Notes 3
Nuclear Astrophysics
Nuclear Astrophysics is a multidisciplinary field of modern physics which concerns most notably the studies of Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics. Nuclear Astrophysics involves many different branches of physics dealing with the "very small" (Quantum Mechanics, Electrodynamics and Atomic Modeling) to the "very large" (General and Special Relativity, stellar life-cycles and compositions, Galactic formations/constructions and space-time/gravitational effects), and everything in between (such as Statistical/Thermal Mechanics, Kepler Orbits, and Newtonian Mechanics approximations). Some of the most important subject matters of Nuclear Astrophysics involve element origins and abundances, high energy physics, nuclear reactions and corresponding rates, universal studies (from the Big-Bang model and early universe to the subsequent evolution and expansion of our universe) all the way to structural and chemical modeling of various astronomical objects such as black holes, neutron stars, pulsars, stars, nebulae and supernovae. Nuclear Astrophysics is perhaps one of the most comprehensive and involved branches of modern physics in that it deals with the widest variety of sub-fields within the discipline.
Particle Abundances
One of the most important aspects of Nuclear Astrophysics is being able to calculate elemental abundances in astronomical structures. Particle abundances are given by: Where the mass fraction "X" is the fraction of total mass of a sample that is made up by a nucleus of species "i".
