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Title: The nu-process

Abstract

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 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. Modifications to traditional hydrostatic and explosive varieties of helium, carbon, neon, oxygen, and silicon burning are considered. The results show that a large number of rare isotopes, including many of the odd-Z nuclei from boron through copper, owe much of their present abundance in nature to this process. 112 refs.

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Lick Observatory, Santa Cruz, CA (USA) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA (USA) San Francisco State Univ., CA (USA) Washington Univ., Seattle (USA)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6644605
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal; (USA)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 356; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; STARS; NUCLEOSYNTHESIS; CARBON; COSMIC RADIATION; ELEMENT ABUNDANCE; GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE; HELIUM; MASS; NEON; NEUTRINOS; NEUTRON STARS; OXYGEN; SILICON; STAR BURNING; STAR EVOLUTION; SUPERNOVAE; ABUNDANCE; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ELEMENTS; ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS; FERMIONS; FLUIDS; GASES; IONIZING RADIATIONS; LEPTONS; MASSLESS PARTICLES; NONMETALS; RADIATIONS; RARE GASES; SEMIMETALS; SYNTHESIS; VARIABLE STARS; 640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar, Radio & X-Ray Sources

Citation Formats

Woosley, S E, Hartmann, D H, Hoffman, R D, and Haxton, W C. The nu-process. United States: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.1086/168839.
Woosley, S E, Hartmann, D H, Hoffman, R D, & Haxton, W C. The nu-process. United States. https://doi.org/10.1086/168839
Woosley, S E, Hartmann, D H, Hoffman, R D, and Haxton, W C. 1990. "The nu-process". United States. https://doi.org/10.1086/168839.
@article{osti_6644605,
title = {The nu-process},
author = {Woosley, S E and Hartmann, D H and Hoffman, R D and Haxton, W C},
abstractNote = {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 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. Modifications to traditional hydrostatic and explosive varieties of helium, carbon, neon, oxygen, and silicon burning are considered. The results show that a large number of rare isotopes, including many of the odd-Z nuclei from boron through copper, owe much of their present abundance in nature to this process. 112 refs.},
doi = {10.1086/168839},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6644605}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal; (USA)},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = ,
volume = 356,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990},
month = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990}
}