Examination of the role of the O 14 (α,p) F 17 reaction rate in type-I x-ray bursts

J. Hu, J. J. He, A. Parikh, S. W. Xu, H. Yamaguchi, D. Kahl, P. Ma, J. Su, H. W. Wang, T. Nakao, Y. Wakabayashi, T. Teranishi, K. I. Hahn, J. Y. Moon, H. S. Jung, T. Hashimoto, A. A. Chen, D. Irvine, C. S. Lee, S. Kubono

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18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The O14(α,p)F17 reaction is one of the key reactions involved in the breakout from the hot-CNO cycle to the rp-process in type-I x-ray bursts (XRBs). The resonant properties in the compound nucleus Ne18 have been investigated through resonant elastic scattering of F17+p. The radioactive F17 beam was separated by the Center for Nuclear Study radioactive ion beam separator (CRIB) and bombarded a thick H2 gas target at 3.6 MeV/nucleon. The recoiling light particles were measured by three ΔE-E silicon telescopes at laboratory angles of θlab≈3 10 and 18 Five resonances at Ex=6.15, 6.28, 6.35, 6.85, and 7.05 MeV were observed in the excitation functions, and their spin-parities have been determined based on an R-matrix analysis. In particular, Jπ=1- was firmly assigned to the 6.15-MeV state which dominates the thermonuclear O14(α,p)F17 rate below 2 GK. As well, a possible new excited state in Ne18 was observed at Ex=6.85±0.11 MeV with tentative J=0 assignment. This state could be the analog state of the 6.880 MeV (0-) level in the mirror nucleus O18, or a bandhead state (0+) of the six-particle four-hole (6p-4h) band. A new thermonuclear O14(α,p)F17 rate has been determined, and the astrophysical impact of multiple recent rates has been examined using an XRB model. Contrary to previous expectations, we find only a modest impact on predicted nuclear energy generation rates from using reaction rates differing by up to several orders of magnitude.

Original languageEnglish
Article number025803
JournalPhysical Review C - Nuclear Physics
Volume90
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 12 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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