Conveners
Nuclear Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Synergies with Nuclear Physics: 1
- Francois de Oliveira (GANIL)
Nuclear Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Synergies with Nuclear Physics: 4
- There are no conveners in this block
Nuclear Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Synergies with Nuclear Physics: 2
- Francois de Oliveira (GANIL)
Nuclear Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Synergies with Nuclear Physics: 6
- There are no conveners in this block
Nuclear Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Synergies with Nuclear Physics: 5
- There are no conveners in this block
Nuclear Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics and Synergies with Nuclear Physics: 3
- There are no conveners in this block
More than a century after their discovery, galactic cosmic rays remain enigmatic — especially in terms of their astrophysical origins, their propagation through the interstellar medium, and their role in the nucleosynthesis of the light elements lithium, beryllium, and boron. Recent measurements of cosmic-ray composition and energy spectra have yielded valuable insights into these longstanding...
The $^{44}$Ti nucleosynthesis, alongside its characteristic gamma decay chain, is a good gamma tracer of Supernovae events. Specifically for Core Collapse Supernova (CCSN) explosions, the final process experienced by stars with initial mass greater than 8 M$_\odot$, where the nucleosynthesis takes place. Besides, the comparison between observations and models of the synthetized $^{44}$Ti in...
Light nuclei are found in core-collapse supernova matter and in binary neutron star mergers. Their abundance can affect the dynamics and properties of supernovae [1-3] and binary neutron star mergers [4-8], both directly through their weak reactions with the surrounding medium, and indirectly through their competition with heavy nuclei [9], which can modify the proton fraction and the size of...
Neutron-induced reaction cross sections of short-lived nuclei are essential in nuclear astrophysics and for applications in nuclear technology. However, these cross sections are very difficult or impossible to measure due to the difficulty in producing and handling the necessary radioactive targets. We are developing a project that uses for the first time surrogate reactions in inverse...
Carbon burning is the third stage of stellar evolution, influencing the fate of both massive stars and low-mass stars in binary systems.
Stellar carbon burning primarily occurs through the 12C(12C, α)20Ne and 12C(12C, p)23Na reactions. While these reactions have been studied over a wide energy range, direct measurements below 2.1 MeV (the astrophysical range) are lacking. Indirect data, such...
We report the preliminary results from a direct cross‐section measurement of the $^{59}$Cu(p, $\alpha$) $^{56}$Ni reaction, performed in inverse kinematics using the high-efficiency MUSIC active-target detector at the ReA6 facility at FRIB. This reaction is critical in explosive astrophysical environments. In type I X-ray bursts, where rapid proton capture and $\alpha$-induced processes drive...
Only a handful of the most energetic reactions involving the most abundant elements are driving the evolution and chemical structure of massive stars. Among these, the fusion of two carbon nuclei is a key process during the late stages of the evolution such stars, in explosive nucleosynthesis in Type 1a supernovae and superbursts in x-ray binary systems [1]. The precise measurement of the...
Direct measurement of the 7Li(p, α)4He reaction at astrophysical energies using the ELISSA array has been performed at IFIN-HH with the 3 MV Tandem. This reaction is intimately linked with the so-called “Cosmological Lithium Problem”. The existing 7Li(p, α)4He direct measurement data suffer from large uncertainty, particularly at energies below 500 keV (in the center-of-mass system). Thus, a...
Astronomical observations of neutron stars provide data on the kilometer scale, while the nuclear interaction, fundamental for neutron stars, works on the femtometer scale. To describe physical processes across so many orders of magnitude, one needs effective models. The inner crust of a neutron star is a complex system, where a lattice of nuclei strongly interacts with superfluid neutrons. In...
The production of p-nuclei remains a significant open problem in nuclear astrophysics, representing one of the most challenging research frontiers in the field. The $\alpha$-nuclear potential serves as a critical parameter for modulating p-nuclei synthesis, being known as one of the key parameters to reduce uncertainties in the high atomic mass region of the p-process network. [1,2]
In...
In nuclear reactions induced by low-energy charged particles, atomic electrons can participate in the process by screening the nuclear charge and so, effectively reducing the repulsive Coulomb barrier. Consequently, the measured cross section is enhanced by an effect called electron screening. There are several theoretical models, based on a static approach, describing this effect. However, in...
Exotic nuclei play a critical role in explosive astrophysical scenarios. As well as driving nucleosynthesis, their production and subsequent observation provides signatures of underlying explosion mechanisms or stellar progenitors. Such observations include light curves, such as from supernovae or X-ray bursts, or gamma-ray lines or evidence of their decay in solar and pre-solar material....
The Carbon-11 nucleus plays an important role in first start nucleosynthesis patterns [1] as a composite of the reaction $^{10}\mathrm{B}(p,\alpha)^{7}\mathrm{Be}$, which act in the hot pp-chains [2] by back processing material branching across the mass $A = 5$ and $A = 8$ mass gap towards $^{10}\mathrm{B}$. The $^{11}\mathrm{C}$ resonances $J^\pi = 5/2^+_2$ and $J^\pi = 7/2^+_1$, 10 keV above...
Understanding stellar nucleosynthesis remains a forefront challenge in physics and relies on detailed knowledge of helium burning, whose pivotal triple-$\alpha$ and $^{12}\mathrm{C}(\alpha,\gamma)^{16}\mathrm{O}$ reactions set the carbon–oxygen balance in stars. This talk will present recently published precision data on the triple-$\alpha$ reaction and a new direct measurement of...
Neutron stars are the most compact objects in the Universe. The core of these extremely compact objects has such high densities that it reaches regions of the QCD phase diagram that are still unknown. In this work we explore the possibility of deconfined quark matter inside neutron stars. For this purpose, we generated eight sets of hybrid equations of state. For the hadron phase, we used the...
To comprehensively understand nuclear astrophysical network calculations, especially in the context of processes like the r-process, it is crucial to consider astrophysical reaction rates at a fixed temperature which requires Maxwellian-averaged cross-sections across a wide range of energies for radiative neutron capture processes. Determining these cross-sections and reaction rates within a...
The amount of fluorine in stars is a crucial indicator of the internal physical conditions and of the processes taking place within them, such as extra mixing in asymptotic giant branch stars. Also, it is a branching point in proton induced nucleosynthesis, since its proton radiative capture may lead to the synthesis of heavier nuclei (such as Ca in early stars). Recent extrapolated findings...
This work conducts a thorough Bayesian analysis of neutron star matter, incorporating $(\Delta)$-resonances alongside hyperons and nucleons within a density-dependent relativistic hadron (DDRH) model. By leveraging constraints from nuclear saturation properties, chiral effective field theory ($\chi$EFT), NICER radius measurements, and tidal deformability data from GW170817, we systematically...
The p-process was first proposed as a solution to the formation of proton-rich heavy nuclei between Se and Hg that cannot be produced via the r- and s-processes. The p-nuclei are typically 10-1000 times less abundant than isotopes formed through the r or s-processes, making the study of their reaction cross-sections fundamental for improving current nucleosynthesis models [1]. In this work, I...
The $^{197}$Au($\gamma$,n)$^{196}$Au reaction is commonly used as a reference process to measure the gamma beam intensity in photonuclear reaction experiments. However, at energies higher than 14.7 MeV, the cross-section values of the $^{197}$Au($\gamma$,n)$^{196}$Au reaction available in the literature (both from experiments and theory) exhibit conflicting values. Thus, we performed a new...
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The synthesis of a p-nuclei...
The LHCb experiment at CERN employs a general-purpose forward spectrometer designed to study heavy flavour physics at the LHC. The acceptance of the spectrometer covers the pseudorapidity range 2 < η < 5 and provides full tracking and particle identification down to very small transverse momenta. This makes LHCb also ideal to study hadronic interactions similar to those that occur in extensive...
Neutron capture reactions play an important role in nuclear astrophysics as they are at the base of the s-process and the r-process, the two main mechanisms of nucleosynthesis beyond the iron peak.
Neutron capture cross sections are therefore important inputs of stellar models. Their accurate knowledge is crucial to predict reliable stellar yields and isotopic abundances that, compared with...
Helium burning is a crucial phase for stellar evolution, playing a key role in the production of elements like carbon, oxygen, and fluorine, which significantly impact the chemical evolution of the Universe.
Precise measurements of nuclear reaction rates at helium-burning astrophysical energies are challenging and essential for constraining stellar models and understanding nucleosynthesis...
The miniTRASGO is a compact, cost-effective secondary cosmic ray detector optimized for studies in solar activity, cosmic rays, and atmospheric physics. Based on Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs), it provides stable detection rates and high sensitivity. This was demonstrated by its successful measurement of Forbush Decreases in March and May 2024 at the Madrid station, which, at the time, hosted...
From the observation of oscillations, neutrinos are known to have a mass. However, it remains an open question as to how large that mass is. One way of determining the neutrino mass is the investigation of weak decay kinematics. Especially suited is the beta decay of tritium, mainly due to its simple structure, high activity, and comparatively low endpoint value.
KATRIN, the Karlsruhe...
The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) is a planned gaseous detector helioscope designed to detect axions, theorised to be dark matter candidates. A baseline detector prototype, IAXO-D0, is at present undergoing tests in Zaragoza. This prototype is sensitive to background high-energy neutrons that could induce false positive axion detections.
A neutron monitor has been proposed as a way...
The neutron-induced reaction cross-sections for molybdenum, particularly the capture cross-sections, are relevant across various scientific fields, from nuclear astrophysics to nuclear technologies. Molybdenum isotopes are present as fission products in conventional nuclear reactors and its use is under study for potential applications in next-generation fission and fusion reactors....
The crust of a neutron star is important for many astrophysical phenomena such as the cooling of the star and its transport properties. I will present calculations of the neutron-star crust within a compressible liquid drop model both at zero and finite temperature. I will also discuss results for neutron-star-crust elastic properties, such as the shear modulus, and their associated...
13 beta-delayed two-proton (β2p) emitters are known today: $^{22}$Al, $^{22,23}$Si, $^{26}$P, $^{27}$S, $^{31}$Ar, $^{35}$Ca, $^{39}$Ti, $^{43}$Cr, $^{45,46}$Fe, and $^{50,51}$Ni. The Q-value (the energy released in the decay) is a major determining factor for what type of beta-delayed decays occur, and therefore two-proton emitters are found at or close to the dripline. Nuclear structure also...
TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN) specializes in high-precision measurements and isobaric separation of exotic nuclei using advanced electromagnetic traps. These precise mass measurements are crucial for investigating nuclear structure and studying astrophysical processes involving isotopes far from the valley of stability.
TITAN’s Multiple-Reflection Time-of-Flight...
First stars played a key role in shaping the chemical evolution of the universe, acting as the earliest sites of nucleosynthesis beyond the Big Bang. Yet, key aspects of their nuclear burning processes—particularly the formation of CNO nuclei from primordial material—remain among the long-standing puzzles in nuclear astrophysics.
Recent studies suggest that previously overlooked reaction...
The s-process is responsible for producing roughly half of the elements heavier than iron in the periodic table. While the dominant contribution to s-process nucleosynthesis in galactic chemical evolution (GCE) is typically attributed to the late evolutionary stages of low-mass stars, their long lifetimes make them unlikely sources for explaining the presence of heavy elements observed in the...
The astrophysical p-process is the crucial mechanism responsible for the synthesis of a sub-set of proton-rich isotopes, known as p-nuclei, which cannot be produced by the s- and r-processes. Despite the several astrophysical environments considered in the literature [1-3] photodisintegration reactions are identified as the dominant mechanism for the production of these rather weakly naturally...
Our understanding of stellar evolution has greatly advanced thanks to the synergy between observation, stellar modeling, and nuclear physics. Nuclear reaction rates are fundamental inputs in stellar models, making their study essential for addressing key questions in nuclear astrophysics. Two main experimental approaches are used to determine cross sections: direct measurements and indirect...
This talk will present two resonant elastic scattering experiments addressing questions in nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure. The first experiment focuses on the production of 18F in classical novae, critical for gamma-ray emissions from 𝛽+ decay. The reaction 18F( 𝑝, 𝛼)15O, which destroys 18F, remains uncertain due to limited spec-
troscopic data for 19Ne in the Gamow window. To...
The third decadal review of solar fusion cross sections (SF-III) is based on a community consensus formed in a workshop in July 2022 in Berkeley with 50 participants representing many of the groups active in the field. It is now available online (https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.06470 , and Rev. Mod. Phys. in press).
I will present a nuclear physics based perspective on the SF-III recommended...
Stopping power (SP) refers to the rate at which a charged particle loses energy as it moves through a medium; however, it is substantially different between ordinary (cold) and plasma matter. As a consequence, a precise determination of SP in plasmas is essential for nuclear astrophysics [Ber04, ADGL99] and energy production [LP93, ZZZ+22], because it plays a central role in determining...
The production and abundances of neon and sodium isotopes in massive stars, novae and supernovae is strictly connected to the cross section of proton reactions with Ne isotopes. In particular, the 21Ne(p,γ)22Na reaction has a relevant role in the production of the radioactive isotope 22Na in novae and supernovae. At T~0.1-0.7GK, the main contributions to the stellar rate are provided by...
The 25Al(p, γ)26Si reaction plays a crucial role in the production of the 26Al radioisotope in the Galaxy. To accurately model the thermonuclear reaction rates for the production of 26Al in astrophysical environments, spectroscopic information about the nature of the states (Iπ , Ex ,..) close to the proton threshold is needed. Theoretical calculations predict three resonances in 26Si with Iπ...
