Alternative path for bridging the A = 5, 8 gap in neutron-rich nucleosynthesis scenarios

R de Diego (1) , E Garrido (1) , D V Fedorov (2) , a S Jensen (2)

1 Instituto de Estructura de la Materia
2 Department of Physics and Astronomy [Aarhus]

In neutron-rich nucleosynthesis scenarios the mass gaps A=5, 8 are assumed to be bridged by the three-body electromagnetic recombination reaction 4 He(αn, γ) 9 Be. However an alternative path, the nuclear four-body neutronrecoil recombination reaction 4 He(αnn, n) 9 Be, is also conceivable in neutron-rich environments. We estimate the rate of the alternative reaction and show that for temperatures of about 10 9 K it is comparable with the electromagnetic rate if the neutron density is of about 10 30 neutrons per cm 3. At higher neutron densities the nuclear process dominates.

Mots clés: Physical Sciences

R de Diego, E Garrido, D V Fedorov, a S Jensen. Alternative path for bridging the A = 5, 8 gap in neutron-rich nucleosynthesis scenarios. Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics, 2010, 37 (11), pp.115105. ⟨10.1088/0954-3899/37/11/115105⟩. ⟨hal-00600780⟩