Recent progress and some open questions in nuclear astrophysics

Abstract

We discuss recent advances in modelling two topics of current interest in nuclear astrophysics: electron capture onto nuclei in core-collapse supernovae and simulations of the astrophysical r-process in neutron-star mergers. Despite this progress open questions remain. The answers to these questions will highly benefit from experimental data expected from current and future radioactive ion beam facilities, in particular from the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research which is currently under construction at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany.