The p-process in exploding massive stars

The p-process has been studied by now in a quite large variety of astrophysical situations. This review concerns the p-nuclidic yields from the explosion of massive stars either as SNII, or as pair-creation supernovae. The nucleosynthetic predictions rely on detailed stellar models, on quantitative p-process process seed abundances, as well as on extended nuclear reaction networks. The impact of some key nuclear physics and astrophysics uncertainties on the p-process yields is also investigated. In addition, a first quantitative evaluation of the metallicity dependence of the amount of ejected p-nuclides is provided by the study of SN1987A. This represents the first step in the construction of a reliable model for the evolution of the galactic content of the p-nuclides. Our predictions are confronted with the bulk solar system composition, as well as with isotopic anomalies attributed to p-nuclides observed in various meteoritic materials. The possibility of developing a p-process chronometry on the short-lived radionuclides Nb-92 and Sm-146 that are inferred to have been present in the early solar system is also briefly discussed.