User:TRauscher

Just a few words about myself: I am an academic researcher working in the fields of astrophysics, nuclear astrophysics, and related theoretical nuclear physics. I am mainly interested in the synthesis of the chemical elements in various astrophysical environments (big bang, stars, stellar explosions). My studies also involve the impact of nuclear reaction processes on the life of stars (stellar evolution), the change of galactic properties with time (galactical chemical evolution), and the early Universe (cosmology).

Recently (in 2010) I realized that there are some pretty good articles in Wikipedia on Astronomy and Astrophysics but that the field of nucleosynthesis (the origin of the elements) is underrepresented or sometimes even incorrectly presented, despite of big efforts in the research community to popularize the results. I would like to contribute to improving articles on these and related topics (as far as my expertise goes). At least, this is my intention. Since my main job is to do research and to publish highly specialized scientific articles I may be able to contribute only sporadically. Sometimes I may suggest big changes, often perhaps only small improvements.

I am convinced that it is very important to advertize the breadth of current scientific knowledge (and the power of science in general) and to present it in a comprehensible but still accurate(!) manner. Therefore I strongly support the popularization of science, as far as my time allows.