Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process

Bishop, J.; Parker, C. E.; Rogachev, G. V.; Ahn, S.; Koshchiy, E.; Brandenburg, K.; Brune, C. R.; Charity, R. J.; Derkin, J.; Dronchi, N.; Hamad, G.; Jones-Alberty, Y.; Kokalova, Tz.; Massey, T. N.; Meisel, Z.; Ohstrom, E. V.; Paneru, S. N.; Pollacco, E. C.; Saxena, M.; Singh, N.; Smith, R.; Sobotka, L. G.; Soltesz, D.; Subedi, S. K.; Voinov, A. V.; Warren, J.; Wheldon, C.

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-29848-7

Title: Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process

Abstract

Abstract The neutron inelastic scattering of carbon-12, populating the Hoyle state, is a reaction of interest for the triple-alpha process. The inverse process (neutron upscattering) can enhance the Hoyle state’s decay rate to the bound states of ¹² C, effectively increasing the overall triple-alpha reaction rate. The cross section of this reaction is impossible to measure experimentally but has been determined here at astrophysically-relevant energies using detailed balance. Using a highly-collimated monoenergetic beam, here we measure neutrons incident on the Texas Active Target Time Projection Chamber (TexAT TPC) filled with CO ₂ gas, we measure the 3 α -particles (arising from the decay of the Hoyle state following inelastic scattering) and a cross section is extracted. Here we show the neutron-upscattering enhancement is observed to be much smaller than previously expected. The importance of the neutron-upscattering enhancement may therefore not be significant aside from in very particular astrophysical sites (e.g. neutron star mergers).

Authors:

;

; Brandenburg, K.;

;

; Derkin, J.; Dronchi, N.; Hamad, G.; Jones-Alberty, Y.;

; Massey, T. N.; Meisel, Z.; Ohstrom, E. V.;

; Pollacco, E. C.; Saxena, M.; Singh, N. more »

Publication Date:: Wed Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2022

Research Org.:: Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States); Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United States); Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF); Nuclear Solutions Institute; Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

OSTI Identifier:: 1864069

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1904601

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-87ER40316; FG02-88ER40387; FG02-93ER40773; NA0003841; NA0003883; NA0003909; SC0019042; ST/N00244X/1; PHY-1430152

Resource Type:: Published Article

Journal Name:: Nature Communications

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Volume: 13 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing Group

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

Subject:: 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; laboratory astrophysics; nuclear astrophysics

Citation Formats


                    Bishop, J., Parker, C. E., Rogachev, G. V., Ahn, S., Koshchiy, E., Brandenburg, K., Brune, C. R., Charity, R. J., Derkin, J., Dronchi, N., Hamad, G., Jones-Alberty, Y., Kokalova, Tz., Massey, T. N., Meisel, Z., Ohstrom, E. V., Paneru, S. N., Pollacco, E. C., Saxena, M., Singh, N., Smith, R., Sobotka, L. G., Soltesz, D., Subedi, S. K., Voinov, A. V., Warren, J., and Wheldon, C. Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process.  United Kingdom: N. p., 2022. 
Web.  doi:10.1038/s41467-022-29848-7.

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                    Bishop, J., Parker, C. E., Rogachev, G. V., Ahn, S., Koshchiy, E., Brandenburg, K., Brune, C. R., Charity, R. J., Derkin, J., Dronchi, N., Hamad, G., Jones-Alberty, Y., Kokalova, Tz., Massey, T. N., Meisel, Z., Ohstrom, E. V., Paneru, S. N., Pollacco, E. C., Saxena, M., Singh, N., Smith, R., Sobotka, L. G., Soltesz, D., Subedi, S. K., Voinov, A. V., Warren, J., & Wheldon, C. Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process.  United Kingdom.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29848-7

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                    Bishop, J., Parker, C. E., Rogachev, G. V., Ahn, S., Koshchiy, E., Brandenburg, K., Brune, C. R., Charity, R. J., Derkin, J., Dronchi, N., Hamad, G., Jones-Alberty, Y., Kokalova, Tz., Massey, T. N., Meisel, Z., Ohstrom, E. V., Paneru, S. N., Pollacco, E. C., Saxena, M., Singh, N., Smith, R., Sobotka, L. G., Soltesz, D., Subedi, S. K., Voinov, A. V., Warren, J., and Wheldon, C. Wed .  
"Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process".  United Kingdom.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29848-7.

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@article{osti_1864069,

  title        = {Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process},

  author       = {Bishop, J. and Parker, C. E. and Rogachev, G. V. and Ahn, S. and Koshchiy, E. and Brandenburg, K. and Brune, C. R. and Charity, R. J. and Derkin, J. and Dronchi, N. and Hamad, G. and Jones-Alberty, Y. and Kokalova, Tz. and Massey, T. N. and Meisel, Z. and Ohstrom, E. V. and Paneru, S. N. and Pollacco, E. C. and Saxena, M. and Singh, N. and Smith, R. and Sobotka, L. G. and Soltesz, D. and Subedi, S. K. and Voinov, A. V. and Warren, J. and Wheldon, C.},

  abstractNote = {Abstract The neutron inelastic scattering of carbon-12, populating the Hoyle state, is a reaction of interest for the triple-alpha process. The inverse process (neutron upscattering) can enhance the Hoyle state’s decay rate to the bound states of 12 C, effectively increasing the overall triple-alpha reaction rate. The cross section of this reaction is impossible to measure experimentally but has been determined here at astrophysically-relevant energies using detailed balance. Using a highly-collimated monoenergetic beam, here we measure neutrons incident on the Texas Active Target Time Projection Chamber (TexAT TPC) filled with CO 2 gas, we measure the 3 α -particles (arising from the decay of the Hoyle state following inelastic scattering) and a cross section is extracted. Here we show the neutron-upscattering enhancement is observed to be much smaller than previously expected. The importance of the neutron-upscattering enhancement may therefore not be significant aside from in very particular astrophysical sites (e.g. neutron star mergers).},

  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-022-29848-7},

  journal      = {Nature Communications},

  number       = 1,

  volume       = 13,

  place        = {United Kingdom},

  year         = {Wed Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2022},

  month        = {Wed Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2022}

}

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Title: Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process

Abstract

Citation Formats

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