Surrogate Nuclear Reactions and the origin of the heavy elements

An innovative method for indirectly determining reaction cross sections via Surrogate Nuclear Reactions is presented. Exploring indirect approaches for obtaining reaction cross sections is important since a large number of nuclear reactions relevant to astrophysics cannot be measured with currently available techniques. A program is outlined for developing a comprehensive framework for planing and interpreting experiments that can yield the cross sections of interest. The applications will focus on reactions involving unstable nuclei that play a key role in the production of the elements between iron and uranium.