Measurements of the ${}^{96}$Zr($\alpha$,n)${}^{99}$Mo cross section for astrophysics and applications

Abstract

The reaction ${}^{96}$Zr($\alpha$,n)${}^{99}$Mo plays an important role in $\nu$-driven wind nucleosynthesis in core-collapse supernovae and is a possible avenue for medical isotope production. Cross section measurements were performed using the activation technique at the Edwards Accelerator Laboratory. Results were analyzed along with world data on the ${}^{96}\mathrm{Zr}(\alpha ,n)$ cross section and ${}^{96}\mathrm{Zr}(\alpha ,\alpha )$ differential cross section using large-scale Hauser-Feshbach calculations. We compare our data, previous measurements, and a statistical description of the reaction. We find a larger cross section at low energies compared to prior experimental results, allowing for a larger astrophysical reaction rate. This may impact results of core-collapse supernova $\nu$-driven wind nucleosynthesis calculations, but does not significantly alter prior conclusions about ${}^{99}\mathrm{Mo}$ production for medical physics applications. The results from our large-scale Hauser-Feshbach calculations demonstrate that phenomenological optical potentials may yet be adequate to describe $(\alpha ,n)$ reactions of interest for $\nu$-driven wind nucleosynthesis, albeit with regionally-adjusted model parameters.

accepted to PRC

References in corpus (10)

• Nucleosynthesis in the Early Galaxy
• Further explorations of the alpha-particle optical model potential at low energies for the mass range A=45-209
• Silver and palladium help unveil the nature of a second r-process
• Novel Techniques for Constraining Neutron-Capture Rates Relevant for r-Process Heavy-Element Nucleosynthesis
• Successful prediction of total $\alpha$-induced reaction cross sections at astrophysically relevant sub-Coulomb energies using a novel approach
• Cross sections of $\alpha$-induced reactions for targets with masses $A\approx 20-50$ at low energies
• Constraining nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven winds: observations, simulations and nuclear physics
• Role of ($\alpha$,n) reactions under $r$-process conditions in neutrino-driven winds revisited
• Low Energy measurement of the ${}^{96}\mathrm{Zr}(\alpha ,n{)}^{99}\mathrm{Mo}$ reaction cross section and its impact on weak r-process nucleosynthesis
• The Edwards Accelerator Laboratory at Ohio University

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Optical potential for incident and emitted low-energy $\alpha$ particles. III. Non-statistical processes induced by neutrons on Zr, Nb, and Mo nuclei
• Measurement of $\beta$-particles to determine cross sections relevant to the weak r-process
• Bayesian Analysis of the ${}^{86}$Sr$(\alpha ,\alpha )$ Reaction to Constrain the ${}^{86}$Sr$(\alpha ,n)$ Cross Section at Astrophysical Energies