Theoretical Evaluation of the Reaction Rates for 26Al(n,p)26Mg and 26Al(n,a)23Na

TL;DR

This paper evaluates and compares theoretical reaction rates for 26Al destruction in stars using different nuclear reaction codes, providing recommended rates based on theoretical and experimental data.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive theoretical evaluation of 26Al(n,p)26Mg and 26Al(n,a)23Na reaction rates using EMPIRE and TALYS, and compares them with existing models and experimental data.

Findings

EMPIRE and TALYS results are comparable to non-smoker.

Reaction rate variations depend on input parameters.

Recommended rates are provided based on combined theoretical and experimental data.

Abstract

The reactions that destroy 26Al in massive stars have significance in a number of astrophysical contexts. We evaluate the reaction rates of 26Al(n,p)26Mg and 26Al(n,a)23Na using cross sections obtained from the codes EMPIRE and TALYS. These have been compared to the published rates obtained from the non-smoker code and to some experimental data. We show that the results obtained from EMPIRE and TALYS are comparable to those from non-smoker. We also show how the theoretical results vary with respect to changes in the input parameters. Finally, we present recommended rates for these reactions using the available experimental data and our new theoretical results.