Exotic beams and nuclear structure in the A=80 region of nuclei

The A = 80 mass region has become the focus of both experimental and theoretical efforts in nuclear physics due to a variety of reasons from the development of radioactive ion beams, to studies of nuclear superdeformation, and to nucleosynthesis processes in astrophysics. We have applied a phenomenological valence correlation scheme that had been successful in the description of heavy nuclei to this mass region for the first time. The results have been used to make preliminary predictions for the structure and masses of nuclei that are presently unknown in the laboratory. These predictions will be used as input into astrophysical network codes to determine the precise path of the astrophysical rp-process.