Influence of light neutron-rich exotic nuclei in deciding abundance patterns relevant for explosive nucleosynthesis

Abstract

Exotic neutron-rich nuclei play an important role in r-process nucleosynthesis. We study the effect of including proper nuclear structure to calculate neutron capture and photodisintegration rates, especially for 19C and 20N, under the aegis of post-form distorted wave Born approximation (FRDWBA). Considering a network of neutron-rich C–N–O isotopes, we show the effect on abundance calculations in a neutrino-driven wind environment of a core-collapse supernova at two critical temperatures T 9 = 3.4 and 0.62. The results are compared for nuclear physics inputs sourced from the FRDWBA, statistical estimates, and standard databases. At temperatures T 9 = 3.4, where alpha capture, or at T 9 = 0.62, where the neutron capture dominates, one can distinguish the effect of accounting for the exotic nature of the nuclei involved. Furthermore, we assess the impact of varying neutron capture and photodisintegration rates involving halo or bubble structures on the abundances within the network.