Nucleosynthesis in stellar explosions: Type Ia supernovae, classical novae, and type I X-ray bursts

Nuclear astrophysics aims at understanding the cosmic origin of the chemical elements and the energy generation in stars. It constitutes a truly multidisciplinary arena that combines tools, developments, and achievements in theoretical astrophysics, observational astronomy, cosmochemistry, and nuclear physics: the emergence of high-energy astrophysics with space-borne observatories has opened new windows to observe the Universe, from a novel panchromatic perspective; supercomputers have provided astrophysicists with the required computational capabilities to study the evolution of stars in a multidimensional framework; cos-mochemists have isolated tiny pieces of stardust embedded in primitive meteorites, giving clues on the processes operating in stars as well as on the way matter condenses to form solids; and nuclear physicists have measured reactions near stellar energies, using stable and radioactive ion beam facilities. This paper shows provides a comprehensive insight into the nucleosynthesis accompanying stellar explosions, with particular emphasis on thermonuclear supernovae, classical novae, and type I X-ray bursts.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version