Non-explosive hydrogen and helium burnings: Abundance predictions from the NACRE reaction rate compilation

TL;DR

This paper calculates isotope abundances from hydrogen and helium burning using NACRE reaction rates, analyzing nuclear physics uncertainties to guide future astrophysical and nuclear physics research.

Contribution

It provides detailed abundance predictions based on NACRE rates and discusses the impact of nuclear uncertainties in a simple astrophysical model.

Findings

Nuclear physics uncertainties significantly affect abundance predictions.

The study identifies key reaction rates needing reduction in uncertainty.

Results serve as a guide for future detailed stellar models.

Abstract

The abundances of the isotopes of the elements from C to Al produced by the non-explosive CNO, NeNa and MgAl modes of hydrogen burning, as well as by helium burning, are calculated with the thermonuclear rates recommended by the European compilation of reaction rates for astrophysics (NACRE: details about NACRE may be found at http://astro.ulb.ac.be. This electronic address provides many data of nuclear astrophysics interest and also offers the possibility of generating interactively tables of reaction rates for networks and temperature grids selected by the user). The impact of nuclear physics uncertainties on the derived abundances is discussed in the framework of a simple parametric astrophysical model. These calculations have the virtue of being a guide in the selection of the nuclear uncertainties that have to be duly analyzed in detailed model stars, particularly in order to perform meaningful confrontations between abundance observations and predictions. They are also hoped to help nuclear astrophysicists pinpointing the rate uncertainties that have to be reduced most urgently.