NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS MEASUREMENTS WITH RADIOACTIVE BEAMS¹

Radioactive nuclei play an important role in a diverse range of astrophysical phenomena including the early universe, the sun, red giant stars, nova explosions, X-ray bursts, supernova explosions, and supermassive stars. Measurements of reactions with beams of short-lived radioactive nuclei can, for the first time, probe the nuclear reactions occurring in these cosmic phenomena. This article describes the astrophysical motivation for experiments with radioactive beams, the techniques to produce these beams and perform astrophysically relevant measurements, results from recent experiments, and plans for future facilities.