Hendrik Schatz<br>

National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory
 and Dept. of Physics and Astronomy,  Michigan State University<br>

<i>Cosmic Fireworks and Radioactive Beams</i><p>

<HR>

Stellar explosions such as Supernovae, Novae, and X-ray bursts are unique
laboratories for physics under extreme conditions and are closely linked to
the fundamental question of the origin of the elements. The nuclear processes
that govern these explosions involve highly unstable nuclei.  These nuclei
with lifetimes as low as milliseconds nevertheless imprint their properties
onto the observables of the explosive event and on the abundance distribution
of the freshly synthesized elements.
<p>

With the advent of a new generation of radioactive beam facilities and the
next generation of facilities in the planning stage many of the unstable
nuclei created and destroyed in stellar explosions can be studied
experimentally. Together with advances in astronomy and theory we are now at
a threshold for a new understanding of the nuclear processes in stellar
explosions.
<p>

I will discuss the close relation between the properties of nuclei far from
stability and some of the currenttly open questions in nuclear astrophysics.
This discussions will be ased on our latest calculations on the nuclear
processes in supernovae and on the surface of accreting neutron stars.  I
will review our current knowledge of the underlying nuclear physics, and the
prospects of advances using present and future radioactive beam
facilities. Recent experimental data from experiments at the NSCL Coupled
Cyclotron Facility will be presented.  <p> <HR>