Fundamental differences in the prediction of reaction rates with intermediate and heavy target nuclei compared to the ones with light nuclei are discussed, with special emphasis on stellar modifications of the rates. Ground and excited state contributions to the stellar rates are quantified, deriving a linear weighting of excited state contributions despite of a Boltzmann population of the nucl...

In this paper we present a number of metrics for usage of the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS). Since the ADS is used by the entire astronomical community, these are indicative of how the astronomical literature is used. We will show how the use of the ADS has changed both quantitatively and qualitatively. We will also show that different types of users access the system in different way...

The aim of this study is to make a bibliometric comparison of the performance of research astronomers in the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA) with astronomers elsewhere. This is complementary to similar studies as undertaken by the Center for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), but has the specific feature of using the NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)1 and possibilities of...

While distributed, heterogeneous collections of computers (“Grids”) can in principle be used as a computing platform, in practice the problems of first discovering and then organizing resources to meet application requirements are difficult. We present a general-purpose resource selection framework that addresses these problems by defining a resource selection service for locating Grid resource...

The ADS All-Sky Survey (ADSASS) is an ongoing effort aimed at turning the NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), widely known for its unrivaled value as a literature resource for astronomers, into a data resource. The ADS is not a data repository per se, but it implicitly contains valuable holdings of astronomical data, in the form of images, tables and object references contained within articles...

A general overview of neutrino physics and astrophysics is given, starting with a historical account of the development of our understanding of neutrinos and how they helped to unravel the structure of the Standard Model. We discuss why it is so important to establish if neutrinos are massive and introduce the main scenarios to provide them a mass. The present bounds and the positive indication...

We have known for some time that, like the surface of a busy swimming pool, spacetime is awash with waves generated by the local and distant motions of mass and that, in principle, much of this activity can be reconstructed by analysing the waveforms. However, instrumentation with a reasonable chance of directly detecting these gravitational waves has only become available within the past year,...