Astrophysical Sites Research Articles

THEs-PROCESS IN ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS OF LOW METALLICITY AND THE COMPOSITION OF CARBON-ENHANCED METAL-POOR STARS

We present models for the slow neutron-capture process (s process) in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars of metallicity [Fe/H]=-2.3 and masses 0.9 Msun to 6 Msun. We encountered different regimes of neutron-capture nucleosynthesis increasing in importance as the stellar mass decreases: the 22Ne(alpha,n)25Mg reaction activated during the thermal pulses, the 13C(alpha,n)16O reaction activated in radiative conditions during the interpulse periods, and the 13C(alpha,n)16O reaction activated during the thermal pulses, also as a result of mild proton ingestion episodes. The models where the 13C burns radiatively (masses ~ 2 Msun) produce an overall good match to carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars showing s-process enhancements (CEMP-s), except they produce too much Na and F. On the other hand, none of our models can provide a match to the composition of CEMP stars also showing rapid-process enhancements (CEMP-s/r). The models fail to reproduce the observed Eu abundances, and they also fail to reproduce the correlation between the Eu and Ba abundances. They also cannot match the ratio of heavy to light s-process elements observed in many CEMP-s/r stars, which can be more than ten times higher than in the solar system. To explain the composition of CEMP-s/r stars we need to invoke the existence of a different "s/r" neutron-capture process either with features in-between the s and the r processes, or generated by superpositions of different neutron-capture processes in the same astrophysical site or in sites linked to each other - for example, in multiple stellar systems.

THE BINARY FREQUENCY OF r -PROCESS-ELEMENT-ENHANCED METAL-POOR STARS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS: CHEMICAL TAGGING IN THE PRIMITIVE HALO OF THE MILKY WAY

A few rare halo giants in the range [Fe/H] $\simeq -2.9\pm0.3$ exhibit {\it r}-process element abundances that vary as a group by factors up to [$r$/Fe] $\sim80$, relative to those of the iron peak and below. Yet, the astrophysical production site of these {\it r}-process elements remains unclear. We report initial results from four years of monitoring the radial velocities of 17 {\it r}-process-enhanced metal-poor giants to detect and characterise binaries in this sample. We find three (possibly four) spectroscopic binaries with orbital periods and eccentricities that are indistinguishable from those of Population I binaries with giant primaries, and which exhibit no signs that the secondary components have passed through the AGB stage of evolution or exploded as supernovae. The other 14 stars in our sample appear to be single -- including the prototypical $r$-process-element enhanced star CS 22892-052, which is also enhanced in carbon, but not in {\it s}-process elements. We conclude that the {\it r}-process (and potentially carbon) enhancement of these stars was not a local event due to mass transfer or winds from a binary companion, but was imprinted on the natal molecular clouds of these (single and binary) stars by an external source. These stars are thus spectacular chemical tracers of the inhomogeneous nature of the early Galactic halo system.

Present and Future RIB Facilities

Over the past decade a range of facilities have been built which produce accelerated beams of short-lived radioactive nuclei. The advent of these beams has revolutionised nuclear physics research by removing the straightjacket that Nature had held us in when only the few stable nuclei were available to be used to initiate nuclear reactions. We can now probe further, and in more detail, towards the limits of nuclear stability, uncovering new structural phenomena and measuring the key nuclear reactions that control the energy output and element production in explosive astrophysical sites. A new generation of facilities is now under construction or planning that will have the capability to extend our reach ever further. In this talk we will survey the capabilities and time lines of these facilities, as well as looking at the science areas that each will address.

Explosive nucleosynthesis in core-collapse supernovae

The specific mechanism and astrophysical site for the production of half of the elements heavier than iron via rapid neutron capture (r-process) remains to be found. In order to reproduce the abundances of the solar system and of the old halo stars, at least two components are required: the heavy r-process nuclei (A > 130) and the weak r-process which correspond to the lighter heavy nuclei (A < 130). In this work, we present nucleosynthesis studies based on trajectories of hydrodynamical simulations for core-collapse supernovae and their subsequent neutrino-driven winds. We show that the weak r-process elements can be produced in neutrino-driven winds and we relate their abundances to the neutrino emission from the nascent neutron star. Based on the latest hydrodynamical simulations, heavy r-process elements cannot be synthesized in the neutrino-driven winds. However, by artificially increasing the wind entropy, elements up to A = 195 can be made. In this way one can mimic the general behavior of an ejecta where the r-process occurs. We use this to study the impact of the nuclear physics input (nuclear masses, neutron capture cross sections, and beta-delayed neutron emission) and of the long-time dynamical evolution on the final abundances.

R -PROCESS NUCLEOSYNTHESIS IN DYNAMICALLY EJECTED MATTER OF NEUTRON STAR MERGERS

Although the rapid neutron-capture process, or r-process, is fundamentally important for explaining the origin of approximately half of the stable nuclei with A > 60, the astrophysical site of this process has not been identified yet. Here we study r-process nucleosynthesis in material that is dynamically ejected by tidal and pressure forces during the merging of binary neutron stars (NSs) and within milliseconds afterwards. For the first time we make use of relativistic hydrodynamical simulations of such events, defining consistently the conditions that determine the nucleosynthesis, i.e., neutron enrichment, entropy, early density evolution and thus expansion timescale, and ejecta mass. We find that 10^{-3}-10^{-2} solar masses are ejected, which is enough for mergers to be the main source of heavy (A > 140) galactic r-nuclei for merger rates of some 10^{-5} per year. While asymmetric mergers eject 2-3 times more mass than symmetric ones, the exact amount depends weakly on whether the NSs have radii of ~15 km for a "stiff" nuclear equation of state (EOS) or ~12 km for a "soft" EOS. R-process nucleosynthesis during the decompression becomes largely insensitive to the detailed conditions because of efficient fission recycling, producing a composition that closely follows the solar r-abundance distribution for nuclei with mass numbers A > 140. Estimating the light curve powered by the radioactive decay heating of r-process nuclei with an approximative model, we expect high emission in the B-V-R bands for 1-2 days with potentially observable longer duration in the case of asymmetric mergers because of the larger ejecta mass.

EXTERNAL INVERSE COMPTON SPECTRA FOR MONOENERGETIC AND BLACKBODY PHOTON FIELDS UPSCATTERED BY A POWER-LAW ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION WITH A FINITE ENERGY RANGE

We have calculated the inverse Compton (IC) integrated spectral power within the Thomson limit for a monoenergetic isotropic photon field upscattered off highly relativistic electrons assuming an isotropic power-law distribution of the latter, N(γ) = Cγ–p , with Lorentz parameter values γ1 < γ < γ2. Our interest was essentially focused on the case of a finite energy range (finite γ2) possibly having realistic applications in high-energy astrophysical sites, mainly relativistic shock regions. To this end, we have defined and derived a dimensionless parametric function, Fp (z 1, η), with variables z 1 = 1/4γ2 1 and η = γ2/γ1. This result was used to derive the IC-integrated spectral power for an upscattered blackbody (BB) photon field using a dimensionless parametric function, Wp (ξ, η), with variable ξ = 1/4γ2 1 kT. Asymptotic forms of this function have been derived for three energy ranges, i.e., ξ 1, 1 ξ η2, and ξ η2. Then, a characteristic value, η c (p, e) with e 1, of parameter η was defined such that the middle range asymptotic form of Wp (ξ, η) could be valid and good when η η c (p, e), by deriving an approximate expression of this particular value for e = 10–3. The resulting spectra featured by a high-energy cutoff in the case of low values of the ratio η can be discussed at least for a population of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), those best described by the cutoff power-law model with a low-energy spectral index, α ≈ 0. Furthermore, it is suggested that for GRB spectra with α < –1/2 pertaining to the prompt emission phase, the IC is a likely emission mechanism for both monoenergetic and BB photon fields if one assumes that the former photon field could exist specifically in the GRB environment. Various suitable astrophysical applications are presented and discussed.

Neutrino Telescopes

The observation of high energy cosmic neutrinos can shed light on the astrophysical sites and mechanisms involved in the acceleration of protons and nuclei to the high energies observed at Earth by cosmic ray detectors. More generally, high energy neutrinos can be a key instrument in the multimessenger study of the high energy sky. Several neutrino telescopes of different sizes and capabilities are presently taking data and projects to further increase their size and sensitivity are underway.In this contribution we review the present status of neutrino telescopes based on the cherenkov ligh detection technique, their recent results and the plans to increase their sensitivity.

The decompression of the outer neutron star crust and r-process nucleosynthesis

The rapid neutron-capture process, or r-process, is known to be fundamental for explaining the origin of approximately half of the A>60 stable nuclei observed in nature. In recent years nuclear astrophysicists have developed more and more sophisticated r-process models, by adding new astrophysical or nuclear physics ingredients to explain the solar system composition in a satisfactory way. Despite these efforts, the astrophysical site of the r-process remains unidentified. The composition of the neutron star outer crust material is investigated after the decompression that follows its possible ejection. The composition of the outer crust of a neutron star is estimated before and after decompression. Two different possible initial conditions are considered, namely an idealized crust composed of cold catalyzed matter and a crust initially in nuclear statistical equilibrium at temperatures around 10 GK. We show that in this second case before decompression and at temperatures typically corresponding to 8 GK, the Coulomb effect due to the high densities in the crust leads to an overall composition of the outer crust in neutron-rich nuclei with a mass distribution close to the solar system r-abundance distribution. Such distributions differ, however, from the solar one due to a systematic shift in the second peak to lower values. After decompression, the capture of the few neutrons per seed nucleus available in the hot outer crust leads to a final distribution of stable neutron-rich nuclei with a mass distribution of 80 < A < 140 nuclei in excellent agreement with the solar distribution, provided the outer crust is initially at temperatures around 8 GK and all layers of the outer crust are ejected. The decompression of the neutron star matter from the outer crust provides suitable conditions for a robust r-processing of the light species, i.e., r-nuclei with A < 140.

Measurements of nuclearγ-ray line emission in interactions of protons andαparticles with N, O, Ne, and Si

$\gamma$-ray production cross sections have been measured in proton irradiations of N, Ne and Si and $\alpha$-particle irradiations of N and Ne. In the same experiment we extracted also line shapes for strong $\gamma$-ray lines of $^{16}$O produced in proton and $\alpha$-particle irradiations of O. For the measurements gas targets were used for N, O and Ne and a thick foil was used for Si. All targets were of natural isotopic composition. Beams in the energy range up to 26 MeV for protons and 39 MeV for $\alpha$-particles have been delivered by the IPN-Orsay tandem accelerator. The $\gamma$ rays have been detected with four HP-Ge detectors in the angular range 30$^{\circ}$ to 135$^{\circ}$. We extracted 36 cross section excitation functions for proton reactions and 14 for $\alpha$-particle reactions. For the majority of the excitation functions no other data exist to our knowledge. Where comparison with existing data was possible usually a very good agreement was found. It is shown that these data are very interesting for constraining nuclear reaction models. In particular the agreement of cross section calculations in the nuclear reaction code TALYS with the measured data could be improved by adjusting the coupling schemes of collective levels in the target nuclei $^{14}$N, $^{20,22}$Ne and $^{28}$Si. The importance of these results for the modeling of nuclear $\gamma$-ray line emission in astrophysical sites is discussed.

What are the astrophysical sites for the [formula omitted]-process and the production of heavy elements?

This article addresses three of the four nucleosynthesis processes involved in producing heavy nuclei beyond Fe (with a main focus on the r -process). Opposite to the fourth process (the s -process), which operates in stellar evolution during He- and C-burning, they are all related to explosive burning phases, (presumably) linked to core collapse supernova events of massive stars. The (classical) p -process is identified with explosive Ne/O-burning in outer zones of the progenitor star. It is initiated by the passage of the supernova shock wave and acts via photodisintegration reactions like a spallation process which produces neighboring (proton-rich) isotopes from pre-existing heavy nuclei. The reproduction of some of the so-called lighter p -isotopes with A < 100 faces problems in this environment. The only recently discovered ν p -process is related to the innermost ejecta, the neutrino wind expelled from the hot proto-neutron star after core collapse and the supernova explosion. This neutrino wind is proton-rich in its early phase, producing nuclei up to 64Ge. Reactions with neutrinos permit to overcome decay/reaction bottlenecks for the flow beyond 64Ge, thus producing light p -isotopes, which face problems in the classical p -process scenario. The understanding of the r -process, being identified for a long time with rapid neutron captures and passing through nuclei far from stability, is still experiencing major problems. These are on the one hand related to nuclear uncertainties far from stability (masses, half-lives, fission barriers), affecting the process speed and abundance peaks. On the other hand the site is still not definitely located, yet. (i) Later, possibly neutron-rich, high entropy phases of the neutrino wind (if they materialize!) could permit its operation. (ii) Other options include the ejection of very neutron-rich neutron star-like matter, occurring possibly in neutron star mergers or core collapse supernova events with jets, related to prior stellar evolution with high rotation rates and magnetic fields. Two different environments are required for a weak and a main/strong r -process, witnessed by observations of low metallicity stars and meteoritic inclusions, which could possibly be identified with the two options listed above, i.e. the weak r -process could be related to the neutrino wind when changing from p -rich to n -rich conditions.

Nuclear structure and reaction studies at SPIRAL

The SPIRAL facility at GANIL, operational since 2001, is described briefly. The diverse physics program using the re-accelerated (1.2–25 MeV/u) beams ranging from He to Kr and the instrumentation specially developed for their exploitation are presented. Results of these studies, using both direct and compound processes, addressing various questions related to the existence of exotic states of nuclear matter, evolution of new ‘magic numbers’, tunnelling of exotic nuclei, neutron correlations, exotic pathways in astrophysical sites and characterization of the continuum, are discussed. The future prospects for the facility and the path towards SPIRAL2, a next generation ISOL facility, are also briefly presented.

Simulation of relativistic shocks and associated radiation from turbulent magnetic fields

AbstractRecent PIC simulations of relativistic electron-positron (electron-ion) jets injected into a stationary medium show that particle acceleration occurs in the shocked regions. Simulations show that the Weibel instability is responsible for generating and amplifying highly nonuniform, small-scale magnetic fields and for particle acceleration. These magnetic fields contribute to the electron's transverse deflection behind the shock. The “jitter” radiation from deflected electrons in turbulent magnetic fields has different properties from synchrotron radiation calculated in a uniform magnetic field. This jitter radiation may be important for understanding the complex time evolution and/or spectral structure of gamma-ray bursts, relativistic jets in general, and supernova remnants. In order to calculate radiation from first principles and go beyond the standard synchrotron model, we have used PIC simulations. We will present detailed spectra for conditions relevant to various astrophysical sites of collisionless shock formation. In particular we will discuss application to GRBs and SNRs.

Getting a better handle on nuclear matter at low density

Nuclear physicists rely on a phenomenological formula developed by Bethe and Weizsacker to estimate the binding energy and thus mass of an atomic nucleus consisting of A nucleons with N neutrons and Z protons. This liquid-drop model formula tells us the following: (a) that uncharged symmetric nuclear matter (i.e., infinitely large with N = Z) is bound by about 16 MeV per nucleon, (b) that infinite matter pays an energy penalty for being asymmetric in N and Z, and (c) that finite real nuclei pay additional energy penalties for having a surface and for being charged. While the asymmetry penalty is, in principle, a function of density ρ and temperature T, as well as asymmetry, finite nuclei only inform us about this energy penalty near the saturation density (ρ0 ∼ 0.15 fm−3, or somewhat less due to the surface), zero temperature, and near zero asymmetry [which is characterized by the variable δ = (N− Z)/A]. However, there are places in nature with densities ranging from much less (in objects such as you and I) to much greater than the saturation nuclear density, with asymmetries extending out to nearly 1 (in neutronstars) and temperatures that are significant on the nuclear scale (again in astrophysical sites). In the case of neutron stars, when calculating the total energy density of the matter resisting gravitational collapse, it is the asymmetry contribution that dominates the energy and thus the pressure. Now, Joseph Natowitz and colleagues at institutions in Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, and the United States report in Physical Review Letters, a new approach [1] to extracting the density dependence of the asymmetry energy (at low density) that agrees with quantum statistical calculations (Fig. 1). This agreement provides some confidence that, for example, the pressure supplied by asymmetric matter (at low density) is understood. The asymmetry energy [2] (which is a coefficient in the Bethe-Weizsacker mass model multiplying a δ2 term, FIG. 1: Asymmetry energy divided by the asymmetry energy at saturation as a function of density as extracted from experiment (dots) and from a quantum statistical model (QS) at 3 different temperatures. The quantum statistical models that include cluster formation agree well with experiment, as reported by Natowitz et al. (Adapted from [1].)

CHARGED-PARTICLE AND NEUTRON-CAPTURE PROCESSES IN THE HIGH-ENTROPY WIND OF CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

The astrophysical site of the r-process is still uncertain, and a full exploration of the systematics of this process in terms of its dependence on nuclear properties from stability to the neutron drip-line within realistic stellar environments has still to be undertaken. Sufficiently high neutron to seed ratios can only be obtained either in very neutron-rich low-entropy environments or moderately neutron-rich high-entropy environments, related to neutron star mergers (or jets of neutron star matter) and the high-entropy wind of core-collapse supernova explosions. As chemical evolution models seem to disfavor neutron star mergers, we focus here on high-entropy environments characterized by entropy $S$, electron abundance $Y_e$ and expansion velocity $V_{exp}$. We investigate the termination point of charged-particle reactions, and we define a maximum entropy $S_{final}$ for a given $V_{exp}$ and $Y_e$, beyond which the seed production of heavy elements fails due to the very small matter density. We then investigate whether an r-process subsequent to the charged-particle freeze-out can in principle be understood on the basis of the classical approach, which assumes a chemical equilibrium between neutron captures and photodisintegrations, possibly followed by a $\beta$-flow equilibrium. In particular, we illustrate how long such a chemical equilibrium approximation holds, how the freeze-out from such conditions affects the abundance pattern, and which role the late capture of neutrons originating from $\beta$-delayed neutron emission can play.

Scales in the fine structure of the magnetic dipole resonance: A wavelet approach to the shell model

The r-process constitutes one of the major challenges in nuclear astrophysics. Its astrophysical site has not yet been identified but there is observational evidence suggesting that at least two possible sites should contribute to the solar system abundance of r-process elements and that the r-process responsible for the production of elements heavier than Z=56 operates quite robustly producing always the same relative abundances. From the nuclear-physics point of view the r-process requires the knowledge of a large number of reaction rates involving exotic nuclei. These include neutron capture rates, beta-decays and fission rates, the latter for the heavier nuclei produced in the r-process. We have developed for the first time a complete database of reaction rates that in addition to neutron-capture rates and beta-decay half-lives includes all possible reactions that can induce fission (neutron-capture, beta-decay and spontaneous fission) and the corresponding fission yields. In addition, we have implemented these reaction rates in a fully implicit reaction network. We have performed r-process calculations for the neutrino-driven wind scenario to explore whether or not fission can contribute to provide a robust r-process pattern.

Network calculations for r-process nucleosynthesis

The r-process is known to be responsible for the synthesis of about half of the elements heavier than iron, nevertheless its astrophysical site has not yet been clearly ascertained, but observations indicate that at least two possible sites should contribute to the solar system abundance of r-process elements. The r-process being responsible for the production of elements heavier than Z = 56 operates rather robustly always resulting in a similar relative abundance pattern. From the nuclear-physics point of view the r-process requires the knowledge of a large number of reaction rates involving exotic nuclei that are not accessible by experiment and data have to be provided by theoretical predictions. We have developed for the first time a complete database of reaction rates that in addition to neutron-capture rates and β-decay half-lives includes the dominant reactions that can induce fission (neutron-capture, β-decay and spontaneous fission) and the corresponding fission yields. In addition, we have implemented these reaction rates in a fully implicit reaction network. The influence of the nuclear physics input constituted in the reaction rates based on the two mass models FRDM and ETFSI and on the astrophysical conditions simulating a cold or hot environment are examined.

Interaction of strangelets with ordinary nuclei

Strangelets (hypothetical stable lumps of strange quark matter) of astrophysical origin may be ultimately detected in specific cosmic ray experiments. The initial mass distribution resulting from the possible astrophysical production sites would be subject to reprocessing in the interstellar medium and in the earth's atmosphere. In order to get a better understanding of the claims for the detection of this still hypothetic state of hadronic matter, we present a study of strangelet–nucleus interactions including several physical processes of interest (abrasion, fusion, fission, excitation and de-excitation of the strangelets), to address the fate of the baryon number along the strangelet path. It is shown that, although fusion may be important for low-energy strangelets in the interstellar medium (thus increasing the initial baryon number A), in the earth's atmosphere the loss of the baryon number should be the dominant process. The consequences of these findings are briefly addressed.

The Trojan Horse Method for Nuclear Astrophysics

In the last decades, impressive improvements in astronomical observations and in computational models of stellar structure and evolution have made it possible for the first time to significantly improve our understanding of energy generation and nucleosynthesis processes that take place in a variety of astrophysical sites, from quiescent stars like our Sun to explosive phenomena like novae, X-ray bursts, and supernovae.

Decaying dark matter in the Draco dwarf galaxy

<i>Context. <i/>The sterile neutrino is an excellent dark matter candidate, which can be searched for in a wide range of astrophysical sites. It has previously been shown that the optimal search strategy is to consider dwarf galaxies belonging to the Milky Way.<i>Aims. <i/>We search for line emission from decaying dark matter.<i>Methods. <i/>We analyse publicly available Chandra X-ray observations of the dwarf galaxy Draco.<i>Results. <i/>The Draco and blank sky (background) spectra are nearly identical in shape, which allows us to conclude: i) dwarf spheroidals are ideal for studying dark matter X-ray emission since the baryonic noise is impressively low; ii) there is very little room for line emission, which leads to constraints in the mass-mixing angle parameter space of the sterile neutrino. We compare the standard flux derivation method to a very conservative rebinning approach. The resulting constraints are strongly dependent on the chosen method.

Experimental studies of nuclei beyond the proton drip line by tracking technique

A novel experimental technique for measurements of in-flight decays of proton-unbound nuclei with pico-second lifetimes is described on the examples of the recent discovery of 19Mg and its two-proton (2p) radioactivity and the study of the reference 2p decay of the known isotope 16Ne . The method of measurements of 2p decays in flight by tracking all fragments with micro-strip detectors has also proven to be a potent tool for obtaining valuable spectroscopic information on exotic isotopes like 19Mg or 16Ne . Systematic studies of other 2p emitters predicted theoretically are foreseen with this powerful technique whose sensitivity is larger by factor of 20-30 in comparison with a conventional invariant-mass method. Information about the respective one-proton unbound subsystems can be obtained at the same time by evaluating proton-heavy-fragment correlations, which is illustrated on the example of the spectroscopy of 15F . This finding opens a way for systematic studies of exotic nuclei beyond the proton drip line, e.g., 69Br . The properties of such nuclei may be important for the understanding of the element abundance in the Universe and may be used as input data for modeling the rp-process in various astrophysical sites.