Neutrino induced light element synthesis

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6439736

Hartmann, D H; Mathews, G; Weaver, T A ^[1]; Haxton, W C ^[2]; Woosley, S E ^[3]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
2. Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (USA). Dept. of Physics
3. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA) California Univ., Santa Cruz, CA (USA). Board of Studies in Astronomy and Astrophysics

As the core of a massive star collapses to form a neutron star, the flux of neutrinos in the overlying shells of heavy elements becomes so great that, despite the small cross section, substantial nuclear transmutation is induced. Neutrinos, especially the higher energy {mu}- and {tau}-neutrinos, excite heavy elements and even helium to particle unbound levels. The evaporation of a single neutron or proton, and the back reaction of these nucleons on other species present, significantly alters the outcome of traditional nucleosynthesis calculations leading to a new process: {nu}-nucleosynthesis. The process was first studied by Domogatsky et al. and Woosley. Recent work by Epstein, Colgate, and Haxton and Woosley and Haxton suggested that a large number of elements could owe their existence in nature to {nu}-induced reactions in supernovae. A parametrized study of this process including shock wave propagation was carried out by Woosley et al. for selected zones of a 20 M{sub {circle dot}} star. Here we give preliminary results for a 25 M{sub {circle dot}} star, including all {nu}-reactions in all stellar zones.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (USA). Dept. of Physics
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: FG06-88ER40427
• OSTI ID: 6439736
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/40427-19-N90; CONF-9006212-4; ON: DE91001144; TRN: 90-032819
• Resource Relation: Conference: International symposium on nuclear astrophysics: nuclei in the cosmos, Vienna (Austria), 18-22 Jun 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
NEUTRINO REACTIONS
SUPERNOVAE
NEUTRON STARS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
LEPTON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
STARS
SYNTHESIS
VARIABLE STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
645203 - High Energy Physics- Particle Interactions & Properties-Theoretical- Weak Interactions & Properties