Gamow-Teller strength distributions in astrophysics

The calculation of the weak interaction rates of nuclei in hot and dense stellar environments is briefly discussed in this paper, with emphasis on the role of Gamow-Teller strength distributions. The discussion is focused on the importance of electron capture reactions on neutron-rich nuclei during the collapse of a pre-supernova stellar core. The results of shell model calculations of Gamow-Teller strength distributions for electron capture reactions on the ground and first excited states for 56Fe, 60Fe and 64Fe are presented and implications for future work in nuclear physics and the supernova core collapse problem are discussed