The $\nu$ process in the light of an improved understanding of supernova neutrino spectra

TL;DR

This study investigates how neutrino interactions during supernova explosions produce certain isotopes, revealing their significance in nucleosynthesis and implications for astrophysical observations and meteoritic compositions.

Contribution

It provides an improved, comprehensive set of neutrino-nucleus reaction cross sections and analyzes their impact on isotope production in supernovae with modern neutrino spectra.

Findings

Neutrino nucleosynthesis significantly produces $^{11}$B, $^{138}$La, and $^{180}$Ta.

Neutrino reactions contribute to the production of $^{26}$Al and $^{22}$Na.

The $ u$ process affects stable and radioactive nuclei, aligning with meteoritic and solar system data.

Abstract

We study the neutrino-induced production of nuclides in explosive supernova nucleosynthesis for progenitor stars with solar metallicity including neutrino nucleus reactions for all nuclei with charge numbers $Z < 76$ with average neutrino energies in agreement with modern Supernova simulations. Considering progenitors with initial main sequence masses between 13~M$_\odot$ and 30~M$_\odot$, we find a significant production of $^{11}$B, $^{138}$La, and $^{180}$Ta by neutrino nucleosynthesis, despite the significantly reduced neutrino energies. The production of $^{19}$F turns out to be more sensitive to the progenitor mass and structure than to the $\nu$ process. With our complete set of cross sections we have identified effects of the $\nu$~process on several stable nuclei including $^{33}$S, $^{40}$Ar, $^{41}$K, $^{59}$Co, and $^{113}$In at the 10\% level. Neutrino-induced reactions contribute to a similar extent to the production of radioactive ${}^{26}$Al and increase the yield of $^{22}$Na by 50\%. Future $\gamma$~ray astronomy missions may reach the precision at which the contribution from the $\nu$~process becomes relevant. We find that the production of $^{22}$Na by the $\nu$~process could explain the Ne-E(L) component of meteoritic graphite grains. The $\nu$~process enhances the yield of $^{36}$Cl and we point out that the resulting $^{36}$Cl/$^{35}$Cl ratio is in agreement with the values infrerred for the early solar system. Our extended set of neutrino-nucleus interactions also allows us to exclude any further effects of the $\nu$ process on stable nuclei and to quantify the effects on numerous, hitherto unconsidered radioactive nuclei, e.g., $^{36}$Cl, $^{72}$As, $^{84}$Rb, and $^{88}$Y.