The Skyrme-TQRPA calculations of electron capture on hot nuclei in pre-supernova environment

TL;DR

This paper introduces a combined thermal QRPA and Skyrme energy density functional approach to model electron capture on hot nuclei in supernova environments, focusing on $^{56}$Fe and analyzing thermal effects on GT+ transition strength functions.

Contribution

The paper develops the Skyrme-TQRPA method to incorporate thermal effects into electron capture modeling, providing a new tool for supernova nucleosynthesis studies.

Findings

Thermal effects significantly alter GT+ strength functions.

Results show sensitivity to different Skyrme interactions.

Finite-temperature cross sections are computed and compared.

Abstract

We combine the thermal QRPA approach with the Skyrme energy density functional theory (Skyrme-TQRPA) for modelling the process of electron capture on nuclei in supernova environment. For a sample nucleus, $^{56}$Fe, the Skyrme-TQRPA approach is applied to analyze thermal effects on the strength function of GT$_+$ transitions which dominate electron capture at $E_e\le 30$~MeV. Several Skyrme interactions are used in order to verify the sensitivity of the obtained results to the Skyrme force parameters. Finite-temperature cross sections are calculated and the results are compared with those of the other model calculations.