RMxAA (Serie de Conferencias), 51, 66–88 (2019) FRONTIER RESEARCH IN ASTROPHYSICS: AN UPDATED REVIEW F. Giovannelli1 and L. Sabau-Graziati2 ABSTRACT This article is a summary of the updated version of the review article “The impact of the space experiments on our knowledge of the physics of the Universe” (Giovannelli & Sabau-Graziati 2004: GSG2004) and subsequent slow updating (Giovannelli 2013; Giovannelli & Sabau-Graziati 2012a, 2014a,b, 2015, 2016a,b). We will go along different stages of the evolution of our Universe discussing briefly several examples of results that, in accordance with our opinion, are the pillars carrying the Bridge between the Big Bang and Biology. A significant part of these results come from great experiments in Earth or from space. Similarly, small experiments on Earth or in space have provided—and will provide—significant results. Due to the limited extension of this work and according to our knowledge, we have made a strict selection of the topics. RESUMEN Este art´ıculo es un resumen de la versi´on actualizada del art´ıculo de revisi´on “El impacto de los experimentos espaciales en nuestro conocimiento de la f´ısica del universo” (Giovannelli y Sabau-Graziati 2004: GSG2004) y de las lentas posteriores modificaciones realizadas (Giovannelli 2013; Giovannelli y Sabau-Graziati 2012a, 2014a,b, 2015, 2016a,b). Recorreremos las diferentes etapas de la evoluci´on de nuestro Universo tratando brevemente varios ejemplos de los resultados, que, en nuestra opini´on, constituyen los pilares que sostienen el puente entre el Big Bang y la Biolog´ıa. Una parte significativa de estos resultados provienen de grandes experimentos realizados en Tierra o desde el espacio. De igual manera peque˜nos experimentos realizados en Tierra o en el espacio han proporcionado—y proporcionar´an—importantes resultados. Debido a la limitada extensi´on de este trabajo y en funci´on de nuestro conocimiento, hemos realizado una estricta selecci´on de los temas tratados. Key Words: cosmology — gamma-ray bursts — gravitational waves — X-ray binaries 1. INTRODUCTION The birth of the universe and its present status constitute the two banks of a river in which the life of the universe is slowly flowing. Undoubtedly the two banks are joined by a bridge that Giovannelli (2001a) nicknamed “The Bridge between the Big Bang and Biology” that constituted the title of the workshop held in Stromboli (Aeolian Archipelago, Sicily, Italy) in 1999. The big problem is how to cross this bridge, and the main question is: what are the experimental tools for understanding the pillars of this Bridge? In order to cross this bridge, as always when we V Workshop on Robotic Autonomous Observatories (Mazagón, Huelva, Spain, October 16-20, 2017) cross a bridge, we MUST advance slowly, step by step, with continuity, because everything is smoothly linked in the “magma” of the Universe, from the in- Editors: M. D. Caballero García, S. B. Pandey, & A. J. Castro-Tirado - DOI: http://doi.org/10.22201/ia.14052059p.2019.51.14 finitely small to infinitely big, as sketched in Figure 1 (Rees 1988). 1 Fig. 1. From the infinitely small to infinitely big (adopted INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Area di Ricerca di Roma-2, Via Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, I from Rees 1988). 00133 Roma, Italy ([email protected]). 2 Indeed, if we look at the Figure 2 (upper INTA - Dpt de Cargas Utiles y Ciencias del Espacio Ctra de Ajalvir Km 4 - E 28850 Torrej´on de Ard´oz, Spain panel) – where a section of the metabolic network ([email protected]). of a “simple” bacterium is shown – we can note 66 FRONTIER RESEARCH IN ASTROPHYSICS 67 Fig. 3. The cosmic budget. in the properties of the initial density field (nature) and how its contrast is then amplified by the nonlin- ear mapping induced by the gravitational instability (nurture). As Albert Einstein declared, we can’t solve prob- lems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. We can add something more, by using wisdom: we can attach each kind of prob- lem in a way as general as possible, and in any case it is necessary to go on without blinkers. A fundamental question naturally arises: what is now the situation about our knowledge of the Uni- verse? The answer is discouraging: we know a very small part of it, and not very well. Indeed, Figure 3 shows schematically such a situ- ation. We can really discuss only about ∼ 5% of the content of the Universe. The remaining ∼ 95% is al- most completely unknown. However, the recent fun- Fig. 2. Upper panel: Section of the metabolic network damental progress in gravitational astronomy could of a “simple” bacterium (Luisi & Capra 2014). Lower open an incredible source of information about this panel: the “cosmic network” (https://it.wikipedia. “unknown” content. org/wiki/Cosmologiadelplasma). In this paper we will briefly discuss the main pil- lars of this bridge by using the huge amount of ex- that each point (each chemical compound) is con- perimental data coming from “Active Physics Ex- nected to any other point through the complexity periments (APEs)” and from “Passive Physics Ex- of the network (Luisi & Capra 2014) exactly the periments (PPEs)”, both ground– and space–based. same occurring in the “cosmic network” where each The APEs try to reproduce in the laboratory the point is connected to any other point through the physical conditions of our Universe at the beginning complexity of the network as shown in Figure 2 of its life and later, while the PPEs try to observe (lower panel) (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/ our Universe after the epoch of recombination, when Cosmologiadelplasma). The large-scale structure the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) gives V Workshop on Robotic Autonomous Observatories (Mazagón, Huelva, Spain, October 16-20, 2017) of the Universe, as traced by the distribution of witness of the conditions of the primeval Universe, galaxies, is now being revealed by large-volume cos- and later—after the epoch of reionization, when the mological surveys. The structure is characterized by first stars appear—for providing information about galaxies distributed along filaments, the filaments the formation of galaxies, “active” and “normal”, Editors: M. D. Caballero García, S. B. Pandey, & A. J. Castro-Tirado - DOI: http://doi.org/10.22201/ia.14052059p.2019.51.14 connecting in turn to form a percolating network. quasars (QSOs), and all the processes giving rise to Shandarin, Habib & Heitmann (2010) objective was Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), stellar evolution and to quantitatively specify the underlying mechanisms Supernovae explosions. These latter phenomena are that drive the formation of the cosmic network. responsible of the injection of heavy elements in the By combining percolation-based analyses with N- interstellar medium, the condition necessary for the body simulations of gravitational structure forma- formation of rocky planets, and thus for the flowering tion, they elucidate how the network has its origin of life. 68 GIOVANNELLI & SABAU-GRAZIATI Before going along the different stages of the evo- Other reactions fundamental for a better knowl- lution of our Universe crossing the Bridge between edge of stellar evolution have been studied by the the Big Bang and Biology we need to review a fun- LUNA experiment: e.g. 17O(p,γ)18F (Scott et damental antecedent: nuclear reactions in stars. al. 2012); 25Mg(p,γ)26Al (Strieder et al. 2012) 25Mg(p,γ)26Al (Straniero et al. 2013); 17O(p,γ)18F 2. NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN STARS (Di Leva et al. 2014). A general data base for Experimental Nuclear If we have not experimental information about Reaction Data (EXFOR) can be found in: https: the cross sections of nuclear reactions occurring in //www-nds.iaea.org/exfor/exfor.htm. the stars it is hard to describe stellar evolution cor- rectly. 3. THE TOOLS FOR EXPLORING THE The knowledge of the cross-sections of nuclear UNIVERSE reactions occurring in stars appears as one of the The Universe manifests not only through elec- most crucial points of all astroparticle physics. Di- tromagnetic radiation but also through astropar- rect measurements of the cross sections of the ticles, including neutrinos, and recently through 3He(4He,γ)7Be and 7Be(p,γ)8Be reactions of the pp gravitational waves. Therefore, multifrequency ob- chain and 14N(p,γ)15O reaction of the CNO-cycle servations, possibly simultaneous, are fundamental allow substantial improvement in our knowledge on in photonic astrophysics, particle astrophysics, and stellar evolution. gravitational wave astrophysics. Wolschin (2003) published a very interesting pa- Thus it is evident the necessity of many kinds per about the history of the “ Thermonuclear Pro- of experiments in different frequency regions. Up- cesses in Stars and Stellar Neutrinos”. stream of this we have to distinguish two great An impressive review about nuclear reactions has classes of experiments: big experiments and small been published by Adelberger et al. (2011). They experiments. summarize and critically evaluate the available data on nuclear fusion cross sections important to energy 3.1. Big experiments generation in the Sun and other hydrogen-burning Several examples of big experiments are: stars and to solar neutrino production. Recom- mended values and uncertainties are provided for a) The Astrometry Mission GAIA (Rix & Bovy key cross sections, and a recommended spectrum 2013) is making the largest, most precise three- is given for 8B solar neutrinos. They also discuss dimensional map of our Galaxy by surveying more opportunities for further increasing the precision of than a thousand million stars. GAIA will monitor key rates, including new facilities, new experimen- each of its target stars about 70 times over a five- tal techniques, and improvements in theory. This year period. It will precisely chart their positions, review, which summarizes the conclusions of a work- distances, movements, and changes in brightness.