The first direct measurement of ¹²C (¹²C,n) ²³Mg at stellar energies

Bucher, B.; Tang, X. D.; Fang, X.; Heger, A.; Alamaraz-Calderon, S.; Alongi, A.; Ayangeakaa, A. D.; Beard, M.; Best, A.; Browne, J.; Cahillane, C.; Couder, M.; deBoer, R. J.; Kontos, A.; Lamm, L.; Li, Y. J.; Long, A.; Lu, W.; Lyons, S.; Notani, M.; Patel, D.; Paul, N.; Pignatari, M.; Roberts, A.; Robertson, D.; Smith, K.; Stech, E.; Talwar, R.; Tan, W. P.; Wiescher, M.; Woosley, S. E.

Abstract

Neutrons produced by the carbon fusion reaction ¹²C(¹²C,n)²³Mg play an important role in stellar nucleosynthesis. However, past studies have shown large discrepancies between experimental data and theory, leading to an uncertain cross section extrapolation at astrophysical energies. We present the first direct measurement that extends deep into the astrophysical energy range along with a new and improved extrapolation technique based on experimental data from the mirror reaction ¹²C(¹²C,p)²³Na. The new reaction rate has been determined with a well-defined uncertainty that exceeds the precision required by astrophysics models. Using our constrained rate, we find that ¹²C(¹²C,n)²³Mg is crucial to the production of Na and Al in Pop-III Pair Instability Supernovae. It also plays a non-negligible role in the production of weak s-process elements as well as in the production of the important galactic

Citation

Bucher, B., Tang, X. D., Fang, X., Heger, A., Alamaraz-Calderon, S., Alongi, A., …Woosley, S. E. (2015). The first direct measurement of ¹²C (¹²C,n) ²³Mg at stellar energies. Physical review letters, 114(25), 251102. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.251102

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 20, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Jun 25, 2015
• Publication Date: Jun 25, 2015
• Deposit Date: Nov 12, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 23, 2017
• Journal: Physical review letters
• Print ISSN: 0031-9007
• Electronic ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 114
• Issue: 25
• Article Number: ARTN 251102
• Pages: 251102
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.251102
• Keywords: Stellar energies
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/381267
• Publisher URL: http://journals.aps.org/prl/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.251102
• Additional Information: This is the Author Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Physical review letters, 2015, v.114.