To understand the origin of the chemical elements is one of the biggest challenges in science. N

Nuclear physics research has provided a broad picture of element creation, but many holes in that picture remain. We still do not know the main astrophysical site for nucleosynthesis of heavy elements. Possible scenarios include supernovae explosions and merging

neutron stars. The latter events are also sources of gravitational waves that may provide useful information about element creation. Many questions about element creation will be addressed on the international stage by a new generation of nuclear research facilities such as FRIB, FAIR, HIE-ISOLDE and RIBF-RIKEN.

In these facilities, the properties of atomic nuclei of great relevance or galactic chemical evolution will be probed with nuclear reactions. Rapid neutron capture reactions, which occur in stellar plasma environments, is the key process (r-process) driven the formation of elements heavier than iron. This project aims at describing neutron-capture reactions using a quantum dynamical reaction framework.

It will be based on LindbladÂs theory for open quantum systems, incorporating nuclear structure information

extracted from the energy density functional theory. Theoretical calculations of neutron capture cross sections will be compared with those from existing statistical nuclear reaction models as well as experimental data. Both thermal and atomic effects on the neutron capture process will be addressed