Stan Woosley's research centers on theoretical high-energy astrophysics, especially violent explosive events such as
supernovae and
gamma ray bursts. A supernova occurs when the core of a star collapses under the
gravitational force of its own
mass. The resulting explosion can be as bright as an entire
galaxy, releasing immense amounts of energy. The explosion also spews into space all of the
chemical elements forged by
nuclear fusion reactions during the life of a
star and some that are formed during the explosion itself. These materials may then contribute to the formation of new stars and planets. Woosley's research projects include simulating the
evolution of stars 8 to 50 times the mass of the sun, in an attempt to explain how elements like
oxygen and
iron are formed. According to Woosley's
collapsar model, gamma-ray bursts arise from the collapse of stars that are too massive to successfully explode as supernovae. Instead, they result in a
hypernova, which produce
black holes. Woosley is also co-investigator on the
High Energy Transient Explorer-2, a satellite dedicated to the study of gamma-ray bursts, launched by
NASA in 2000, and is involved in planning NASA's other missions for
gamma-ray astronomy. ==Awards==