We work in nuclear astrophysics. The most important questions that we address are: (1) How do stars evolve? (2) Why do some stars explode? (3) What is the origin of the elements in the universe?

Most elements are created in stars via nuclear fusion reactions. For example, stars like our sun fuse hydrogen into helium over a period of billions of years. Many different kinds of stars exist in the universe. Very old objects, like red giant stars in globular clusters, burn their nuclear fuel at low temperatures. Other stars, for example supernovae, novae and x-ray bursts, release their energy in stellar explosions. Many of the complex nuclear physics processes that occur during various stages of stellar burning are poorly understood.

Our group performs research in experimental, computational, and theoretical physics. If you are interested in our research, please contact:

Dr. Christian Iliadis
J. Ross Macdonald Distinguished Professor
Department of Physics & Astronomy, 272 Phillips Hall
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255
and
Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0308
iliadis “at” unc.edu