Ab initio informed evaluation of the radiative capture of protons on ${}^7$Be

Abstract

The radiative capture of protons by ${}^7$Be, which is the source of ${}^8$B that $\beta$-decays emitting the majority of solar neutrinos measured on earth, has not yet been measured at astrophysically relevant energies. The recommended value for its zero-energy S-factor, $S_{17}$(0) = 20.8$\pm$(0.7)exp$\pm$(1.4)theory eV$\cdot$b, relies on theoretical extrapolations from higher-energy measurements, a process that leads to significant uncertainty. We performed a set of first-principle (or, ab initio) calculations of the ${}^7$Be($p$, $\gamma$)${}^8$B reaction to provide an independent prediction of the low-energy S-factor with quantified uncertainties. We demonstrate underlying features in the predicted S-factor allowing the combination of theoretical calculations and measurements to produce an evaluated S-factor of $S_{17}$(0) = 19.8$\pm$0.3 eV$\cdot$b. We expect the calculations and uncertainty quantification process described here to set a new standard for the evaluation of light-ion astrophysical reactions.

7 pages, 3 figures

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• Refined topology of the N = 20 island of inversion with high precision mass measurements of ${}^{31-33}$Na and ${}^{31-35}$Mg
• Nonspherical Pauli-forbidden states in deformed halo nuclei: Impact on the ${}^7\mathrm{Be}+p$ resonant states in the particle rotor model
• The Role of Ab Initio Beta-Decay Calculations in Light Nuclei for Probes of Physics Beyond the Standard Model