Speaker
Description
Nucleosynthesis in Type I X-ray bursts, particularly the rp-process, provides an important connection between nuclear physics and astrophysical observations. However, many reaction rates relevant to explosive hydrogen burning remain experimentally unconstrained, and theoretical predictions still involve substantial uncertainties. We investigate the astrophysical impact of a newly calculated set of theoretical reaction rates obtained with the Hauser-Feshbach code SMARAGD [1]. Using one-zone X-ray burst models covering a typical range of burst conditions, together with a reaction network optimized for rp-process nucleosynthesis, we compare the results based on the new SMARAGD rates with those obtained using standard reaction-rate libraries. Monte Carlo--based sensitivity calculations are also employed to evaluate the effects of reaction-rate uncertainties. We find that the updated theoretical rates can lead to moderate systematic changes in the rp-process path. Their impact on X-ray-burst light curves is generally limited, whereas more pronounced differences appear in the final abundances, especially for nuclei in the trans-iron region. These results suggest that systematic revisions of theoretical reaction rates may affect the interpretation of burst ashes even when their observable light-curve effects are modest. Our study highlights the importance of assessing theoretical reaction-rate uncertainties in rp-process nucleosynthesis. It also shows that Monte Carlo sensitivity studies are valuable for identifying influential reactions, but their interpretation requires caution in regions where many rates remain poorly constrained by experiment.
[1] T. Rauscher, EPJA 62, 35 (2026)
| Category | Theory |
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