NSF-funded Physics Frontiers Centers (PFCs) are pushing the frontiers of science across the disciplines of physics.

In China, the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) will be both searching for new physics and observing astrophysical neutrinos. The Jinping Underground Laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA) will be measuring key nuclear reactions for stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis.

The summer of 2015 will mark the onset of the first science run of 2nd-generation interferometric gravitational wave detectors and over the next years several such detectors will form a world-wide network. The most promising sources of gravitational waves for these instruments are mergers of compact binaries. In particular, the coalescences of binary neutron star systems are considered to be the most probable events. Through gravitational wave observations, the equation of state of high-density matter is expected to be significantly constrained.

Nuclear physics plays a central role in astrophysics as it accounts for the processes that govern the lives of stars and the creation of all elements beyond primordial hydrogen and helium. The energy released by nuclear reactions powers some of the most spectacular explosions in the Universe, which in turn contribute to the chemical evolution of our and other galaxies.

Dear Nuclear Astrophysics Colleague,

We would like to invite you to participate in the JINA-CEE Frontiers in Nuclear Astrophysics Meeting to be held on March 23-25, 2015, at the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development, Michigan State University, 3535 Forest Road, Lansing, MI.
 

Recent developments in theory, simulations and observations have begun to shed new light on the origin of the heavy elements in the universe, especially those made by rapid neutron capture, the r-process. The workshop aims to bring together nuclear theorists, experimentalists, astrophysicists, and astronomers to discuss these advances and foster collaborations. A coordinated effort is critical to solving the grand challenge problem of pinning down the site(s) and understanding the possible diversity in the r-process. 

Nuclei in the Cosmos is the foremost bi-annual conference of nuclear physicists, astrophysicists, cosmochemists, and others to survey the recent achievements in Nuclear Astrophysics.

As an interdisciplinary meeting it promotes mutual understanding and collaboration over fields fundamental to solve a range of open questions, from the origin of the elements to stellar evolution.

Inherent part of the conference is a school devoted to students and young scientists where prominent scientists introduce the field of nuclear astrophysics to the participants.

Astronomy is primarily an observational science detecting photons generated by atomic, molecular, chemical, and condensed matter processes. Our understanding of the universe also relies on knowledge of the evolution of matter (nuclear and particle physics) and of the dynamical processes shaping it (plasma physics). Planetary science, involving in-situ measurements of solar system bodies, requires knowledge from physics, chemistry, and geology.

The aim is to bring together all those interested in black holes and neutron stars from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and other nearby universities. This regular local meeting fosters collaboration between these nearby universities.

Nuclear Astrophysics is an important field of research where we study chemical and physical aspects of the production of chemical elements in the stars. This event aims to discuss the latest advances in this area. It is also intended to discuss nucleosynthesis in the Big Bang era and the role of neutrinos in the synthesis.