The C12(α,γ)O16 reaction and its implications for stellar helium burning

R. J. deBoer, J. Görres, M. Wiescher, R. E. Azuma, A. Best, C. R. Brune, C. E. Fields, S. Jones, M. Pignatari, D. Sayre, K. Smith, F. X. Timmes, and E. Uberseder
Rev. Mod. Phys. 89, 035007 – Published 7 September 2017
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Abstract

The creation of carbon and oxygen in our Universe is one of the forefront questions in nuclear astrophysics. The determination of the abundance of these elements is key to our understanding of both the formation of life on Earth and to the life cycles of stars. While nearly all models of different nucleosynthesis environments are affected by the production of carbon and oxygen, a key ingredient, the precise determination of the reaction rate of C12(α,γ)O16, has long remained elusive. This is owed to the reaction’s inaccessibility, both experimentally and theoretically. Nuclear theory has struggled to calculate this reaction rate because the cross section is produced through different underlying nuclear mechanisms. Isospin selection rules suppress the E1 component of the ground state cross section, creating a unique situation where the E1 and E2 contributions are of nearly equal amplitudes. Experimentally there have also been great challenges. Measurements have been pushed to the limits of state-of-the-art techniques, often developed for just these measurements. The data have been plagued by uncharacterized uncertainties, often the result of the novel measurement techniques that have made the different results challenging to reconcile. However, the situation has markedly improved in recent years, and the desired level of uncertainty 10% may be in sight. In this review the current understanding of this critical reaction is summarized. The emphasis is placed primarily on the experimental work and interpretation of the reaction data, but discussions of the theory and astrophysics are also pursued. The main goal is to summarize and clarify the current understanding of the reaction and then point the way forward to an improved determination of the reaction rate.

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  • Received 19 May 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.89.035007

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Nuclear Physics

Authors & Affiliations

R. J. deBoer*, J. Görres, and M. Wiescher

  • The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 USA

R. E. Azuma

  • Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A7, Canada, and The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 USA

A. Best

  • INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, 67100 Assergi, Italy

C. R. Brune

  • Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA

C. E. Fields§

  • The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA

S. Jones

  • Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany, and the NuGrid Collaboration, http://nugridstars.org

M. Pignatari

  • E. A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics & Mathematics, University of Hull, HU6 7RX, United Kingdom, and Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Konkoly Thege Miklos ut 15-17, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary, and the NuGrid Collaboration, http://nugridstars.org

D. Sayre

  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA

K. Smith

  • Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 USA

F. X. Timmes

  • The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

E. Uberseder

  • Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA

  • *rdeboer1@nd.edu.
  • Deceased.
  • Present address: Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II” and INFN, Napoli, Italy.
  • §Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow.
  • Present address: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
  • Present address: Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

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Issue

Vol. 89, Iss. 3 — July - September 2017

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