4,002 research outputs found
The Importance of Parity-Dependence of the Nuclear Level Density in the Prediction of Astrophysical Reaction Rates
A simple description for obtaining the parity distribution of nuclear levels
in the pf + g9/2 shell as a function of excitation energy was recently derived.
We implement this in a global nuclear level density model. In the framework of
the statistical model, cross sections and astrophysical reaction rates are
calculated in the Fe region and compared to rates obtained with the common
assumption of an equal distribution of parities. We find considerable
differences, especially for reactions involving particles in the exit channel.Comment: 4 pages, to appear in the proceedings of CGS11 (Prague), World
Scientifi
Coulomb suppression of the stellar enhancement factor
It is commonly assumed that reaction measurements for astrophysics should be
preferably performed in the direction of positive Q value to minimize the
impact of the stellar enhancement factor, i.e. the difference between the
laboratory rate and the actual stellar rate. We show that the stellar effects
can be minimized in the charged particle channel, even when the reaction Q
value is negative. As a demonstration, the cross section of the astrophysically
relevant 85Rb(p,n)85Sr reaction has been measured by activation between 2.16 <
Ec.m. < 3.96 MeV and the astrophysical reaction rate for (p,n) as well as (n,p)
is directly inferred from the data. The presented arguments are also relevant
for other alpha and proton-induced reactions in the p and rp processes.
Additionally, our results confirm a previously derived modification of a global
optical proton potential.Comment: submitted to PR
Measurement of (α,n) reaction cross sections of erbium isotopes for testing astrophysical rate predictions
Date of Acceptance: 30/01/2015The γ-process in core-collapse and/or type Ia supernova explosions is thought to explain the origin of the majority of the so-called p nuclei (the 35 proton-rich isotopes between Se and Hg). Reaction rates for γ-process reaction network studies have to be predicted using Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations. Recent investigations have shown problems in the prediction of α-widths at astrophysical energies which are an essential input for the statistical model. It has an impact on the reliability of abundance predictions in the upper mass range of the p nuclei. With the measurement of the 164,166Er(α,n)167,169Yb reaction cross sections at energies close to the astrophysically relevant energy range we tested the recently suggested low energy modification of the α+nucleus optical potential in a mass region where γ-process calculations exhibit an underproduction of the p nuclei. Using the same optical potential for the α-width which was derived from combined 162Er(α,n) and 162Er(α,γ) measurement makes it plausible that a low-energy modification of the optical α+nucleus potential is needed.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio
70Ge(p,gamma)71As and 76Ge(p,n)76As cross sections for the astrophysical p process: sensitivity of the optical proton potential at low energies
The cross sections of the 70Ge(p,gamma)71As and 76Ge(p,n)76As reactions have
been measured with the activation method in the Gamow window for the
astrophysical p process. The experiments were carried out at the Van de Graaff
and cyclotron accelerators of ATOMKI. The cross sections have been derived by
measuring the decay gamma-radiation of the reaction products. The results are
compared to the predictions of Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations
using the code NON-SMOKER. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental
S factors is found. Based on the new data, modifications of the optical
potential used for low-energy protons are discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Parity-Dependence in the Nuclear Level Density
Astrophysical reaction rates are sensitive to the parity distribution at low
excitation energies. We combine a formula for the energy-dependent parity
distribution with a microscopic-macroscopic nuclear level density. This
approach describes well the transition from low excitation energies, where a
single parity dominates, to high excitations where the two densities are equal.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; contribution to Nuclei In The Cosmos VIII, to
appear in Nucl. Phys.
Abundance Uncertainties Obtained With the PizBuin Framework For Monte Carlo Reaction Rate Variations
Uncertainties in nucleosynthesis models originating from uncertainties in
astrophysical reaction rates were estimated in a Monte Carlo variation
procedure. Thousands of rates were simultaneously varied within individual,
temperature-dependent errors to calculate their combined effect on final
abundances. After a presentation of the method, results from application to
three different nucleosynthesis processes are shown: the -process and
the s-process in massive stars, and the main s-process in AGB stars
(preliminary results). Thermal excitation of nuclei in the stellar plasma and
the combined action of several reactions increase the final uncertainties above
the level of the experimental errors. The total uncertainty, on the other hand,
remains within a factor of two even in processes involving a large number of
unmeasured rates, with some notable exceptions for nuclides whose production is
spread over several stellar layers and for s-process branchings.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; Proceedings of OMEG 2017, Daejeon, Korea, June
27-30, 2017; to appear in AIP Conf. Pro
Uncertainties in the production of p nuclei in massive stars obtained from Monte Carlo variations
T. Rauscher, N. Nishimura, R. Hirschi, G. Cescutti, A. St. J. Murphy and A. Heger, âUncertainties in the production of p nuclei in massive stars obtained from Monte Carlo variationsâ, MNRAS Vol 463( 4 ): 4153-4166, first published online on 8 September 2016, the version of record is available online via doi:10.1093/mnras/stw2266 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.Nuclear uncertainties in the production of nuclei in massive stars have been quantified in a Monte Carlo procedure. Bespoke temperature-dependent uncertainties were assigned to different types of reactions involving nuclei from Fe to Bi. Their simultaneous impact was studied in postprocessing explosive trajectories for three different stellar models. It was found that the grid of mass zones in the model of a 25 star, which is widely used for investigations of nucleosynthesis, is too crude to properly resolve the detailed temperature changes required for describing the production of nuclei. Using models with finer grids for 15 and 25 stars with initial solar metallicity, it was found that most of the production uncertainties introduced by nuclear reaction uncertainties are smaller than a factor of two. Since a large number of rates were varied at the same time in the Monte Carlo procedure, possible cancellation effects of several uncertainties could be taken into account. Key rates were identified for each nucleus, which provide the dominant contribution to the production uncertainty. These key rates were found by examining correlations between rate variations and resulting abundance changes. This method is superior to studying flow patterns, especially when the flows are complex, and to individual, sequential variation of a few rates.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
Neutron-induced astrophysical reaction rates for translead nuclei
Neutron-induced reaction rates, including fission, are calculated in the
temperature range 1.d8 <T (K) < 1.d10 within the framework of the statistical
model for targets with atomic number 83 < Z < 119 (from Po to Uuo) from the
neutron to the proton drip-line. Four sets of rates have been calculated,
utilizing - where possible - consistent nuclear data for neutron separation
energies and fission barriers from Thomas-Fermi (TF), Extended Thomas-Fermi
plus Strutinsky Integral (ETFSI), Finite-Range Droplet Model (FRDM) and
Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov (HFB) predictions. Tables of calculated values as well
as analytic seven parameter fits in the standard REACLIB format are supplied.
We also discuss the sensitivity of the rates to the input, aiming at a better
understanding of the uncertainties introduced by the nuclear input.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables in paper, 2 in Annex and online tables
example
Alpha Clustering and the stellar nucleosynthesis of carbon
The astrophysical S--factor and reaction rates for the triple--alpha process
are calculated in the direct--capture model. It is shown that the stellar
carbon production is extremely sensitive to small variations in the N--N
interaction.Comment: 2 pages LaTe
Low-lying dipole response in the Relativistic Quasiparticle Time Blocking Approximation and its influence on neutron capture cross sections
We have computed dipole strength distributions for nickel and tin isotopes
within the Relativistic Quasiparticle Time Blocking approximation (RQTBA).
These calculations provide a good description of data, including the
neutron-rich tin isotopes Sn. The resulting dipole strengths have
been implemented in Hauser-Feshbach calculations of astrophysical neutron
capture rates relevant for r-process nucleosynthesis studies. The RQTBA
calculations show the presence of enhanced dipole strength at energies around
the neutron threshold for neutron rich nuclei. The computed neutron capture
rates are sensitive to the fine structure of the low lying dipole strength,
which emphasizes the importance of a reliable knowledge of this excitation
mode.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, Accepted in Nucl. Phys.
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