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Title: Low-energy cross-section measurement of the  B 10 ( α , n ) N 13 reaction and its impact on neutron production in first-generation stars

Abstract

Nucleosynthesis in the first generation of massive stars offers a unique setting to explore the creation of the first heavier nuclei in an environment free of impurities from earlier stellar generations. In later generations of massive stars, hydrogen burning occurs predominantly through the CNO cycles, but without the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to catalyze the reaction sequence, first stars would have to rely on the inefficient pp chains for their energy production. Observations of second and third generation stars show pronounced abundances of carbon and oxygen isotopes, which suggests a rapid conversion of the primordial abundances to heavier elements. While the triple-alpha-process primarily facilitates this conversion, there are alternative reaction sequences, such as 2H(α,γ)6Li(α,γ)10B(α,n)13N, that may play a significant role. To study such alternate reaction pathways for production of carbon and heavier nuclei, a number of new measurements are needed. In this work, new measurements are reported for the 10B(α,n)13N reaction, extending the cross section down to 575 keV incident α-particle energy. The measurements were made using a state-of-the-art deuterated liquid scintillator and a spectrum unfolding technique. An R-matrix analysis was performed in order to facilitate a comparison of the underlying nuclear structure with the reaction measurements. An unexpected upturnmore » is observed in the low-energy S factor that indicates the presence of a new low-energy resonance. Finally, a revised reaction rate is determined that takes into account the present data as well as other previous measurements from the literature that were previously neglected.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [4];  [5];  [6]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [7];  [8];  [1];  [9] more »; ORCiD logo [1] « less
  1. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), Notre Dame, IN (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), Notre Dame, IN (United States); Gran Sasso National Lab. (LNGS), Assergi (Italy)
  4. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), Notre Dame, IN (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  5. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), Notre Dame, IN (United States); Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
  6. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), Notre Dame, IN (United States); Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
  7. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), Notre Dame, IN (United States); Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States)
  8. Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States)
  9. National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Programs (DP)
OSTI Identifier:
1619007
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1601730; OSTI ID: 1755873
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725; Phys-1713857; Phys-0822648; PHY-1430152; NA0003897
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review. C
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 101; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9985
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; evolution of the universe; H & He burning; H & He induced nuclear reactions; resonance reactions; s process; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS

Citation Formats

Liu, Q., Febbraro, M., deBoer, R. J., Aguilar, S., Boeltzig, A., Chen, Y., Couder, M., Görres, J., Lamere, E., Lyons, S., Macon, K. T., Manukyan, K., Morales, L., Pain, S., Peters, W. A., Seymour, C., Seymour, G., Toomey, R., Kolk, B. Vande, Weaver, J., and Wiescher, M. Low-energy cross-section measurement of the  B10(α,n)N13 reaction and its impact on neutron production in first-generation stars. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.101.025808.
Liu, Q., Febbraro, M., deBoer, R. J., Aguilar, S., Boeltzig, A., Chen, Y., Couder, M., Görres, J., Lamere, E., Lyons, S., Macon, K. T., Manukyan, K., Morales, L., Pain, S., Peters, W. A., Seymour, C., Seymour, G., Toomey, R., Kolk, B. Vande, Weaver, J., & Wiescher, M. Low-energy cross-section measurement of the  B10(α,n)N13 reaction and its impact on neutron production in first-generation stars. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.101.025808
Liu, Q., Febbraro, M., deBoer, R. J., Aguilar, S., Boeltzig, A., Chen, Y., Couder, M., Görres, J., Lamere, E., Lyons, S., Macon, K. T., Manukyan, K., Morales, L., Pain, S., Peters, W. A., Seymour, C., Seymour, G., Toomey, R., Kolk, B. Vande, Weaver, J., and Wiescher, M. Wed . "Low-energy cross-section measurement of the  B10(α,n)N13 reaction and its impact on neutron production in first-generation stars". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.101.025808. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1619007.
@article{osti_1619007,
title = {Low-energy cross-section measurement of the  B10(α,n)N13 reaction and its impact on neutron production in first-generation stars},
author = {Liu, Q. and Febbraro, M. and deBoer, R. J. and Aguilar, S. and Boeltzig, A. and Chen, Y. and Couder, M. and Görres, J. and Lamere, E. and Lyons, S. and Macon, K. T. and Manukyan, K. and Morales, L. and Pain, S. and Peters, W. A. and Seymour, C. and Seymour, G. and Toomey, R. and Kolk, B. Vande and Weaver, J. and Wiescher, M.},
abstractNote = {Nucleosynthesis in the first generation of massive stars offers a unique setting to explore the creation of the first heavier nuclei in an environment free of impurities from earlier stellar generations. In later generations of massive stars, hydrogen burning occurs predominantly through the CNO cycles, but without the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to catalyze the reaction sequence, first stars would have to rely on the inefficient pp chains for their energy production. Observations of second and third generation stars show pronounced abundances of carbon and oxygen isotopes, which suggests a rapid conversion of the primordial abundances to heavier elements. While the triple-alpha-process primarily facilitates this conversion, there are alternative reaction sequences, such as 2H(α,γ)6Li(α,γ)10B(α,n)13N, that may play a significant role. To study such alternate reaction pathways for production of carbon and heavier nuclei, a number of new measurements are needed. In this work, new measurements are reported for the 10B(α,n)13N reaction, extending the cross section down to 575 keV incident α-particle energy. The measurements were made using a state-of-the-art deuterated liquid scintillator and a spectrum unfolding technique. An R-matrix analysis was performed in order to facilitate a comparison of the underlying nuclear structure with the reaction measurements. An unexpected upturn is observed in the low-energy S factor that indicates the presence of a new low-energy resonance. Finally, a revised reaction rate is determined that takes into account the present data as well as other previous measurements from the literature that were previously neglected.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevC.101.025808},
journal = {Physical Review. C},
number = 2,
volume = 101,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Feb 26 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Wed Feb 26 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}

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