From the microcosm of the atomic nuclei to the macrocosm of the stars

TL;DR

This paper emphasizes the critical need for high-quality nuclear data across a wide range of nuclides to accurately model stellar structures, evolution, and nucleosynthesis, highlighting the importance of accessible nuclear data bases for astrophysics.

Contribution

It reviews key nuclear data types relevant to astrophysics and stresses the importance of reliable, accessible databases for modeling stellar phenomena.

Findings

Nuclear data are essential for modeling stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis.

Focus on nuclides involved in non-explosive stellar phases and explosions.

Highlights the need for high-quality, user-friendly nuclear data bases.

Abstract

A necessary condition for the reliable modelling of the structure or evolution of the stars and of their concomitant nucleosynthesis is the availability of good quality nuclear data in a very wide area of the chart of nuclides. This short review presents a non-exhaustive list of nuclear data of astrophysics interest (masses, $\beta$-decays, thermonuclear and non-thermonuclear reaction rates) for nuclides at the bottom of the valley of nuclear stability (mainly involved in the modelling of non-explosive phases of stellar evolution), or for more or less highly exotic nuclides (to be considered in the description of stellar explosions). Special emphasis is put on the importance of providing quality nuclear data bases that can be easily used by astrophysicists.