First direct measurement of the ${}^{13}$N($\alpha$,$p$)${}^{16}$O reaction relevant for core-collapse supernovae nucleosynthesis

Abstract

Understanding the explosion mechanism of a core-collapse supernova (CCSN) is important to accurately model CCSN scenarios for different progenitor stars using model-observation comparisons. The uncertainties of various nuclear reaction rates relevant for CCSN scenarios strongly affect the accuracy of these stellar models. Out of these reactions, the ${}^{13}$N($\alpha$,$p$)${}^{16}$O reaction has been found to affect various stages of a CCSN at varying temperatures. This work presents the first direct measurement of the ${}^{13}$N($\alpha$,$p$)${}^{16}$O reaction performed using a 34.6 MeV beam of radioactive ${}^{13}$N ions and the active-target detector MUSIC (MUlti-Sampling Ionization Chamber) at Argonne National Laboratory. The resulting total ${}^{13}$N($\alpha$,$p$)${}^{16}$O reaction cross sections from this measurement in the center-of-mass energy range of 3.26 - 6.02 MeV are presented and compared with calculations using the Hauser-Feshbach formalism. Uncertainties in the reaction rate have been dramatically reduced at CCSN temperatures.

References 27 and 31 has been changed

References in corpus (6)

• Cross sections of $\alpha$-induced reactions for targets with masses $A\approx 20-50$ at low energies
• The synthesis of Ti44 and Ni56 in massive stars
• Reaction Rate Sensitivity of the Production of $\gamma$-ray Emitting Isotopes in Core-Collapse Supernova
• Sensitivity of ${}^{44}$Ti and ${}^{56}$Ni production in CCSN shock-driven nucleosynthesis to reaction rates
• Evaluation of the ${}^{13}$N($\alpha$,p)${}^{16}$O thermonuclear reaction rate and its impact on the isotopic composition of supernova grains
• Uncertainty of the astrophysical ${}^{17,18}$O($\alpha$,n)${}^{20,21}$Ne reaction rates and the applicability of the statistical model for nuclei with $A\lesssim 20$