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Franz Käppeler and evolutions in nuclear physics

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Abstract

This is a paper on the remarkable evolution in the career of Franz Käppeler that started with the measurements of neutron cross sections of various materials, followed by studies of key nuclei for the slow neutron capture process (s-process) in search of the origins of half of the heavy elements, and eventually to the measurements of the lifetimes of long-lived isomers identified in nuclei along the branching points of the s-process. This evolution of scientific interest took place over 4–5 decades and included the development of new tools and techniques that were implemented into the construction of new facilities for nuclear physics coupled with advances in both astronomical observations and theoretical approaches in modeling. Franz Käppeler led an exemplary life in his love of Rosel, good friends, great champagne, and those ever-elusive neutrons and their interactions with nuclei resulting in the various wonders of the universe.

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Data Availability Statement

Please add a comment to your current Data Availability Statement: “This manuscript has no associated data or the data will not be deposited. [Authors’ comment: The data presented here is published in the literature and there is nothing proprietary.]

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation and the US Office of Naval Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA

    Ani Aprahamian & Kevin Lee

  2. A. Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory of Armenia, 0036, Yerevan, Armenia

    Ani Aprahamian

  3. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, 54601, USA

    Shelly R. Lesher

Authors
  1. Ani Aprahamian
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  2. Kevin Lee
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  3. Shelly R. Lesher
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Correspondence to Ani Aprahamian.

Additional information

Communicated by Nicolas Alamanos.

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Aprahamian, A., Lee, K. & Lesher, S.R. Franz Käppeler and evolutions in nuclear physics. Eur. Phys. J. A 59, 274 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-023-01193-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-023-01193-3

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