Role of clusters in nuclear astrophysics with Cluster Nucleosynthesis Diagram (CND)

Abstract

The role of nuclear clustering in stellar reactions is discussed, with Cluster Nucleosynthesis Diagram (CND) proposed before, for nucleosynthesis in stellar evolution and explosive stellar phenomena. Special emphasis is placed on α-induced stellar reactions. We report here the first experimental evidence that a cluster resonances dominate the (α,p) stellar reaction cross sections that is crucial for the vp-process in core-collapse supernovae.