100 research outputs found
Nuclear Masses in Astrophysics
Among all nuclear ground-state properties, atomic masses are highly specific
for each particular combination of N and Z and the data obtained apply to a
variety of physics topics. One of the most crucial questions to be addressed in
mass spectrometry of unstable radionuclides is the one of understanding the
processes of element formation in the Universe. To this end, accurate atomic
mass values of a large number of exotic nuclei participating in nucleosynthesis
are among the key input data in large-scale reaction network calculations. In
this paper, a review on the latest achievements in mass spectrometry for
nuclear astrophysics is given.Comment: Proceedings of the 10th Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos, NIC X -
Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA (10 pages, 4 figures
Explosive hydrogen burning during type I X-ray bursts
Explosive hydrogen burning in type I X-ray bursts (XRBs) comprise charged
particle reactions creating isotopes with masses up to A~100. Since charged
particle reactions in a stellar environment are very temperature sensitive, we
use a realistic time-dependent general relativistic and self-consistent model
of type I x-ray bursts to provide accurate values of the burst temperatures and
densities. This allows a detailed and accurate time-dependent identification of
the reaction flow from the surface layers through the convective region and the
ignition region to the neutron star ocean. Using this, we determine the
relative importance of specific nuclear reactions in the X-ray burst.Comment: 53 pages, 24 figures, submitted to Astrophys.
Heating in the Accreted Neutron Star Ocean: Implications for Superburst Ignition
We perform a self-consistent calculation of the thermal structure in the
crust of a superbursting neutron star. In particular, we follow the
nucleosynthetic evolution of an accreted fluid element from its deposition into
the atmosphere down to a depth where the electron Fermi energy is 20 MeV. We
include temperature-dependent continuum electron capture rates and realistic
sources of heat loss by thermal neutrino emission from the crust and core. We
show that, in contrast to previous calculations, electron captures to excited
states and subsequent gamma-emission significantly reduce the local heat loss
due to weak-interaction neutrinos. Depending on the initial composition these
reactions release up to a factor of 10 times more heat at densities < 10^{11}
g/cc than obtained previously. This heating reduces the ignition depth of
superbursts. In particular, it reduces the discrepancy noted by Cumming et al.
between the temperatures needed for unstable 12C ignition on timescales
consistent with observations and the reduction in crust temperature from Cooper
pair neutrino emission.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, the Astrophysical Journal, in press (scheduled
for v. 662). Revised from v1 in response to referee's comment
Detection of the Second r-process Peak Element Tellurium in Metal-Poor Stars
Using near-ultraviolet spectra obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging
Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope, we detect neutral tellurium in
three metal-poor stars enriched by products of r-process nucleosynthesis, BD+17
3248, HD 108317, and HD 128279. Tellurium (Te, Z=52) is found at the second
r-process peak (A=130) associated with the N=82 neutron shell closure, and it
has not been detected previously in Galactic halo stars. The derived tellurium
abundances match the scaled solar system r-process distribution within the
uncertainties, confirming the predicted second peak r-process residuals. These
results suggest that tellurium is predominantly produced in the main component
of the r-process, along with the rare earth elements.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters (5
pages, 2 figures
New Detections of Arsenic, Selenium, and Other Heavy Elements in Two Metal-Poor Stars
We use the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space
Telescope to obtain new high-quality spectra covering the 1900 to 2360 Angstrom
wavelength range for two metal-poor stars, HD 108317 and HD 128279. We derive
abundances of Cu II, Zn II, As I, Se I, Mo II, and Cd II, which have not been
detected previously in either star. Abundances derived for Ge I, Te I, Os II,
and Pt I confirm those derived from lines at longer wavelengths. We also derive
upper limits from the non-detection of W II, Hg II, Pb II, and Bi I. The mean
[As/Fe] ratio derived from these two stars and five others in the literature is
unchanged over the metallicity range -2.8 = +0.28
+/- 0.14 (std. dev. = 0.36 dex). The mean [Se/Fe] ratio derived from these two
stars and six others in the literature is also constant, = +0.16 +/-
0.09 (std. dev. = 0.26 dex). The As and Se abundances are enhanced relative to
a simple extrapolation of the iron-peak abundances to higher masses, suggesting
that this mass region (75 < A < 82) may be the point at which a different
nucleosynthetic mechanism begins to dominate the quasi-equilibrium alpha-rich
freezeout of the iron peak. = +0.56 +/- 0.23 in HD 108317 and HD
128279, and we infer that lines of Cu I may not be formed in local
thermodynamic equilibrium in these stars. The [Zn/Fe], [Mo/Fe], [Cd/Fe], and
[Os/Fe] ratios are also derived from neutral and ionized species, and each
ratio pair agrees within the mutual uncertainties, which range from 0.15 to
0.52 dex.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 13 pages, 10
figure
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