A physicist has landed a bumper government grant to help unravel the secrets of the stars.

Professor Alison Bruce has received £500,000 towards her research into the creation of chemical elements.

Her team will be paying special attention to the chemical reactions that take place within exploding stars.

The grant is part of a £10 million injection of funds from the Science and Technology Facilities Council - money aimed at pushing Britain to the forefront of new scientific discoveries.

Prof Bruce, from the University of Brighton's School of Environment and Technology, said: “We've been working so hard and this is such a relief.

“We'll be studying neutron-rich nuclei at their extremes. This money will allow our research team to make a major impact.”

The knowledge gained from her work could have wide ranging benefits beyond astrophysics. It could help to improve our environment, sharpen imaging for use in hospitals and even assist in the fight against terrorism.

She explained: “We are developing new detector rays to study tiny particles in space but these rays could also be used for the detection of hazardous radioactive material in public places.

“We could also discover an viable method of breaking down high-level radioactive waste into a substance that will decay much quicker.”

The Brighton team will be a part of an international collaboration called NuStar (Nuclear Structure Astrophysics and Reactions).

Much of their research will be conducted in a one billion euro nuclear physics facility to be built in Darmstadt, Germany.

The funding will allow Britain to play a significant role in designing and building equipment for the new project.

Prof Bruce said: “The research will enhance Brighton's capabilities in terms of producing more PhD graduates. We're not bit-part players any more, we're leaders.

“Clearly the technology council believes that we can deliver. It's up to us now to get some results.”