Classical Novae and X-ray Bursts

Explosive hydrogen-rich events such as novae or x-ray bursts are powered by nuclear reactions that occur near or at the proton dripline. These phenomena are some of the most commonly observed explosive stellar events within the galaxy as well as extra-galactically, making them ideal for the comparison between observational data and theoretical models. Though their nucleosynthetic pathways are constrained by the relative proximity of the proton dripline to the valley of terrestrial stability, there are still many unknowns regarding the astrophysical conditions as well as nuclear energetics. In the past several decades, advancements in rare isotope beam production, projectile fragmentation in particular, have allowed the community to experimentally constrain the rates of reactions that occur in novae and x-ray bursts. Concurrently, the vast improvement in computational power has been a game-changer in terms of the fidelity and predictive power of astrophysical models of such events. I will discuss some major achievements in the study of novae and x-ray bursts, outline the current state of knowledge (and lack of knowledge), and present the prospects of the future.