IReNA Workshop on Weak Interactions in Nuclear Astrophysics

The IReNA Workshop on Weak Interactions in Nuclear Astrophysics will be held at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) on the campus of Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, MI USA.

Reactions driven by the weak nuclear force (electron captures, β decays, neutrino-induced reactions) play important roles in many astrophysical phenomena, such as the cataclysmic events of neutron-star mergers, core-collapse and thermonuclear supernovae, as well as in heating and cooling cycles of neutron-star crusts. In addition, reactions mediated by the weak force play an important role in the detection of multi-messenger signal, for example neutrinos. Hence, the accurate estimation of weak reaction rates and incorporation in astrophysical simulations is important for understanding and modeling astrophysical events and interpreting their multi-messenger signals that can be detected on Earth. The workshop will bring together the IRENA weak-interactions working group and other partners for:

1) Identifying key unresolved questions and needs related to weak interaction data necessary for astrophysical modelling;

2) Identifying what expertise is available amongst IRENA partner networks and how such expertise can be shared to address items identified in item 1;

3) Identify what expertise and tools/process are missing to solve key questions and provide necessary weak-interaction data, and creating a plan to address the gaps;

4) Defining across-network activities to address items identified under 1-3. The focus of such activities will be on concrete projects that require the collaboration between researchers in different networks that would be much harder to pursue if such projects were carried out by (groups in) isolated networks.

An important aspect of the workshop is to bring together experimentalists, astrophysical modelers, nuclear theorists, observers, and researchers working on the interface between these areas.