This book focuses on current topics in astronomy, astrophysics and nuclear astrophysics. The areas covered are: origin of the universe and nucleosynthesis; chemical and dynamical evolution of galaxies; nova/supernova and evolution of stars; astrophysical nuclear reaction; structure of nuclei with unstable nuclear beams; origin of the heavy element and age of the universe; neutron star and high density matter; observation of elements; high energy cosmic rays; neutrino astrophysics.

This work focuses on current topics in astronomy, astrophysics and nuclear astrophysics. The areas covered are: origin of the universe and nucleosynthesis; chemical and dynamical evolution of galaxies; nova/supernova and evolution of stars; astrophysical nuclear reaction; structure of nuclei with unstable nuclear beams; origin of the heavy element and age of the universe; neutron star and high density matter; observation of elements; high energy cosmic rays; neutrino astrophysics.

Launched in 2004, "Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics" has established itself in a successful topical conference series addressing the forefront of research in the field. This volume contains the selected and refereed papers of the 2nd conference, held in Debrecen in 2005 and reprinted from "The European Physical Journal A - Hadrons and Nuclei".

A fundamental question in contemporary astrophysics is the origin of the elements. Cosmochemistry seeks to answer when, how and where the chemical elements arose. Quantitative answers to these fundamental questions require a multi-disciplinary approach involving stellar evolution, explosive nucleosynthesis and nuclear reactions in different astrophysical environments. There remain, however, many outstanding problems and cosmochemistry remains a fertile area of research. This book is among the first in recent times to put together the essentials of cosmochemistry, combining contributions from leading astrophysicists in the field. The chapters have been organized to provide a clear description of the fundamentals, an introduction to modern techniques such as computational modelling, and glimpses of outstanding issues.

This volume features contributions by the leading authorities on the physics of unstable nuclei. It provides an important updated source in the nuclear physics literature for the researchers and post-graduates studying nuclear physics with unstable beams around the world. The focus is on the new experimental facilities for the production of unstable beams and on the latest developments in microscopic theories of nuclear structure and reactions.