Nuclear Astrophysics with Gamma-ray Beams

Experiments with $\gamma$-ray beams have opened many new opportunities in nuclear astrophysics. They include studies of photonuclear ($\gamma$,p), ($\gamma$,n) and ($\gamma,\alpha$) reactions which play an important role in the large $\gamma$-ray flux during stellar explosions. Furthermore ($\alpha,\gamma$) captures can be investigated through their time-inverse ($\gamma,\alpha$) reactions with much thicker targets and, thus, increased luminosities. I will discuss the experimental program in nuclear astrophysics at HI$\gamma$S, with particular emphasis on the present status and future plans of the $^{12}$C($\alpha,\gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction studies. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics, under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.