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.

Attention:

The NSF Public Access Repository (PAR) system and access will be unavailable from 11:00 PM ET on Friday, July 11 until 2:00 AM ET on Saturday, July 12 due to maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience.


This content will become publicly available on April 1, 2026

Title: The $$^{12}$$C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$O reaction, in the laboratory and in the stars
Abstract The evolutionary path of massive stars begins at helium burning. Energy production for this phase of stellar evolution is dominated by the reaction path 3$$\alpha \rightarrow ^{12}$$ α 12 C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$ ( α , γ ) 16 O and also determines the ratio of$$^{12}$$ 12 C/$$^{16}$$ 16 O in the stellar core. This ratio then sets the evolutionary trajectory as the star evolves towards a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole. Although the reaction rate of the 3$$\alpha $$ α process is relatively well known, since it proceeds mainly through a single narrow resonance in$$^{12}$$ 12 C, that of the$$^{12}$$ 12 C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$ ( α , γ ) 16 O reaction remains uncertain since it is the result of a more difficult to pin down, slowly-varying, portion of the cross section over a strong interference region between the high-energy tails of subthreshold resonances, the low-energy tails of higher-energy broad resonances and direct capture. Experimental measurements of this cross section require herculean efforts, since even at higher energies the cross section remains small and large background sources are often present that require the use of very sensitive experimental methods. Since the$$^{12}$$ 12 C$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{16}$$ ( α , γ ) 16 O reaction has such a strong influence on many different stellar objects, it is also interesting to try to back calculate the required rate needed to match astrophysical observations. This has become increasingly tempting, as the accuracy and precision of observational data has been steadily improving. Yet, the pitfall to this approach lies in the intermediary steps of modeling, where other uncertainties needed to model a star’s internal behavior remain highly uncertain.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2310059
PAR ID:
10590653
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Springer Link
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The European Physical Journal A
Volume:
61
Issue:
4
ISSN:
1434-601X
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract Low-lying states in$$^{54}$$ 54 Cr have been investigated via the$$\alpha $$ α -transfer reaction$$^{50}$$ 50 Ti($$^{7}$$ 7 Li,t) at a bombarding energy of 20 MeV. The exclusive$$\alpha $$ α -transfer channel is separated from other reaction channels through the appropriate energy gate on the complementary particle, triton. Levels of$$^{54}$$ 54 Cr populated exclusively by the$$\alpha $$ α -transfer process could be identified up to$$\approx $$ 5 MeV excitation energy and angular momentum up to$$(8)^{+}$$ ( 8 ) + , by identifying the corresponding known$$\gamma $$ γ -rays. These include multiple low-lying non-yrast 2$$^+$$ + and 4$$^+$$ + states, which would otherwise be unfavorable via fusion evaporation reactions. The feeding-subtracted$$\gamma $$ γ -ray yields have been extracted to estimate the population of various excited states through the transfer process. The measured integrated transfer cross sections for all the observed yrast and non-yrast states are compared with Coupled Channels calculations usingfrescoto extract the$$\alpha $$ α +$$^{50}$$ 50 Ti core spectroscopic factors. For the yrast states, a higher$$\alpha $$ α +core overlap is seen for the$$2^+$$ 2 + and$$4^+$$ 4 + states, while it is seen to be less favorable for the$$6^+$$ 6 + and$$(8)^+$$ ( 8 ) + states when$$\alpha $$ α -transfer is considered to occur predominantly as a direct one-step process to the$$^{50}$$ 50 Ti core ground state. The yrast$$2^+$$ 2 + , and$$4^+$$ 4 + states are predominantly populated by single-step transfer, while for the states with spin$$\ge $$ 5, the possibility of core excitation followed by$$\alpha $$ α -transfer shows a larger$$\alpha $$ α -core overlap. For the non-yrast$$0^+$$ 0 + ,$$2^+$$ 2 + , and$$4^+$$ 4 + states, single-step transfer shows moderate to small$$\alpha $$ α -core overlap. No higher spin non-yrast states are observed. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract The$$^{90}$$ 90 Zr(p,$$\gamma $$ γ )$$^{91}$$ 91 Nb reaction is one of the important reactions in the$$A\approx 90$$ A 90 mass region and part of the nucleosynthesis path responsible for production of$$^{92}$$ 92 Mo during the$$\gamma $$ γ -process. Discrepant data in the literature provide a cross section that varies up to 30% within the Gamow window for the$$^{90}$$ 90 Zr(p,$$\gamma $$ γ )$$^{91}$$ 91 Nb reaction. Thus, the cross section measurements of$$^{90}$$ 90 Zr(p,$$\gamma $$ γ )$$^{91}$$ 91 Nb reaction were revisited using the$$\gamma $$ γ -summing technique. The results are consistent with the lower-value cross sections found in the literature. Based on the new data an updated reaction rate for$$^{90}$$ 90 Zr(p,$$\gamma $$ γ )$$^{91}$$ 91 Nb is provided that is up to 20% higher than that obtained from thenon-smokercode. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract The ALICE Collaboration at the CERN LHC has measured the inclusive production cross section of isolated photons at midrapidity as a function of the photon transverse momentum ($$p_{\textrm{T}}^{\gamma }$$ p T γ ), in Pb–Pb collisions in different centrality intervals, and in pp collisions, at centre-of-momentum energy per nucleon pair of$$\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}~=~5.02$$ s NN = 5.02  TeV. The photon transverse momentum range is between 10–14 and 40–140 GeV/$$c$$ c , depending on the collision system and on the Pb–Pb centrality class. The result extends to lower$$p_{\textrm{T}}^{\gamma }$$ p T γ than previously published results by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the same collision energy. The covered pseudorapidity range is$$|\eta ^{\gamma } | <0.67$$ | η γ | < 0.67 . The isolation selection is based on a charged particle isolation momentum threshold$$p_{\textrm{T}}^\mathrm{iso,~ch} = 1.5$$ p T iso , ch = 1.5  GeV/$$c$$ c within a cone of radii$$R=0.2$$ R = 0.2 and 0.4. The nuclear modification factor is calculated and found to be consistent with unity in all centrality classes, and also consistent with the HG-PYTHIA model, which describes the event selection and geometry biases that affect the centrality determination in peripheral Pb–Pb collisions. The measurement is compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and to the measurements of isolated photons and Z$$^{0}$$ 0 bosons from the CMS experiment, which are all found to be in agreement. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract The production cross section of inclusive isolated photons has been measured by the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC in pp collisions at centre-of-momentum energy of$$\sqrt{s} =13$$ s = 13  TeV collected during the LHC Run 2 data-taking period. The measurement is performed by combining the measurements of the electromagnetic calorimeter EMCal and the central tracking detectors ITS and TPC, covering a pseudorapidity range of$$|\eta ^{\gamma }|<0.67$$ | η γ | < 0.67 and a transverse momentum range of$$7 7 < p T γ < 200 GeV/$$c$$ c . The result extends to lower$$p_\textrm{T}^{\gamma }$$ p T γ and$$x_\textrm{T}^{\gamma } = 2p_\textrm{T}^{\gamma }/\sqrt{s} $$ x T γ = 2 p T γ / s ranges, the lowest$$x_\textrm{T}^{\gamma }$$ x T γ of any isolated photon measurements to date, extending significantly those measured by the ATLAS and CMS experiments towards lower$$p_\textrm{T}^{\gamma }$$ p T γ at the same collision energy with a small overlap between the measurements. The measurement is compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and the results from the ATLAS and CMS experiments as well as with measurements at other collision energies. The measurement and theory prediction are in agreement with each other within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract Schinzel and Wójcik have shown that for every$$\alpha ,\beta \in \mathbb {Q}^{\times }\hspace{0.55542pt}{\setminus }\hspace{1.111pt}\{\pm 1\}$$ α , β Q × \ { ± 1 } , there are infinitely many primespwhere$$v_p(\alpha )=v_p(\beta )=0$$ v p ( α ) = v p ( β ) = 0 and where$$\alpha $$ α and$$\beta $$ β generate the same multiplicative group modp. We prove a weaker result in the same direction for algebraic numbers$$\alpha , \beta $$ α , β . Let$$\alpha , \beta \in \overline{\mathbb {Q}} ^{\times }$$ α , β Q ¯ × , and suppose$$|N_{\mathbb {Q}(\alpha ,\beta )/\mathbb {Q}}(\alpha )|\ne 1$$ | N Q ( α , β ) / Q ( α ) | 1 and$$|N_{\mathbb {Q}(\alpha ,\beta )/\mathbb {Q}}(\beta )|\ne 1$$ | N Q ( α , β ) / Q ( β ) | 1 . Then for some positive integer$$C = C(\alpha ,\beta )$$ C = C ( α , β ) , there are infinitely many prime idealsPof Equation missing<#comment/>where$$v_P(\alpha )=v_P(\beta )=0$$ v P ( α ) = v P ( β ) = 0 and where the group$$\langle \beta \bmod {P}\rangle $$ β mod P is a subgroup of$$\langle \alpha \bmod {P}\rangle $$ α mod P with$$[\langle \alpha \bmod {P}\rangle \,{:}\, \langle \beta \bmod {P}\rangle ]$$ [ α mod P : β mod P ] dividingC. A key component of the proof is a theorem of Corvaja and Zannier bounding the greatest common divisor of shiftedS-units. 
    more » « less