Speaker
Description
The long-lived γ-ray isotopes observed in supernova remnants serve as direct signatures of the nucleosynthesis processes occurring deep within core-collapse supernovae. However, transforming these observations into a clear understanding of explosion dynamics requires precise nuclear physics input. A prime example is the 13-N(α,p)16-O reaction, which has been identified as a major nuclear uncertainty affecting the production of observable isotopes such as 44-Ti, 56-Ni, and various neutron-rich iron-group elements.
In this talk, I will present a new measurement of the 13-N(α,p)16-O reaction cross section performed at the CRIB facility (RIKEN). By employing the thick-target inverse kinematics technique with a high-intensity radioactive 13N beam, we probed the astrophysically relevant energy range of Ec.m.≈1.2–5.0 MeV. I will discuss our experimental approach and share preliminary results from this experiment, illustrating how targeted nuclear physics measurements provide the critical data needed to refine nucleosynthesis models. These results are essential for improving the interpretation of current γ-ray data and enabling more accurate predictions for next-generation observatories, ultimately allowing us to use γ-ray signatures as detailed probes of stellar explosion physics.
References
[1] K. Hermansen et al., Astrophys. J 901, 77 (2020).
[2] S. Subedi et al., Astrophys. J 898, 5 (2020).
[3] C.L. Fryer et al., arXiv:2601.04464 [astro-ph] (2026).
[4] A. Meyer et al., Phys. Rev. C 102, 035803 (2020).
[5] H. Jayatissa et al., Phys. Rev. C 105, L042802 (2022).
| Career stage | Pre-tenure/untenured mid-to-late-career researcher |
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