Dependence of X-Ray Burst Models on Nuclear Reaction Rates

Abstract

X-ray bursts are thermonuclear flashes on the surface of accreting neutron stars and reliable burst models are needed to interpret observations in terms of properties of the neutron star and the binary system. We investigate the dependence of X-ray burst models on uncertainties in (p,$\gamma$), ($\alpha$,$\gamma$), and ($\alpha$,p) nuclear reaction rates using fully self-consistent burst models that account for the feedbacks between changes in nuclear energy generation and changes in astrophysical conditions. A two-step approach first identified sensitive nuclear reaction rates in a single-zone model with ignition conditions chosen to match calculations with a state-of-the-art 1D multi-zone model based on the {\Kepler} stellar evolution code. All relevant reaction rates on neutron deficient isotopes up to mass 106 were individually varied by a factor of 100 up and down. Calculations of the 84 highest impact reaction rate changes were then repeated in the 1D multi-zone model. We find a number of uncertain reaction rates that affect predictions of light curves and burst ashes significantly. The results provide insights into the nuclear processes that shape X-ray burst observables and guidance for future nuclear physics work to reduce nuclear uncertainties in X-ray burst models.

arXiv comment24 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, submitted

References in corpus (37)

• Astrophysical Reaction Rates From Statistical Model Calculations
• The Equation of State from Observed Masses and Radii of Neutron Stars
• Thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray bursts observed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
• The endpoint of the rp process on accreting neutron stars
• Models for Type I X-Ray Bursts with Improved Nuclear Physics
• Charged-Particle Thermonuclear Reaction Rates: II. Tables and Graphs of Reaction Rates and Probability Density Functions
• A Remarkable Three Hour Thermonuclear Burst From 4U 1820-30
• Carbon Flashes in the Heavy Element Ocean on Accreting Neutron Stars
• The rp Process Ashes from Stable Nuclear Burning on an Accreting Neutron Star
• Heating in the Accreted Neutron Star Ocean: Implications for Superburst Ignition
• Models of crustal heating in accreting neutron stars
• Long Type I X-ray Bursts and Neutron Star Interior Physics
• Rotational Evolution During Type I X-Ray Bursts
• Exposing the Nuclear Burning Ashes of Radius Expansion Type I X-ray Bursts
• X-ray binaries
• The Effects of Variations in Nuclear Processes on Type I X-Ray Burst Nucleosynthesis
• Strong neutrino cooling by cycles of electron capture and ${\beta }^{-}$ decay in neutron star crusts
• Surface Emission from Neutron Stars and Implications for the Physics of their Interiors
• Periodic Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts from GS 1826-24 and the Fuel Composition as a Function of Accretion Rate
• Models of Type I X-ray Bursts from GS 1826-24: A Probe of rp-Process Hydrogen Burning
• The nuclear reaction waiting points, Mg22, Si26, S30, and Ar34, and bolometrically double peaked type I X-ray bursts
• Nucleosynthesis in Type I X-ray Bursts
• The importance of nuclear masses in the astrophysical rp-process
• Hydrodynamic Models of Type I X-Ray Bursts: Metallicity Effects
• Estimates of Stellar Weak Interaction Rates for Nuclei in the Mass Range A=65-80
• The mass and the radius of the neutron star in the transient low mass X-ray binary SAX J1748.9-2021
• Element Synthesis in Stars
• The Impact of Uncertainties in Reaction Q-values on Nucleosynthesis in Type I X-Ray Bursts
• Constraints on neutron star mass and radius in GS 1826-24 from sub-Eddington X-ray bursts
• The importance of 15O(a,g)19Ne to X-ray bursts and superbursts
• Nuclear Reaction Rate Uncertainties and Astrophysical Modeling. II. Carbon Yields from Low-mass Giants
• Multi-Zone Models of Superbursts from Accreting Neutron Stars
• The influence of accretion rate and metallicity on thermonuclear bursts: predictions from KEPLER models
• Reaction Rate and Composition Dependence of the Stability of Thermonuclear Burning on Accreting Neutron Stars
• The Influence of Uncertainties in the 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne Reaction Rate on Models of Type I X-Ray Bursts
• Examination of the role of the ${}^{14}$O($\alpha$,$p$)${}^{17}$F reaction rate in type I x-ray bursts
• Carbon Synthesis in Steady-State Hydrogen and Helium Burning On Accreting Neutron Stars

Cited by in corpus (73)

• The Multi-INstrument Burst ARchive (MINBAR)
• Thermonuclear X-ray bursts
• Nuclear Physics of the Outer Layers of Accreting Neutron Stars
• New measurement of ${}^{12}$C+${}^{12}$C fusion reaction at astrophysical energies
• Observatory science with eXTP
• Nuclear Reactions in the Crusts of Accreting Neutron Stars
• Dependence of X-ray Burst Models on Nuclear Masses
• Influence of Nuclear Reaction Rate Uncertainties on Neutron Star Properties Extracted From X-ray Burst Model-Observation Comparisons
• Approaching the Gamow window with stored ions: Direct measurement of ${}^{124}$Xe(p,$\gamma$) in the ESR storage ring
• Consistent Modeling of GS 1826-24 X-ray Bursts for Multiple Accretion Rates Demonstrates the Possibility to Constrain rp-process Reaction Rates
• Alpha clustering and alpha-capture reaction rate from ab initio symmetry-adapted description of ${}^{20}$Ne
• The Impact of Nuclear Reaction Rate Uncertainties On The Evolution of Core-Collapse Supernova Progenitors
• Thermonuclear burst observations for model comparisons: a reference sample
• First direct measurement of ${}^{22}$Mg($\alpha$,p)${}^{25}$Al and implications for X-ray burst model-observation comparisons
• Status of the JENSA gas-jet target for experiments with rare isotope beams
• High-precision mass measurement of ${}^{56}$Cu and the redirection of the rp-process flow
• Simulating X-ray bursts during a transient accretion event
• Constraints on Bygone Nucleosynthesis of Accreting Neutron Stars
• Nuclear processes in Astrophysics: Recent progress
• Neutron star cooling and the rp process in thermonuclear X-ray bursts
• Burst-induced coronal cooling in GS 1826-24 The clock wagging its tail
• Deep crustal heating for realistic compositions of thermonuclear ashes
• Advancement of Photospheric Radius Expansion and Clocked Type-I X-Ray Burst Models with the New ${}^{22}$Mg$(\alpha ,p{)}^{25}$Al Reaction Rate Determined at Gamow Energy
• Experimental constraints on shallow heating in accreting neutron-star crusts
• Constraining the Neutron Star Compactness: Extraction of the ${}^{23}$Al($p,\gamma$) Reaction Rate for the $rp$-Process
• $\beta$-decay of ${}^{61}$V and its Role in Cooling Accreted Neutron Star Crusts
• Two-neutron knockout as a probe of the composition of states in ${}^{22}$Mg, ${}^{23}$Al, and ${}^{24}$Si
• Sensitivity of ${}^{44}$Ti and ${}^{56}$Ni production in CCSN shock-driven nucleosynthesis to reaction rates
• On the dependence of X-ray burst rate on accretion and spin rate
• The efficiency of nuclear burning during thermonuclear (Type I) bursts as a function of accretion rate
• Impacts of the direct URCA and Superfluidity inside a Neutron Star on Type-I X-Ray Bursts and X-Ray Superbursts
• First measurement of ${}^{30}$S+$\alpha$ resonant elastic scattering for the ${}^{30}$S($\alpha$,p) reaction rate
• First direct measurement of ${}^{59}$Cu(p,$\alpha$)${}^{56}$Ni: A step towards constraining the Ni-Cu cycle in the Cosmos
• The Regulated NiCu Cycles with the new ${}^{57}$Cu(p,$\gamma$)${}^{58}$Zn reaction rate and the Influence on Type-I X-Ray Bursts: GS 1826$-$24 Clocked Burster
• Re-analysis of the ${}^{24}$Mg($\alpha ,\gamma$)${}^{28}$Si reaction rate at stellar temperatures
• Burning in the tail: implications for a burst oscillation model
• Study of the ${}^{22}$Mg waiting point relevant for x-ray burst nucleosynthesis via the ${}^{22}$Mg($\alpha$,$p$)${}^{25}$Al reaction
• Doppler Broadening in ${}^{20}$Mg($\beta p\gamma$)${}^{19}$Ne Decay
• Accreting neutron stars: heating of the upper layers of the inner crust
• Isobaric-multiplet mass equation in a macroscopic-microscopic approach
• Evaluation of the ${}^{35}$K($p$,$\gamma$)${}^{36}$Ca reaction rate using the ${}^{37}$Ca($p$,$d$)${}^{36}$Ca transfer reaction
• The Impacts of Neutron-Star Structure and Base Heating on Type I X-Ray Bursts and Code Comparison
• Accreting neutron stars: composition of the upper layers of the inner crust
• Fundamental physics with neutron stars
• The Impact of Neutron Transfer Reactions on Heating and Cooling of Accreted Neutron Star Crusts
• Measurement of the ${}^{18}$Ne($\alpha ,p$)${}^{21}$Na reaction with ANASEN at $E_{c.m.}=$ 2.5-4 MeV
• New $\gamma$-ray Transitions Observed in ${}^{19}$Ne with Implications for the ${}^{15}$O($\alpha$,$\gamma$)${}^{19}$Ne Reaction Rate
• Energy Acceptance of the St. George Recoil Separator
• First direct measurement constraining the ${}^{34}$Ar($\alpha$,p)${}^{37}$K reaction cross section for mixed hydrogen and helium burning in accreting neutron stars
• Flux decay during thermonuclear X-ray bursts analysed with the dynamic power-law index method
• Determination of the ${}^{60}$Zn level density from neutron evaporation spectra
• Progress in Nuclear Astrophysics of East and Southeast Asia
• High-precision mass measurement of ${}^{24}$Si and a refined determination of the $rp$ process at the $A=22$ waiting point
• Improved Nuclear Physics Near $A=61$ Refines Urca Neutrino Luminosities in Accreted Neutron Star Crusts
• Impact of Pycnonuclear Fusion Uncertainties on the Cooling of Accreting Neutron Star Crusts
• Single neutron transfer on 23Ne and its relevance forthepathway ofnucleosynthesis in astrophysical X-ray bursts
• Time Projection Chamber for GADGET II
• Cooling of neutron stars in soft X-ray transients with realistic crust composition
• A Vision for the Science of Rare Isotopes
• ${}^{57}$Zn $\beta$-delayed proton emission establishes the ${}^{56}$Ni $rp$-process waiting point bypass
• Constraining Accreted Neutron Star Crust Shallow Heating with the Inferred Depth of Carbon Ignition in X-ray Superbursts
• Spallation-altered accreted compositions for X-ray bursts: Impact on ignition conditions and burst ashes
• Crust composition and the Shallow Heat Source in KS 1731-260
• On the impact of an intermediate duration X-ray burst on the accretion environment in IGR J17062-6143
• A solution to the tension of burning on neutron stars and nuclear physics
• Extension of the particle x-ray coincidence technique: The lifetimes and branching ratios apparatus
• New ${}^{63}$Ga(p,$\gamma$)${}^{64}$Ge and ${}^{64}$Ge(p,$\gamma$)${}^{65}$As reaction rates corresponding to the temperature regime of thermonuclear X-ray bursts
• From dripline to dripline: Nuclear astrophysics in the laboratory
• Properties of states near $E_x$ = 6 MeV in ${}^{18}$Ne through ${}^{17}$F+p scattering
• The Great Wall: Urca Cooling Layers in the Accreted NS Crust
• A "Hyperburst" in the MAXI J0556-332 Neutron Star: Evidence for a New Type of Thermonuclear Explosion
• High-energy transients: thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray bursts
• Urca Nuclide Production in Type-I X-ray Bursts and Implications for Nuclear Physics Studies