First direct measurement of the 13N(α, p) 16O reaction relevant for core-collapse supernovae nucleosynthesis

Understanding the explosion mechanism of a core-collapse supernova (CCSN) is important to accurately model CCSN scenarios for different progenitor stars using model-observation comparisons. The uncertainties of various nuclear reaction rates relevant for CCSN scenarios strongly affect the accuracy of these stellar models. Out of these reactions, the 13N(??, p) 16O reaction has been found to affect various stages of a CCSN at varying temperatures. This work presents the first direct measurement of the 13N(??, p) 16O reaction performed using a 34.6 MeV beam of radioactive 13N ions and the active-target detector MUSIC (MUlti-Sampling Ionization Chamber) at Argonne National Laboratory. The resulting total 13N(??, p) 16O reaction cross sections from this measurement in the center-of-mass energy range of 3.26???6.02 MeV are presented and compared with calculations using the Hauser-Feshbach formalism. Uncertainties in the reaction rate have been dramatically reduced at CCSN temperatures.

Automated summary

Understanding the explosion mechanism of a core-collapse supernova is crucial for accurately modeling different scenarios. This study presents the first direct measurement of the 13N(??, p) 16O reaction and reduces the uncertainties in reaction rates at CCSN temperatures.