Neutron-rich Region Research Articles

A systematic study of the ground state properties of gold nuclei near the neutron drip line using HFB formalism

In this theoretical work, the ground state properties like binding energy per nucleon, two-neutron separation energy, two-neutron shell gap, neutron-pairing gap, neutron rms radii, proton rms radii, charge radii, neutron skin thickness and nucleon density distributions of odd-even and odd-odd gold isotopes (A165−265u) were systematically studied. Computations were performed for a wide mass range of gold nuclei, spanned from the proton-rich side to the neutron-rich side, following the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory. Based on this approach, the nuclear structure of gold isotopes lying up to the exotic neutron rich region where the experimental data are not available, was also investigated. Calculations, taking into account the UNEDF0 Skyrme effective interaction, reproduce the available experimental data and results of other nuclear model based estimations, such as the Relativistic-Continuum-Hartree-Bogoliubov theory and the Finite Range Droplet Models, reasonably well.

Spectroscopy of neutron-rich nuclei produced by multinucleon transfer reactions at KISS

Properties such as lifetimes and masses of neutron-rich nuclei are key parameters for elucidating the astrophysical rapid neutron capture process (r-process). Due to the lack of experimental nuclear data in the relevant extremely neutron-rich region, especially near and above N = 126, the predictions of theoretical nuclear models are crucial for simulating r-process nucleosynthesis. Experimental studies of the properties and structures of neutron-rich nuclei from near the β stability line up to the r-process path provide important inputs to these theoretical models, improving the accuracy of predictions for the nuclear properties involved in the rprocess. We are developing the KEK Isotope Separation System (KISS) at the RIKEN RIBF facility to produce and separate these nuclei to perform spectroscopy experiments. The nuclei of interest are produced by multinucleon transfer reactions, which have been recently attracting renewed interest as they provide a way to access neutron-rich nuclei that are difficult to produce by other methods such as complete fusion or fragmentation. We have performed nuclear and laser spectroscopy, lifetime and mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclei of refractory elements near the N = 126 region using 198,natPt, natTa, natW, and natIr targets irradiated with 136Xe beams. We also extend our spectroscopic studies into the neutron-rich actinide region using 238U beams. This paper introduces the KISS facility and provides an overview of the nuclear spectroscopy experiments carried out there. We also introduce the KISS-1.5 project, which was started in FY2024 to further extend the research into the neutron-rich region.

Double-magicity of proton drip-line nucleus 22Si with ab initio calculation

New magic numbers have been discovered in the neutron-rich region of the nuclear chart. However, there has been a lack of research on proton-rich nuclei. 22O, the mirror nucleus of 22Si, is a double-magic nucleus bearing a high E(21+). Whether 22Si exhibits double-magic characters is an intriguing topic. To investigate this matter, we utilized ab initio valence space in-medium similarity renormalization group for 22Si/22O, and their nearby nuclei. Our ab initio calculations provide good descriptions for the double magicity of 22O, as well as the shell evolution of N=14 and Z=14 through E(21+). The computed E(21+) indicate that the closure of Z=14 sub-shell in proton-rich nuclei is weaker than the N=14 sub-shell closure in their mirror nuclei. Particularly, the calculated E(21+) of 22Si is 800 keV lower than the one of 22O. To further explore the magicity of 22Si, the mirror energy difference (MED) of 26Si/26Mg, 24Si/24Ne, as well as 22Si/22O are calculated. The results demonstrate that the calculated MEDs agree well with available experimental data, and the E(21+) values of 22,24,26Si are all lower than their respective mirror nuclei due to the Thomas-Ehrman shift with large s1/2 occupation. Moreover, our calculation provides that the many-body configurations of the low-lying state of 22Si/22O are nearly identical despite the fact that the states bearing large MED. In conclusion, our ab initio results suggest that 22Si is a double magic nucleus, similar to its mirror nucleus 22O, albeit with a lower E(21+).

Shape and multiple shape coexistence of nuclei within covariant density functional theory

Shape and multiple shape coexistence of nuclei are investigated throughout the nuclear chart by calculating the low-lying spectra and the quadrupole shape invariants for even-even nuclei with $10\leq Z\leq 104$ from the proton drip line to the neutron one within a five-dimensional collective Hamiltonian based on the covariant density functional PC-PK1. The quadrupole shape invariants are implemented to characterize the quadrupole deformations of low-lying $0^+$ states and predict nuclear mass regions of shape and multiple shape coexistence. The predicted low-lying spectra and the shape or multi-shape coexisting nuclei are overall in good agreement with the available experimental results. In addition, the present work predicts a wealth of nuclei with shape or multiple shape coexistence in the neutron-rich regions. The connection between the strong $E0$ transition strength and the occurrence of shape coexistence is analyzed systemically. It is found that nuclei with pronounced shape coexistence generally have strong $E0$ transition strengths, while the reverse may not be true. The present results can serve as useful guidelines for experimental searches and theoretical studies of shape and multiple shape coexistence, especially in neutron-rich regions.

Simulations of rare-isotope beams for the HISPEC/DESPEC experiments at the Super-FRS

The HISPEC/DESPEC collaboration envisages long experimental campaigns exploiting the expected beam performances of Super-FRS. The experiments will be performed at the Low-Energy Branch of the upcoming FAIR and will focus on the physics of exotic isotopes, primarily in the heavy neutron-rich region. The goal of the HISPEC/DESPEC experimental campaigns is to explore the excitation and decay properties of rare isotopes produced via fragmentation and fission. First rare-isotope beam simulations of representative future HISPEC/DESPEC experimental cases are presented. The simulations provide an insight into the forthcoming state-of-art experiments in the future FAIR facility.

Isotope shift factors for theCd+5s2S1/2→5p2P3/2transition and determination of Cd nuclear charge radii

The accuracy of atomic isotope shift factors limits the extraction of nuclear charge radii from isotope shift measurements because determining these factors is experimentally and theoretically challenging. Here, the isotope shift of the ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{+}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}5s{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5p{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{3/2}$ transition is measured precisely using laser-induced fluorescence from a sympathetically cooled large ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{+}$ ion crystal. A King-plot analysis is performed based on the new measurement to obtain accurate atomic field shift $F$ and mass shift $K$ factors that have been cross-checked by state-of-the-art configuration interaction plus many-body perturbation theory. The nuclear charge radii (${R}_{\mathrm{ch}}$) of $^{100\text{--}130}\mathrm{Cd}$ extracted using these $F$ and $K$ values demonstrate a near fivefold precision increase in the neutron-rich region. This work proves that accurate extraction of ${R}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ from isotope shifts is possible. New ${R}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ values reveal hidden discrepancies with previous density functional predictions in the neutron-rich region and pose strong challenges to advancements in nuclear models.

Structure and decay chain of fermium isotopes using relativistic mean-field approach

In this paper, we have analyzed the ground state structural properties of fermium-isotopes in the mass range [Formula: see text] within the relativistic mean-field with NL3[Formula: see text] and Relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov approach with DD-ME2 parameter sets. The bulk properties, such as binding energy, root mean-square charge radius, quadruple deformation parameter, chemical potentials, two-neutron separation energy and differential two- neutron separation energy, are estimated for the above Fm- isotopic chain. All the calculated observables are compared with finite range droplet model (FRDM) predictions and experimental data wherever available. The analysis predicts the existence of shell closure in the neutron-rich region of the isotopic chain at [Formula: see text]. The decay properties such as the [Formula: see text]-decay energy and corresponding half-life for three decay chains i.e. [Formula: see text]Fm, [Formula: see text]Fm and [Formula: see text]Fm are studied. Six different empirical formulae, namely; Viola-Seaborg, Royer, modified B. Alex Brown, Parkhomenko–Sobiczewski, Universal decay law and modified universal decay law are employed to ascertain the numerical dependency of the half-life for each decay energy. A comparative study of [Formula: see text]-values and half-lives for these decay chains gives a good signature of the calculated results. The half-life calculations of three decay chains suggest that [Formula: see text]Pu, [Formula: see text]Pu, [Formula: see text]Pu are shell closure nuclei having maximum half-lives, whereas [Formula: see text]Fm, [Formula: see text]Fm and [Formula: see text]Fm are shell stabilized with lower half-lives.

Improved phenomenological nuclear charge radius formulae with kernel ridge regression * *Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11875027, 11775112, 11775026, 11775099, 11975096), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2021MS046)

The kernel ridge regression (KRR) method with a Gaussian kernel is used to improve the description of the nuclear charge radius by several phenomenological formulae. The widely used , and formulae, and their improved versions including isospin dependence, are adopted as examples. The parameters in these six formulae are refitted using the Levenberg–Marquardt method, which give better results than the previous versions. The radius for each nucleus is predicted with the KRR network, which is trained with the deviations between experimental and calculated nuclear charge radii. For each formula, the resultant root-mean-square deviations of 884 nuclei with proton number and neutron number can be reduced to about 0.017 fm after considering the modification by the KRR method. The extrapolation ability of the KRR method for the neutron-rich region is examined carefully and compared with the radial basis function method. It is found that the improved nuclear charge radius formulae using the KRR method can avoid the risk of overfitting, and have a good extrapolation ability. The influence of the ridge penalty term on the extrapolation ability of the KRR method is also discussed. Finally, the nuclear charge radii of several recently observed K and Ca isotopes are analyzed.

The intermediate neutron capture process

Context. Carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) r/s-stars show surface-abundance distributions characteristic of the so-called intermediate neutron capture process (i-process) of nucleosynthesis. We previously showed that the ingestion of protons in the convective helium-burning region of a low-mass low-metallicity star can explain the surface abundance distribution observed in CEMP r/s stars relatively well. Such an i-process requires detailed reaction network calculations involving hundreds of nuclei for which reaction rates have not yet been determined experimentally. Aims. We investigate the nuclear physics uncertainties affecting the i-process during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of low-metallicity low-mass stars by propagating the theoretical uncertainties in the radiative neutron capture cross sections, as well as the 13C(α,n)16O reaction rate, and estimating their impact on the surface-abundance distribution. Methods. We used the STAREVOL code to follow the evolution of a 1 M⊙ [Fe/H] = − 2.5 model star during the proton ingestion event occurring at the beginning of the AGB phase. In the computation, we adopt a nuclear network of 1160 species coupled to the transport processes and different sets of radiative neutron capture cross sections consistently calculated with the TALYS reaction code. Results. It is found that considering systematic uncertainties on the various nuclear ingredients affecting the radiative neutron capture rates, surface elemental abundances are typically predicted within ±0.4 dex. The 56 ≲ Z ≲ 59 region of the spectroscopically relevant heavy-s elements of Ba-La-Ce-Pr as well as the r-dominated Eu element remain relatively unaffected by nuclear uncertainties. In contrast, the inclusion of the direct capture contribution impacts the rates in the neutron-rich A ≃ 45, 100, 160, and 200 regions, and the i-process production of the Z ≃ 45 and 65–70 elements. Uncertainties in the photon strength function also impact the overabundance factors by typically 0.2–0.4 dex. Nuclear level densities tend to affect abundance predictions mainly in the Z = 74 − 79 regions. The uncertainties associated with the neutron-producing reaction 13C(α,n)16O and the unknown β-decay rates are found to have a low impact on the overall surface enrichment. Conclusions. The i-process nucleosynthesis during the early AGB phase of low-metallicity low-mass stars remains sensitive to nuclear uncertainties, substantially affecting theoretical predictions of still unknown radiative neutron capture cross sections. Improved descriptions of direct neutron capture based on shell model calculations or experimental constraints from (d, p) reactions could help to decrease the uncertainties in the estimated rates. Similarly, constraints on the photon strength functions and nuclear level densities, for example through the Oslo method, in the neutron-rich region of A ≃ 100 and 160 would increase the predictive power of the present simulations.

Ability of the radial basis function approach to extrapolate nuclear mass

The ability of the radial basis function (RBF) approach to extrapolate the masses of nuclei in neutron-rich and superheavy regions is investigated in combination with the Duflo-Zuker (DZ31), Hartree–Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB27), finite-range droplet model (FRDM12) and Weizsäcker-Skyrme (WS4) mass models. It is found that when the RBF approach is employed with a simple linear basis function, different mass models have different performances in extrapolating nuclear masses in the same region, and a single mass model may have different performances when it is used to extrapolate nuclear masses in different regions. The WS4 and FRDM12 models (two macroscopic–microscopic mass models), combined with the RBF approach, may perform better when extrapolating the nuclear mass in the neutron-rich and superheavy regions.

Microscopic description of octupole collective excitations near N=56 and N=88

Octupole deformations and related collective excitations are analyzed using the framework of nuclear density functional theory. Axially-symmetric quadrupole-octupole constrained self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) calculations with a choice of universal energy density functional and a pairing interaction are performed for Xe, Ba, and Ce isotopes from proton-rich to neutron-rich regions, and neutron-rich Se, Kr, and Sr isotopes, in which enhanced octupole correlations are expected to occur. Low-energy positive- and negative-parity spectra and transition strengths are computed by solving the quadrupole-octupole collective Hamiltonian, with the inertia parameters and collective potential determined by the constrained SCMF calculations. Octupole-deformed equilibrium states are found in the potential energy surfaces of the Ba and Ce isotopes with $N\approx 56$ and 88. The evolution of spectroscopic properties indicates enhanced octupole correlations in the regions corresponding to $N\approx Z\approx 56$, $Z\approx 88$ and $Z\approx 56$, and $N\approx 56$ and $Z\approx 34$. The average $\beta_{30}$ deformation parameter and its fluctuation exhibit signatures of octupole shape phase transition around $N=56$ and 88.

New results on nuclear magicity and possible extension of the nuclear landscape

In nuclear theory, there is always a quest for possible extensions of the nuclear landscape and extending our knowledge to the limits of nuclear existence. In this study, we examine the stability and structural properties of a wide range of nuclei in super- and ultra-heavy region in a phenomenological semi-microscopic approach. we calculated the shell correlation energy, residual pairing correction energy, two-nucleon separation energy and two-nucleon energy gap for 3670 even–even nuclei along [Formula: see text]-stability line and two-neutron driplines in the ranges [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], respectively. To assure reliability and confidence of the new results in the ultra-heavy region, we extended the search space to include heavy and super-heavy nuclei. We report 83 double magic nuclei and address the predominance of proton and neutron magic numbers. Our calculations reproduced known results on nuclear magicity and present strong evidences on islands of stability and magic numbers in super- and ultra-heavy regions. We also address shifts in nuclear magicity along the nuclear landscape close to the [Formula: see text]-stability line and close to the neutron rich regions.

The progress of nuclear mass measurement experiments based on HIRFL-CSR

As one of the most fundamental properties of nuclei, nuclear mass data are widely used in many research fields such as nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics. At present, mass measurement of short-lived nuclei is an important research topic in nuclear physics. However, due to their small production rates and short lifetimes, it is technically challenging to measure their masses accurately. Isochronous mass spectrometry (IMS) based on the storage ring is an effective technique for measuring masses of short-lived nuclei. We established the IMS at the experimental cooler-storage ring (CSRe) in Lanzhou and developed the techniques continuously, achieving the highest precision of IMS measurement in the world. Since 2009, 10 isochronous mass measurement experiments have been conducted and high-precision mass data were obtained. In the earlier researches, we focused on mass measurements for medium-mass neutron-deficient nuclei. Recently, we have extended the research to heavier and neutron-rich regions. The masses of 82Zr and 84Nb were measured for the first time, and the masses of 79Y, 81Zr, and 83Nb were re-determined with a higher precision. The results do not support the existence of the hypothetical island of pronounced low α separation energies for neutron-deficient Mo and Tc isotopes, making the formation of Zr-Nb cycle in the rp-process unlikely. The results also partly remove the overproduction of the p-nucleus 84Sr in the νp-process simulations. The masses of the neutron-rich 52–54Sc and 54,56Ti nuclei were measured. The empirical shell gap extracted from the experimental results shows a significant subshell closure at N =32 in scandium. Combined with the theoretical calculations, it turns out that the Sc isotopes are located in the transition region of the shell evolution. Exploiting the high mass resolution of the IMS at CSRe, we also studied the nuclear isomeric states. Masses of 52g,52mCo were measured for the first time with an accuracy of ~10 keV. Combining the results with the previous β-γ measurements of 52Ni, the T =2, J π=0+ isobaric analog state (IAS) in 52Co was newly assigned, questioning the conventional identification of IASs from the β-delayed proton emissions. Using the new results, the isobaric multiplet mass equation is restored for the masses of the T =2 multiplet. Decay of the 8+ isomer in fully stripped ions 94Ru44+ was directly observed by monitoring the revolution times during its circulation in the CSRe. The isomeric half-life was found to be longer by about 44% than that in the neutral atoms. A new isomer in 101In was discovered and its excitation energy was measured. Using the experimental results, the configuration-dependent shell evolution, type-II shell evolution, in odd-A nuclei is discussed for the first time. High intensity heavy-ion accelerator facility (HIAF) is a large-scale research facility for nuclear science. It is under construction and is expected to be delivered in 2025. HIAF, as the world-leading next generation heavy ion accelerator device, has the ability to generate nuclides extremely far away from the stable line and provide superior research conditions for accurately measuring masses of short-lived nuclei far away from the stable line. Based on the accumulated experience of CSR mass measurement, we will develop advanced detection devices, fully exploit the performance of HIAF, and lead the development of storage ring mass spectrometry.

Population of lead isotopes in binary reactions using a Rb94 radioactive beam

We measured absolute cross sections for neutron transfer channels populated in the Rb94+Pb208 binary reaction. Cross sections have been extracted identifying directly the lead isotopes with the high efficiency MINIBALL γ-ray array coupled to a particle detector combined with a radioactive Rb94 beam delivered at Elab=6.2 MeV/nucleon by the HIE-ISOLDE facility. We observed sizable cross sections in the neutron-rich mass region, where the heavy partner acquires neutrons. A fair agreement between the measured cross sections with those from GRAZING calculations gives confidence in the cross-section predictions of more neutron-rich nuclei produced via a larger number of transferred nucleons.

Efficient method for estimation of fission fragment yields of r -process nuclei

$\textbf{Background}$ More than half of all the elements heavier than iron are made by the rapid neutron capture process (or r process). For very neutron-rich astrophysical conditions, such at those found in the tidal ejecta of neutron stars, nuclear fission determines the r-process endpoint, and the fission fragment yields shape the final abundances of $110\le A \le 170$ nuclei. The knowledge of fission fragment yields of hundreds of nuclei inhabiting very neutron-rich regions of the nuclear landscape is thus crucial for the modeling of heavy-element nucleosynthesis. $\textbf{Purpose}$ In this study, we propose a model for the fast calculation of fission fragment yields based on the concept of shell-stabilized prefragments defined with help of the nucleonic localization functions. $\textbf{Methods}$ To generate realistic potential energy surfaces and nucleonic localizations, we apply Skyrme Density Functional Theory. The distribution of the neck nucleons among the two prefragments is obtained by means of a statistical model. $\textbf{Results}$ We benchmark the method by studying the fission yields of $^{178}$Pt, $^{240}$Pu, $^{254}$Cf, and $^{254,256,258}$Fm and show that it satisfactorily explains the experimental data. We then make predictions for $^{254}$Pu and $^{290}$Fm as two representative cases of fissioning nuclei that are expected to significantly contribute during the r-process nucleosynthesis occurring in neutron star mergers. $\textbf{Conclusions}$ The proposed framework provides an efficient alternative to microscopic approaches based on the evolution of the system in a space of collective coordinates all the way to scission. It can be used to carry out global calculations of fission fragment distributions across the r-process region.

Predicting nuclear masses with the kernel ridge regression

The kernel ridge regression (KRR) approach is employed to improve the nuclear mass predictions for the first time, and more importantly, a careful study of the expected predictive power in the neutron-rich region of the nuclear chart is presented, which is crucial for astrophysical simulations of nucleosynthesis processes. The ridge penalty influences the optimized kernel function significantly and plays an essential role in reducing the risk of overfitting and improving the accuracy of the predictions. By taking the WS4 mass model as an example, the mass for each nucleus in the nuclear chart is predicted with the KRR network, which is trained with the mass model residuals, i.e., deviations between experimental and calculated masses, of other nuclei with known masses. The resultant root-mean-square mass deviation from the available experimental data for the 2353 nuclei with $Z\ensuremath{\ge}8$ and $N\ensuremath{\ge}8$ can be reduced to 199 keV. This is at the same level with other machine-learning-rooted approaches, such as the radial basis function and Bayesian neural network approaches. However, with the Gaussian kernel, the present KRR approach provides strikingly different extrapolated masses for nuclei with unknown masses, since it automatically identifies the limit of the extrapolation distance. Therefore, it avoids the risk of worsening the mass description for nuclei at large extrapolation distances.

Changes of deformed shell gaps at N ∼ 100 in light rare-earth, neutron-rich nuclei

There has been compelling evidence indicating that deformed single-particle (SP) states in neutron-rich regions are different from those in the stable region. It was pointed out that for the light rare-earth (60Nd, 62Sm, and 64Gd), neutron-rich (N = 98 − 102) nuclei, the Woods–Saxon potential, the Nilsson modified oscillator potential with ‘universal’ parameters, and the folded Yukawa potential all failed to describe the correct ordering of neutron SP states. The location and size of deformed shell gaps in this mass region are under current debate. We propose a modification for the ‘standard’ Nilsson parameters of Bengtsson and Ragnarsson introduced in 1985. The proposed N-dependent spin–orbit interaction causes directly changes in deformed shell gaps with neutron number and deformation. By applying the modified Nilsson parameters to generate deformed bases for the projected shell model, we demonstrate that the calculation can explain consistently the current experimental data, including the ground state configuration in odd-neutron nuclei, upbending of the yrast moment of inertia at higher spins and the energies of 2-quasineutron 6− and 4− isomers in even–even nuclei.

Microscopic predictions for the production of neutron-rich nuclei in the reaction Yb176 + Yb176

Background: Production of neutron-rich nuclei is of vital importance to both understanding nuclear structure far from stability and to informing astrophysical models of the rapid neutron capture process (r-process). Multinucleon transfer (MNT) in heavy-ion collisions offers a possibility to produce neutron-rich nuclei far from stability. Purpose: The $^{176}\mathrm{Yb}+{}^{176}\mathrm{Yb}$ reaction has been suggested as a potential candidate to explore the neutron-rich region surrounding the principal fragments. The current study has been conducted with the goal of providing guidance for future experiments wishing to study this (or similar) system. Methods: Time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) and its time-dependent random-phase approximation (TDRPA) extension are used to examine both scattering and MNT characteristics in $^{176}\mathrm{Yb}+{}^{176}\mathrm{Yb}$. TDRPA calculations are performed to compute fluctuations and correlations of the neutron and proton numbers, allowing for estimates of primary fragment production probabilities. Results: Both scattering results from TDHF and transfer results from the TDRPA are presented for different energies, orientations, and impact parameters. In addition to fragment composition, scattering angles and total kinetic energies, as well as correlations between these observables are presented. Conclusions: $^{176}\mathrm{Yb}+{}^{176}\mathrm{Yb}$ appears to be an interesting probe for the mid-mass neutron-rich region of the chart of nuclides. The predictions of both TDHF and TDRPA are speculative, and will benefit from future experimental results to test the validity of this approach to studying MNT in heavy, symmetric collisions.

Impact of electron capture rates for nuclei far from stability on core-collapse supernovae

The impact of electron-capture (EC) cross sections on neutron-rich nuclei on the dynamics of core-collapse during infall and early post-bounce is studied performing spherically symmetric simulations in general relativity using a multigroup scheme for neutrino transport and full nuclear distributions in extended nuclear statistical equilibrium models. We thereby vary the prescription for EC rates on individual nuclei, the nuclear interaction for the EoS, the mass model for the nuclear statistical equilibrium distribution and the progenitor model. In agreement with previous works, we show that the individual EC rates are the most important source of uncertainty in the simulations, while the other inputs only marginally influence the results. A recently proposed analytic formula to extrapolate microscopic results on stable nuclei for EC rates to the neutron rich region, with a functional form motivated by nuclear-structure data and parameters fitted from large scale shell model calculations, is shown to lead to a sizable (16%) reduction of the electron fraction at bounce compared to more primitive prescriptions for the rates, leading to smaller inner core masses and slower shock propagation. We show that the EC process involves $\approx$ 130 different nuclear species around 86 Kr mainly in the N = 50 shell closure region, and establish a list of the most important nuclei to be studied in order to constrain the global rates.

Tetraneutron condensation in neutron rich matter

.In this work we investigate the possible condensation of tetraneutron resonant states in the lower density neutron rich gas regions inside Neutron Stars (NSs). Using a relativistic density functional approach we characterize the system containing different hadronic species including, besides tetraneutrons, nucleons and a set of light clusters (3He, alpha particles, deuterium and tritium). sigma, omega and rho mesonic fields provide the interaction in the nuclear system. We study how the tetraneutron presence could significantly impact the nucleon pairing fractions and the distribution of baryonic charge among species. For this we assume that they can be thermodynamically produced in an equilibrated medium and scan a range of coupling strengths to the mesonic fields from prescriptions based on isospin symmetry arguments. We find that tetraneutrons may appear over a range of densities belonging to the outer NS crust carrying a sizable amount of baryonic charge thus depleting the nucleon pairing fractions.