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Bishop J, Parker CE, Rogachev GV, Ahn S, Koshchiy E, Brandenburg K, Brune CR, Charity RJ, Derkin J, Dronchi N, Hamad G, Jones-Alberty Y, Kokalova T, Massey TN, Meisel Z, Ohstrom EV, Paneru SN, Pollacco EC, Saxena M, Singh N, Smith R, Sobotka LG, Soltesz D, Subedi SK, Voinov AV, Warren J, Wheldon C. Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2151. [PMID: 35444209 PMCID: PMC9021293 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29848-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The neutron inelastic scattering of carbon-12, populating the Hoyle state, is a reaction of interest for the triple-alpha process. The inverse process (neutron upscattering) can enhance the Hoyle state’s decay rate to the bound states of 12C, effectively increasing the overall triple-alpha reaction rate. The cross section of this reaction is impossible to measure experimentally but has been determined here at astrophysically-relevant energies using detailed balance. Using a highly-collimated monoenergetic beam, here we measure neutrons incident on the Texas Active Target Time Projection Chamber (TexAT TPC) filled with CO2 gas, we measure the 3α-particles (arising from the decay of the Hoyle state following inelastic scattering) and a cross section is extracted. Here we show the neutron-upscattering enhancement is observed to be much smaller than previously expected. The importance of the neutron-upscattering enhancement may therefore not be significant aside from in very particular astrophysical sites (e.g. neutron star mergers). The triple-alpha process plays a role in nucleosynthesis, in the formation of 12C. Here, the authors discuss the rate and role of the neutron upscattering phenomenon on the triple-alpha process in a multi-step process.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bishop
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - C E Parker
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - G V Rogachev
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.,Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.,Nuclear Solutions Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - S Ahn
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.,Center for Exotic Nuclear Studies, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea
| | - E Koshchiy
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - K Brandenburg
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - C R Brune
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - R J Charity
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - J Derkin
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - N Dronchi
- Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - G Hamad
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Y Jones-Alberty
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Tz Kokalova
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - T N Massey
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Z Meisel
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - E V Ohstrom
- Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - S N Paneru
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - E C Pollacco
- IRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - M Saxena
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - N Singh
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - R Smith
- Department of Engineering and Mathematics, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, S1 1WB, UK
| | - L G Sobotka
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.,Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.,McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - D Soltesz
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - S K Subedi
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - A V Voinov
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - J Warren
- Edwards Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - C Wheldon
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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