Low-energy $^{23}$Al $\beta$-delayed proton decay and $^{22}$Na destruction in novae

M. Friedman , T. Budner , D. Pérez-Loureiro , E. Pollacco (1) , C. Wrede , J. José , B.A. Brown , M. Cortesi , C. Fry , B. Glassman , J. Heideman , M. Janasik , M. Roosa , J. Stomps , J. Surbrook , P. Tiwari

1 IRFU - Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers

The radionuclide Na22 is a target of γ-ray astronomy searches, predicted to be produced during thermonuclear runaways driving classical novae. The Na22(p,γ)Mg23 reaction is the main destruction channel of Na22 during a nova, hence, its rate is needed to accurately predict the Na22 yield. However, experimental determinations of the resonance strengths have led to inconsistent results. In this Rapid Communication, we report a measurement of the branching ratios of the Al23β-delayed protons as a probe of the key 204-keV (center-of-mass) Na22(p,γ)Mg23 resonance strength. We report a factor of 5 lower branching ratio compared to the most recent literature value. The variation in Na22 yield due to nuclear data inconsistencies was assessed using a series of hydrodynamic nova outburst simulations and has increased to a factor of 3.8, corresponding to a factor of ≈2 uncertainty in the maximum detectability distance. This is the first reported scientific measurement using the Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging system.

Mots clés: Nuclear Astrophysics

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Expérimentale [nucl-ex]

M. Friedman, T. Budner, D. Pérez-Loureiro, E. Pollacco, C. Wrede, et al.. Low-energy $^{23}$Al $\beta$-delayed proton decay and $^{22}$Na destruction in novae. Phys.Rev.C, 2020, 101 (5), pp.052802. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevC.101.052802⟩. ⟨hal-02431438⟩