Prof. Moshe Gai, University of Connecticut, 2025 Fulbright US Scholar and University Polytechnica of Bucharest (UPB)
Intended for: Elementary general level class, all are welcome; early graduate students (MSc. Ph.D) and STEM undergraduate students.
Stellar evolution is a mature theory that allow us for example to understand the sun with accuracy of 1%. Indeed, the sun is the most accurate calibrated known neutrino source. We use stars to study fundamental physics including as triggers of quantum coherence and entanglement on
astronomical scales. Stellar processes are for the most part nuclear processes, they involve fundamental physics such as neutrino astrophysics. The course will cover Physical Concepts of Stellar Evolution with an emphasize on nuclear processes and applications of neutrino physics
and quantum mechanics to stars.
We will first review astronomical scales, astronomical nomenclatures and star classification.
Continue to develop an introduction to nuclear astrophysics, review nuclear reaction theory for stars. And finish with specific examples such the fate of supernovae, the standard solar model, solar neutrinos, neutrino processes in stars, quantum physics on stellar scale, such the Chandrasekhar limit and the Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit. When appropriate we will also discuss
the story of the scientists as well as delve into the experimental setup that were developed.
Methodology:
Lectures will be held for 11 weeks, once a week, generally on Tuesdays, unless otherwise noted, 2:00 – 3:15, at the classroom on ground level of the ELI-NP building. The first class will be on Thursday 27 February, last class on 13 May. The class on 22 April (Easter) will be held on Thursday, 24 April, and no class on 15 April (Passover, if I can fly to Israel). The last class, Tuesday 13 May will be for students’ 10 minutes presentations on a topic of their choice.
Lectures will be delivered handwritten on iPad Tablet. The handwritten notes will be displayed on the class monitor, and circulated at the end of each class. Practicum exercises will be assigned, as well as numerical evaluations. Each student will be mentored one-on-one and practice their 10 minute presentation with Prof. Gai, who will be available at all times for help with the course, homework and the 10 minute presentation.
Literature will be available for circulating copies of certain chapters from:
John Bahcall, Neutrino Astrophysics
Christian Iliadis, Nuclear Physics of Stars
Rolfs and Rodney, Cauldrons in the Cosmos
Donald Clayton, Principles of Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis
Nuclear Theory, Blatt and Weiskopf
Solar Fussion II, Reviews of Modern Physics
Neutrino Physics, Los Alamos Publication
Hans Bethe and Gerry Brown, Scientific American, 1985
