© NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope

Project Summary

NUCLEAR tackles three key questions in nuclear astrophysics: the cosmological lithium problem, the origin of CNO elements in first-generation stars, and the high electron screening effect in low-energy nuclear reactions. These issues have remained unresolved for over three decades.

These questions may be connected through nuclear clustering, which could enhance fusion probability between light nuclei at low energies. New fusion processes might convert primordial hydrogen and helium into CNO nuclei in early stars, addressing the lithium abundance discrepancy seen in the oldest stars versus Big Bang predictions. Experimental and theoretical confirmations are still needed.

If clustering effects enhance low-energy nuclear reactions, they might also explain the high electron screening observed in labs, impacting fusion energy generation.

Using a high-risk/high-reward approach, my team and I aim to clarify the role of nuclear clustering in astrophysical reactions, with significant implications for nuclear physics, cosmology, and astrophysics.