The Impact of Uncertainties in Reaction Q-values on Nucleosynthesis in Type I X-Ray Bursts

TL;DR

This paper investigates how uncertainties in nuclear reaction Q-values affect nucleosynthesis predictions in Type I X-ray bursts, emphasizing the need for precise measurements of key nuclear masses to improve model accuracy.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of nucleosynthesis to reaction Q-value uncertainties and identifies critical nuclear masses requiring experimental measurement.

Findings

Reaction Q-value uncertainties significantly influence nucleosynthesis pathways.

Certain nuclear masses, like 65As, are crucial for accurate modeling.

Measuring specific nuclear masses can reduce uncertainties in burst nucleosynthesis predictions.

Abstract

Nucleosynthesis in Type I X-ray bursts may involve up to several thousand nuclear processes. The majority of these processes have only been determined theoretically due to the lack of sufficient experimental information. Accurate reaction Q-values are essential for reliable theoretical estimates of reaction-rates. Those reactions with small Q-values (< 1 MeV) are of particular interest in these environments as they may represent waiting points for a continuous abundance flow towards heavier-mass nuclei. To explore the nature of these waiting points, we have performed a comprehensive series of post-processing calculations which examine the sensitivity of nucleosynthesis in Type I X-ray bursts to uncertainties in reaction Q-values. We discuss and list the relatively few critical masses for which measurements could better constrain the results of our studies. In particular, we stress the importance of measuring the mass of 65As to obtain an experimental Q-value for the 64Ge(p,gamma)65As reaction.