Third Frontiers in Nuclear Astrophysics
Summer School

The Third Frontiers in Nuclear Astrophysics Summer School, hosted by Ohio University, is designed for early-career scientists in nuclear physics, astrophysics, and astronomy to strengthen their interdisciplinary expertise. Open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs, the program covers topics such as stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis, and state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical methods. The summer school serves as preparation for the 2025 IReNA-CeNAM Frontiers in Nuclear Astrophysics Meeting, which takes place the following week (May 19–23, 2025). Each day of the program focuses on a key area: nuclear theory, nuclear experiment, astrophysics theory, and astrophysics observation. Through lectures and hands-on activities, participants will develop a broader perspective on nuclear astrophysics, fostering collaboration between nuclear physicists and astronomers. Supported by the International Research Network for Nuclear Astrophysics (IReNA), the program provides local accommodation and meals, ensuring an accessible and immersive learning experience.

This event is supported by IReNA, under the National Science Foundation under Grant No. OISE-1927130.

Topics

This four-day program will include three 45-minute lectures each morning, followed by hands-on activities in the afternoons. The topics covered within each main category include: 

• Nuclear Theory: 

  • • Quantum many‑body physics

    • Density functional & mean‑field methods (DFT, HFB)

    • Infinite nuclear matter & equation of state

    • Effective field theories (EFT)

    • Bayesian uncertainty quantification (UQ)

    • Scattering theory (channels, S/T matrices, integral equations, PWA)

    • Halo nuclei

• Nuclear Experiment:

  • • Nuclear experiments for astrophysics

    • Direct and indirect reaction measurements

    • Detector systems

    • Indirect data analysis methods

    • Gamma-ray spectroscopy

    • Analysis with TALYS

    • Breit-Wigner resonance formalism

    • Near-threshold states for stellar nucleosynthesis

    • Measuring resonance properties

• Astrophysics Theory:

  • • Core‑collapse supernova theory and simulations

    • One‑dimensional explosion mechanisms

    • Nucleosynthesis in core‑collapse supernovae

    • Propagation of simulation uncertainties to yields and galactic chemical‑evolution models

    • Neutron‑star mergers

    • Kilonovae

    • r‑process nucleosynthesis

    • Late‑stage stellar evolution preceding core collapse

• Astrophysics Observation: 

  • • Methods and limitations of neutron‑capture abundance measurements from stellar spectra

    • References to solar s‑ and r‑process abundances

    • Galactic chemical evolution models

    • Dwarf spheroidal galaxies as example systems

    • Classification of supernova spectra

    • Supernova spectra as diagnostics of explosion mechanisms

Speakers

Confirmed speakers and instructors:

• Alexandra Semposki (Ohio University)

• Dr. Brendan Reed (Los Alamos National Laboratory)

• Brady Martin (University of Iowa)

• Dr. Atul Kedia (North Carolina State University)

• Joseph Derkin (Ohio University)

• Dr. Sivahami Uthayakumaar (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams)

• Dr. Rahul Jain (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

• Finia Jost (Technische Universität Darmstadt)

• Lauren Henderson (University of Notre Dame)

• Dr. Luca Boccioli (University of California, Berkeley)

• Dr. Anirban Dutta (Michigan State University)

• Pranav Nalamwar (University of Notre Dame) 

• Kaitlin Webber (Texas A&M University)

Summer School Organizing Committee

This program is organized by a diverse group of early-career researchers from various institutions:

• Andrea Richard (Ohio University) – Faculty Advisor

• Anna Swartz (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams & IReNA) – Administrative Support

• Rudina Woltz (Ohio University) – INPP Account Manager

• Pranav Nalamwar (University of Notre Dame) – Chair

• Andrius Burnelis (Ohio University) – Co-chair

• Brendan Reed (Los Alamos National Laboratory)

• Melissa Mendes (Technische Universität Darmstadt)

• Kaitlin Webber (Texas A&M University)

• Mallory Loria (University of Victoria)

• Bikash Chauhan (Ohio University)

• Jane Kim (Ohio University)

Contact

Please direct any questions or comments to cenamschool@ohio.edu.