaker: Beatriz Jurado

10:20 → 10:35 Discussion

10:35 → 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 → 11:35 The s, i and n processes in massive and AGB stars

Speaker: Arthur Choplin (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

11:35 → 12:10 The time-dependence of the i process engine and the Global Oscillation of Shell-Hydrogen ingestion (GOSH) in 3D simulations

Speaker: Falk Herwig (University of Victoria)

12:10 → 12:25 Discussion

12:25 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 14:35 Nuclear physics uncertainties in the weak and strong r-process

Speaker: Almudena Arcones (TU Darmstadt and GSI)

14:35 → 15:10 Hydrodynamical models of neutron-star mergers including all phases of matter ejection

Speaker: Oliver Just (RIKEN Japan)

15:10 → 15:25 Discussion

15:25 → 15:50 Coffee Break

15:50 → 16:25 Searching for astrophysical signatures of different neutron capture processes

Speaker: Nicole Vassh

16:25 → 16:45 Neutron-capture constraints for the i-process

Speaker: Artemis Spyrou (Michigan State University)

16:45 → 17:00 Discussion

Tuesday 4 November

09:00 → 09:35 60Fe and 182Hf production via double neutron capture on 58Fe and 180Hf

Speaker: Anton Wallner (The Australian National University)

09:35 → 10:10 The measurement on the reaction rate of 59Fe(n,g) in RIBLL

Speaker: SHILUN JIN

10:10 → 10:25 Discussion

10:25 → 10:50 Coffee Break

10:50 → 11:25 Predicting radiative neutron captures

Speaker: Stephane Goriely (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

11:25 → 12:00 Experimental neutron-captures for r-process

Speaker: Dennis Muecher (University of Cologne)

12:00 → 12:15 Discussion

12:15 → 13:45 Lunch

13:45 → 14:20 Impact of level densities in capture cross sections

Speaker: Gregory Potel Aguilar (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

14:20 → 14:55 Microscopic nuclear level densities and Photon Strength functions for neutron capture

Speaker: stephane hilaire (CEA, DAM, DIF)

14:55 → 15:10 Discussion

15:10 → 15:35 Coffee Break

15:35 → 16:10 Key nuclear reactions for nucleosynthesis and Galactic chemical evolution

Speaker: Prof. Toshitaka Kajino (Beihang University/NAOJ/University of Tokyo)

16:10 → 16:45 Neutron transfer reactions to the continuum as an indirect approach to neutron capture

Speaker: Filomena Nunes (Michigan State University)

16:45 → 17:20 Nuclear physics input for r-process calculations

Speaker: Rebecca Surman (University of Notre Dame)

17:20 → 17:35 Discussion

Wednesday 5 November

09:00 → 09:35 In between s process and r process: observations from stellar nucleosynthesis in the Milky Way disk and nuclear uncertainties

Speaker: Marco Pignatari (Konkoly Observatory)

09:35 → 10:10 Advances in Direct Measurement of Neutron Capture

Speaker: Aaron Couture (Los Alamos National Laboratory)

10:10 → 10:25 Discussion

10:25 → 10:50 Coffee Break

10:50 → 11:25 Level densities and hidden strength from the fluctuation analysis of high-resolution spectra

Speaker: Peter von Neumann-Cosel (Institut fur Kernphysik, TU Darmstadt)

11:25 → 12:00 Nuclear Level Densities from Evaporation Spectra: Implications for Neutron Capture Reactions

Speaker: Alexander Voinov (Ohio University)

12:00 → 12:15 Discussion

12:15 → 13:45 Lunch Break

13:45 → 14:20 Advancing reaction theory to enable predictions and indirect measurements of neutron capture cross sections for astrophysics

Speaker: Jutta Escher

14:20 → 14:55 Illuminating Cosmic Nucleosynthesis at Intermediate Neutron Densities via Indirect Neutron-Capture Methods

Speaker: Andrea Richard (Ohio University)

14:55 → 15:10 Discussion

15:10 → 15:35 Coffee Break

15:35 → 17:20 Informal Discussions

19:00 → 21:00 Conference Dinner

Thursday 6 November

09:00 → 09:35 Projected shell model description for highly excited nuclear states

Speaker: Yang Sun (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

09:35 → 10:10 Recent results from the Oslo Method

Speaker: Ann-Cecilie Larsen (University of Oslo)

10:10 → 10:25 Discussion

10:25 → 10:50 Coffee Break

10:50 → 11:25 Probing heavy element nucleosynthesis through electromagnetic observations

Speaker: Gabriel Martinez-Pinedo

11:25 → 12:00 Key neutron capture rates for the r-process nucleosynthesis

Speaker: Diego Vescovi (INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Abruzzo & INFN - Perugia)

12:00 → 12:15 Discussion

12:15 → 13:45 Lunch

13:45 → 14:20 Experimental techniques for neutron-induced capture measurements

Speaker: Frank Gunsing (CEA Irfu, University Paris-Saclay, France)

14:20 → 14:55 Fluctuation Properties and Nonstatistical Gamma Decays: Probing Chaos and Structure in Atomic Nuclei

Speaker: Johann Isaak (TU Darmstadt)

14:55 → 15:10 Discussion

15:10 → 15:35 Coffee Break

15:35 → 16:10 Neutron-capture reactions in the nucleosynthesis of p-nuclei

Speaker: Nobuya Nishimura

16:10 → 16:45 Photon Strength Functions from proton capture reactions

Speaker: Kgashane Malatji (University of California Berkeley)

16:45 → 17:00 Discussion

Friday 7 November

09:00 → 09:35 Softness in the scissors motion

Speaker: Fang-Qi Chen (Lanzhou University)

09:35 → 10:10 Isomers and M1 gamma-ray strength

Speaker: Sean Liddick (Michigan State University)

10:10 → 10:25 Discussion

10:25 → 10:50 Coffee Break

10:50 → 11:25 Two-Step and Multi-Step Cascade Methods

Speaker: Milan Krticka (Charles University, Prague)

11:25 → 12:00 Recent recults from the Inverse-Oslo and Shape methods

Speaker: Mathis Wiedeking (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

12:00 → 12:15 Discussion

12:15 → 13:45 Lunch

13:45 → 14:20 The beta-Oslo method: do{N++}until{break}

Speaker: Dr Darren Bleuel (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

14:20 → 15:10 Discussion and Conclusions