Research Paper#Nuclear Astrophysics, Stellar Evolution, Nucleosynthesis🔬 ResearchAnalyzed: Jan 3, 2026 19:23
Impact of Oxygen Fusion Rate on Pop III Star Nucleosynthesis
Published:Dec 28, 2025 15:11
•1 min read
•ArXiv
Analysis
This paper investigates the impact of the $^{16}$O($^{16}$O, n)$^{31}$S reaction rate on the evolution and nucleosynthesis of Population III stars. It's significant because it explores how a specific nuclear reaction rate affects the production of elements in the early universe, potentially resolving discrepancies between theoretical models and observations of extremely metal-poor stars, particularly regarding potassium abundance.
Key Takeaways
- •The study focuses on the impact of the $^{16}$O($^{16}$O, n)$^{31}$S reaction rate on Pop III star evolution.
- •Increasing the reaction rate leads to earlier and longer core oxygen burning.
- •A higher reaction rate enhances the production of neutron-rich isotopes, especially potassium.
- •The results offer a potential solution to the potassium underproduction problem in stellar models.
- •The findings are consistent with observational data for extremely metal-poor stars.
Reference
“Increasing the $^{16}$O($^{16}$O, n)$^{31}$S reaction rate enhances the K yield by a factor of 6.4, and the predicted [K/Ca] and [K/Fe] values become consistent with observational data.”