Accelerator Simulation of Astrophysical Processes

The interaction of energetic ions with matter is responsible for many of the processes by which the elements were synthesized, energy is generated in stars, interstellar grains are destroyed, and molecules are created in space. All of these processes are amenable to simulation in the laboratory using accelerated ion beams, which allows us a more comprehensive understanding of Nature than we could obtain by observation alone. In addition, ion beam techniques are extremely useful in the determination of the elemental and isotopic abundances that arise from astrophysical nuclear synthesis.