skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Screening Effects on Electron-Capture Rates and Type Ia Supernova Nucleosynthesis
Nucleosynthesis of iron-group elements in Type Ia supernovae is studied for single-degenerate models with the use of electron-capture rates updated with the new shell-model Hamiltonian in pf -shell. An over-production problem of neutron-rich iron-group isotopes compared with the solar abundances is now found to be suppressed within a factor of about twice for the updated weak rates. Effects of screening on nucleosynthesis are investigated for explosion models of fast deflagration and slow deflagration with delayed detonation. The e-capture rates are reduced by the screening, especially by the screening effects on the ions. The production yields of most neutron-rich isotopes such as 50 Ti, 54 Cr and 58 Fe are found to be suppressed most by the screening. The inclusion of the screening is desirable for precise evaluation of abundances of neutron-rich nuclides.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1927130
PAR ID:
10358514
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Editor(s):
Liu, W.; Wang, Y.; Guo, B.; Tang, X.; Zeng, S.
Date Published:
Journal Name:
EPJ Web of Conferences
Volume:
260
ISSN:
2100-014X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
06004
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ABSTRACT The origin of the proton-rich trans-iron isotopes in the Solar system is still uncertain. Single-degenerate thermonuclear supernovae (SNIa) with n-capture nucleosynthesis seeds assembled in the external layers of the progenitor’s rapidly accreting white dwarf (RAWD) phase may produce these isotopes. We calculate the stellar structure of the accretion phase of five white dwarf (WD) models with initial masses ≥ 0.85 $$\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$$ using the stellar code mesa The near-surface layers of the 1, 1.26, 1.32 and 1.38 $$\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$$ models are most representative of the regions in which the bulk of the p nuclei are produced during SNIa explosions, and for these models we also calculate the neutron-capture nucleosynthesis in the external layers. Contrary to previous RAWD models at lower mass, we find that the H-shell flashes are the main site of n-capture nucleosynthesis. We find high neutron densities up to several 1015 cm−3 in the most massive WDs. Through the recurrence of the H-shell flashes these intermediate neutron densities can be sustained effectively for a long time leading to high-neutron exposures with a strong production up to Pb. Both the neutron density and the neutron exposure increase with increasing the mass of the accreting WD. Finally, the SNIa nucleosynthesis is calculated using the obtained abundances as seeds. We obtain solar to supersolar abundances for p-nuclei with A > 96. Our models show that SNIa are a viable p-process production site. 
    more » « less
  2. Context. The γ -process nucleosynthesis in core-collapse supernovae is generally accepted as a feasible process for the synthesis of neutron-deficient isotopes beyond iron. However, crucial discrepancies between theory and observations still exist: the average yields of γ -process nucleosynthesis from massive stars are still insufficient to reproduce the solar distribution in galactic chemical evolution calculations, and the yields of the Mo and Ru isotopes are a factor of ten lower than the yields of the other γ -process nuclei. Aims. We investigate the γ -process in five sets of core-collapse supernova models published in the literature with initial masses of 15, 20, and 25 M ⊙ at solar metallicity. Methods. We compared the γ -process overproduction factors from the different models. To highlight the possible effect of nuclear physics input, we also considered 23 ratios of two isotopes close to each other in mass relative to their solar values. Further, we investigated the contribution of C–O shell mergers in the supernova progenitors as an additional site of the γ -process. Results. Our analysis shows that a large scatter among the different models exists for both the γ -process integrated yields and the isotopic ratios. We find only ten ratios that agree with their solar values, all the others differ by at least a factor of three from the solar values in all the considered sets of models. The γ -process within C–O shell mergers mostly influences the isotopic ratios that involve intermediate and heavy proton-rich isotopes with A  > 100. Conclusions. We conclude that there are large discrepancies both among the different data sets and between the model predictions and the solar abundance distribution. More calculations are needed; particularly updating the nuclear network, because the majority of the models considered in this work do not use the latest reaction rates for the γ -process nucleosynthesis. Moreover, the role of C–O shell mergers requires further investigation. 
    more » « less
  3. null (Ed.)
    ABSTRACT The abundances of neutron (n)-capture elements in the carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP)-r/s stars agree with predictions of intermediate n-density nucleosynthesis, at Nn ∼ 1013–1015 cm−3, in rapidly accreting white dwarfs (RAWDs). We have performed Monte Carlo simulations of this intermediate-process (i-process) nucleosynthesis to determine the impact of (n,γ) reaction rate uncertainties of 164 unstable isotopes, from 131I to 189Hf, on the predicted abundances of 18 elements from Ba to W. The impact study is based on two representative one-zone models with constant values of Nn = 3.16 × 1014 and 3.16 × 1013 cm−3 and on a multizone model based on a realistic stellar evolution simulation of He-shell convection entraining H in a RAWD model with [Fe/H] = −2.6. For each of the selected elements, we have identified up to two (n,γ) reactions having the strongest correlations between their rate variations constrained by Hauser–Feshbach computations and the predicted abundances, with the Pearson product–moment correlation coefficients |rP| > 0.15. We find that the discrepancies between the predicted and observed abundances of Ba and Pr in the CEMP-i star CS 31062−050 are significantly diminished if the rate of 137Cs(n,γ)138Cs is reduced and the rates of 141Ba(n,γ)142Ba or 141La(n,γ)142La increased. The uncertainties of temperature-dependent β-decay rates of the same unstable isotopes have a negligible effect on the predicted abundances. One-zone Monte Carlo simulations can be used instead of computationally time-consuming multizone Monte Carlo simulations in reaction rate uncertainty studies if they use comparable values of Nn. We discuss the key challenges that RAWD simulations of i process for CEMP-i stars meet by contrasting them with recently published low-Z asymptotic giant branch (AGB) i process. 
    more » « less
  4. null (Ed.)
    The composition of the early Solar System can be inferred from meteorites. Many elements heavier than iron were formed by the rapid neutron capture process (r-process), but the astrophysical sources where this occurred remain poorly understood. We demonstrate that the near-identical half-lives ( ≃ 15.6  million years ) of the radioactive r-process nuclei iodine-129 and curium-247 preserve their ratio, irrespective of the time between production and incorporation into the Solar System. We constrain the last r-process source by comparing the measured meteoritic ratio 129 I/ 247 Cm = 438 ± 184 with nucleosynthesis calculations based on neutron star merger and magneto-rotational supernova simulations. Moderately neutron-rich conditions, often found in merger disk ejecta simulations, are most consistent with the meteoritic value. Uncertain nuclear physics data limit our confidence in this conclusion. 
    more » « less
  5. The heaviest chemical elements are naturally produced by the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) during neutron star mergers or supernovae. Ther-process production of elements heavier than uranium (transuranic nuclei) is poorly understood and inaccessible to experiments so must be extrapolated by using nucleosynthesis models. We examined element abundances in a sample of stars that are enhanced inr-process elements. The abundances of elements ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, and silver (atomic numbersZ= 44 to 47; mass numbersA= 99 to 110) correlate with those of heavier elements (63 ≤Z≤ 78,A> 150). There is no correlation for neighboring elements (34 ≤Z≤ 42 and 48 ≤Z≤ 62). We interpret this as evidence that fission fragments of transuranic nuclei contribute to the abundances. Our results indicate that neutron-rich nuclei with mass numbers >260 are produced inr-process events. 
    more » « less