Model description of non-Maxwellian nuclear processes in the solar interior

TL;DR

This paper develops a model for non-Maxwellian nuclear processes in the solar core, revealing significant effects of suprathermal particles on reaction rates and element abundances, which could impact solar neutrino predictions.

Contribution

It introduces a refined model for suprathermal reactions in the solar interior, accounting for electron degeneracy and screening effects, and explores their impact on CNO cycle element abundances.

Findings

Increased 14N(alpha,p)17O reaction rate by 20% near the solar core.

Potential 100-fold increase in 17O abundance in the outer core.

Alteration of CNO element abundances affecting solar neutrino fluxes.

Abstract

A consistent model for the description of non-Maxwellian nuclear processes in the solar core triggered by fast reaction-produced particles is formulated. It essentially extends an approach to study suprathermal solar reactions discussed previously [Phys. Rev. C 91, 028801 (2015)] and refines its predictions. The model is applied to examine in detail the slowing-down of 8.7-MeV alpha particles produced in the 7Li(p,alpha)alpha reaction of the pp chain, and to study suprathermal processes in the solar CNO cycle induced by them. The influence of electron degeneracy and electron screening on suprathermal reactions through in-flight reaction probability and fast particle emission rate is clarified. In particular, these effects account for a 20% increase of the 14N(alpha,p)17O reaction rate at R < 0.2Rsun. This new type of correction is important for the suprathermal reaction like 14N(alpha,p)17O as it is recognized to be capable of distorting the CNO cycle in the 95% region of the solar core. In this region, normal branching 14N <-- 17O --> 18F of nuclear flow transforms to abnormal sequential flow 14N --> 17O --> 18F, and the 14N(alpha,p)17O reaction rate exceeds the rate of 17O burn up through conventional 17O(p,alpha)14N and 17O(p,gamma)18F processes. It is shown that these factors can enhance the 17O abundance in the core as compared with standard estimates. For the steady state case, the abundance enhancement is estimated to be as high as ~ 100 in the outer core region. A conjecture is made that other CNO suprathermal (alpha,p) reactions may also alter abundances of CNO elements, including those generating solar neutrinos.