The Reaction Rate Sensitivity of Nucleosynthesis in Type II Supernovae

Abstract

We explore the sensitivity of the nucleosynthesis of intermediate mass elements (28 < A < 80) in supernovae derived from massive stars to the nuclear reaction rates employed in the model. Two standard sources of reaction rate data (Woosley et al. 1978; and Thielemann et al. 1987) are employed in pairs of calculations that are otherwise identical. Both include as a common backbone the experimental reactions rates of Caughlan & Fowler (1988). Two stellar models are calculated for each of two main sequence masses: 15 and 25 solar masses. Each star is evolved from core hydrogen burning to a presupernova state carrying an appropriately large reaction network, then exploded using a piston near the edge of the iron core as described by Woosley & Weaver (1995). The final stellar yields from the models calculated with the two rate sets are compared and found to differ in most cases by less than a factor of two over the entire range of nuclei studied. Reasons for the major discrepancies are discussed in detail along with the physics underlying the two reaction rate sets employed. The nucleosynthesis results are relatively robust and less sensitive than might be expected to uncertainties in nuclear reaction rates, though they are sensitive to the stellar model employed.

Latex, 43 pages, 15 figures. To appear Aug 20, 1999 in the Astrophysical Journal Revised text, Table 2 reflects production after decay, Table 3 is new. Main results and conclusions unchanged

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