학술논문
Search for $^{22}$Na in novae supported by a novel method for measuring femtosecond nuclear lifetimes
Document Type
Working Paper
Author
Fougères, C.; Santos, F. de Oliveira; José, J.; Michelagnoli, C.; Clément, E.; Kim, Y. H.; Lemasson, A.; Guimaraes, V.; Barrientos, D.; Bemmerer, D.; Benzoni, G.; Boston, A. J.; Bottger, R.; Boulay, F.; Bracco, A.; Celikovic, I.; Cederwall, B.; Ciemala, M.; Delafosse, C.; Domingo-Pardo, C.; Dudouet, J.; Eberth, J.; Fulop, Z.; Gonzalez, V.; Goupil, J.; Hess, H.; Jungclaus, A.; Kaskas, A.; Korichi, A.; Lenzi, S. M.; Leoni, S.; Li, H.; Ljungvall, J.; Lopez-Martens, A.; Menegazzo, R.; Mengoni, D.; Million, B.; Mrazek, J.; Napoli, D. R.; Navin, A.; Nyberg, J.; Podolyak, Zs.; Pullia, A.; Quintana, B.; Ralet, D.; Redon, N.; Reiter, P.; Rezynkina, K.; Saillant, F.; Salsac, M. D.; Sanchez-Benitez, A. M.; Sanchis, E.; Senyigit, M.; Siciliano, M.; Smirnova, N. A.; Sohler, D.; Stanoiu, M.; Theisen, Ch.; Valiente-Dobon, J. J.; Ujic, P.; Zielinska, M.
Source
Nature Communications 14, 2023
Subject
Language
Abstract
Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions in stellar binary systems, and important sources of $^{26}$Al and $^{22}$Na. While gamma rays from the decay of the former radioisotope have been observed throughout the Galaxy, $^{22}$Na remains untraceable. The half-life of $^{22}$Na (2.6 yr) would allow the observation of its 1.275 MeV gamma-ray line from a cosmic source. However, the prediction of such an observation requires good knowledge of the nuclear reactions involved in the production and destruction of this nucleus. The $^{22}$Na($p,\gamma$)$^{23}$Mg reaction remains the only source of large uncertainty about the amount of $^{22}$Na ejected. Its rate is dominated by a single resonance on the short-lived state at 7785.0(7) keV in $^{23}$Mg. In the present work, a combined analysis of particle-particle correlations and velocity-difference profiles is proposed to measure femtosecond nuclear lifetimes. The application of this novel method to the study of the $^{23}$Mg states, combining magnetic and highly-segmented tracking gamma-ray spectrometers, places strong limits on the amount of $^{22}$Na produced in novae, explains its non-observation to date in gamma rays (flux < 2.5x$10^{-4}$ ph/(cm$^2$s)), and constrains its detectability with future space-borne observatories.
Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, 1 table
Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, 1 table