Orateur
Dr
Alessandra Guglielmetti
(Universita' degli Studi di Milano and INFN Milano)
Description
The LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) experiment has been measuring nuclear cross sections of astrophysical interest since 1990. Two accelerators have been installed underground in the Gran Sasso laboratory where the cosmic bakground is very much reduced with respect to a laboratory on the Earth's surface. Therefore, a direct measurement of thermonuclear cross sections belonging to the pp chain or to the CNO cycle of Hydrogen burning or essential for the big bang nucleosynthesis is possible even if the expected rate is extremely low. After a general introduction,the most important results obtained up to now will be reviewed and their astrophysical implications discussed. The future perspectives of the LUNA experiment will also be presented.
Author
Dr
Alessandra Guglielmetti
(Universita' degli Studi di Milano and INFN Milano)
