A century ago, nuclear physics entered astrophysics, giving birth to a new field of science referred to as Nuclear Astrophysics. With time, it developed at an impressive pace into a vastly inter- and multidisciplinary discipline bringing into its wak
e not only astronomy and cosmology, but also many other sub-fields of physics, especially particle, solid-state and computational physics, as well as chemistry, geology and even biology. The present Astronuclear Physics review focusses primarily on the facets of nuclear physics that are of relevance to astronomy and astrophysics, the theoretical aspects being of special concern here.
We have measured the isotopic abundances of neon and a number of other species in the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) using the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) aboard the ACE spacecraft. Our data are compared to recent results from two-component W
olf-Rayet (WR) models. The three largest deviations of galactic cosmic ray isotope ratios from solar-system ratios predicted by these models, 12C/16O, 22Ne/20Ne, and 58Fe/56Fe, are very close to those observed. All of the isotopic ratios that we have measured are consistent with a GCR source consisting of ~20% of WR material mixed with ~80% material with solar-system composition. Since WR stars are evolutionary products of OB stars, and most OB stars exist in OB associations that form superbubbles, the good agreement of our data with WR models suggests that OB associations within superbubbles are the likely source of at least a substantial fraction of GCRs. In previous work it has been shown that the primary 59Ni (which decays only by electron-capture) in GCRs has decayed, indicating a time interval between nucleosynthesis and acceleration of >10^5 yr.In this paper we suggest a scenario that should allow much of the 59Ni to decay in the OB association environment and conclude that the hypothesis of the OB association origin of cosmic rays appears to be viable.
A necessary condition for the reliable modelling of the structure or evolution of the stars and of their concomitant nucleosynthesis is the availability of good quality nuclear data in a very wide area of the chart of nuclides. This short review pres
ents a non-exhaustive list of nuclear data of astrophysics interest (masses, $beta$-decays, thermonuclear and non-thermonuclear reaction rates) for nuclides at the bottom of the valley of nuclear stability (mainly involved in the modelling of non-explosive phases of stellar evolution), or for more or less highly exotic nuclides (to be considered in the description of stellar explosions). Special emphasis is put on the importance of providing quality nuclear data bases that can be easily used by astrophysicists.
The r-process, or the rapid neutron-capture process, of stellar nucleosynthesis is called for to explain the production of the stable (and some long-lived radioactive) neutron-rich nuclides heavier than iron that are observed in stars of various meta
llicities, as well as in the solar system. A very large amount of nuclear information is necessary in order to model the r-process. This concerns the static characteristics of a large variety of light to heavy nuclei between the valley of stability and the vicinity of the neutron-drip line, as well as their beta-decay branches or their reactivity. The enormously challenging experimental and theoretical task imposed by all these requirements is reviewed, and the state-of-the-art development in the field is presented. Nuclear-physics-based and astrophysics-free r-process models of different levels of sophistication have been constructed over the years. We review their merits and their shortcomings. For long, the core collapse supernova of massive stars has been envisioned as the privileged r-process location. We present a brief summary of the one- or multidimensional spherical or non-spherical explosion simulations available to-date. Their predictions are confronted with the requirements imposed to obtain an r-process. The possibility of r-nuclide synthesis during the decompression of the matter of neutron stars following their merging is also discussed.
It has been speculated that WR winds may have contaminated the forming solar system, in particular with short-lived radionuclides (half-lives in the approximate 10^5 - 10^8 y range) that are responsible for a class of isotopic anomalies found in some
meteoritic materials. We revisit the capability of the WR winds to eject these radionuclides using new models of single non-exploding WR stars with metallicity Z = 0.02. The earlier predictions for non-rotating WR stars are updated, and models for rotating such stars are used for the first time in this context. We find that (1) rotation has no significant influence on the short-lived radionuclide production by neutron capture during the core He-burning phase, and (2) 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, and 107Pd can be wind-ejected by a variety of WR stars at relative levels that are compatible with the meteoritic analyses for a period of free decay of around 10^5 y between production and incorporation into the forming solar system solid bodies. We confirm the previously published conclusions that the winds of WR stars have a radionuclide composition that can meet the necessary condition for them to be a possible contaminating agent of the forming solar system. Still, it remains to be demonstrated from detailed models that this is a sufficient condition for these winds to have provided a level of pollution that is compatible with the observations.
The abundances of neon isotopes in the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are reported using data from the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) aboard the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE). We compare our ACE-CRIS data for neon and refractory isotope ra
tios, and data from other experiments, with recent results from two-component Wolf-Rayet (WR) models. The three largest deviations of GCR isotope ratios from solar-system ratios predicted by these models are indeed present in the GCRs. Since WR stars are evolutionary products of OB stars, and most OB stars exist in OB associations that form superbubbles, the good agreement of these data with WR models suggests that superbubbles are the likely source of at least a substantial fraction of GCRs.
New models of rotating and non-rotating stars are computed for initial masses between 25 and 120 Msun and for metallicities Z = 0.004, 0.008, 0.020 and 0.040 with the aim of reexamining the wind contribution of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars to the F19 enrich
ment of the interstellar medium. Models with an initial rotation velocity vini = 300 km/s are found to globally eject less F19 than the non-rotating models. We compare our new predictions with those of Meynet & Arnould (2000), and demonstrate that the F19 yields are very sensitive to the still uncertain F19(alpha,p)Ne22 rate and to the adopted mass loss rates. Using the recommended mass loss rate values that take into account the clumping of the WR wind and the NACRE reaction rates when available, we obtain WR F19 yields that are significantly lower than predicted by Meynet & Arnould (2000), and that would make WR stars non-important contributors to the galactic F19 budget. In view, however, of the large nuclear and mass loss rate uncertainties, we consider that the question of the WR contribution to the galactic F19 remains quite largely open.
Nuclear reaction rates are quantities of fundamental importance in astrophysics. Substantial efforts have been devoted in the last decades to measure or calculate them. The present paper presents for the first time a detailed description of the Bruss
els nuclear reaction rate library BRUSLIB and of the nuclear network generator NETGEN so as to make these nuclear data packages easily accessible to astrophysicists for a large variety of applications. BRUSLIB is made of two parts. The first one contains the 1999 NACRE compilation based on experimental data for 86 reactions with (mainly) stable targets up to Si. The second part of BRUSLIB concerns nuclear reaction rate predictions calculated within a statistical Hauser-Feshbach approximation, which limits the reliability of the rates to reactions producing compound nuclei with a high enough level density. These calculations make use of global and coherent microscopic nuclear models for the quantities entering the rate calculations. The use of such models is utterly important, and makes the BRUSLIB rate library unique. A description of the Nuclear Network Generator NETGEN that complements the BRUSLIB package is also presented. NETGEN is a tool to generate nuclear reaction rates for temperature grids specified by the user. The information it provides can be used for a large variety of applications, including Big Bang nucleosynthesis, the energy generation and nucleosynthesis associated with the non-explosive and explosive hydrogen to silicon burning stages, or the synthesis of the heavy nuclides through the s-, alpha- and r-, rp- or p-processes.
The abundances of the isotopes of the elements C, N and O are mainly affected by the cold CNO cycles in non-explosive stellar situations, or by the hot CNO chains that can develop in certain explosive sites, like classical novae. Helium burning phase
s can modify the composition of the ashes of the CNO transmutations through several $alpha$-capture reactions, the most famed one being 12C(a,g)16O. This contribution presents a short review of the purely nuclear physics limitations imposed on the accuracy of the predicted C, N and O yields from H-burning in non-explosive stars or novae. This analysis makes largely use of the NACRE compilation for the rates of the reactions on stable targets making up the cold CNO cycle. Some more recent rate determinations are also considered. The analysis of the impact of the rate uncertainties on the abundance predictions is conducted in the framework of a simple parametric astrophysical model. These calculations have the virtue of being a guide in the selection of the nuclear uncertainties that have to be duly analyzed in detailed model stars, particularly in order to perform meaningful confrontations between abundance observations and predictions. They are also hoped to help nuclear astrophysicists pinpointing the rate uncertainties that have to be reduced most urgently. A limited use of detailed stellar models is also made for the purpose of some specific illustrations.
The reliable evaluation of the r-process production of the actinides and careful estimates of the uncertainties affecting these predictions are key ingredients especially in nucleo-cosmochronology studies based on the analysis of very metal-poor star
s or on the composition of meteorites. This type of information is also required in order to make the best possible use of future high precision data on the actinide composition of galactic cosmic rays, of the local interstellar medium, or of meteoritic grains of presumed circumstellar origin. This paper provides the practitioners in these various fields with the most detailed and careful analysis of the r-process actinide production available to-date. In total, thirty-two different multi-event canonical calculations using different nuclear ingredients or astrophysics conditions are presented, and are considered to give a fair picture of the level of reliability of the predictions of the actinide production, at least in the framework of a simple r-process model. This simplicity is imposed by our inability to identify the proper astrophysical sites for the r-process. Constraints on the actinide yield predictions and associated uncertainties are suggested on grounds of the measured abundances of r-nuclides, including Th and U, in the star CS 31082-001, and under the critical and questionable assumption of the `universality of the r-process. We also define alternative constraints based on the nucleo-cosmochronological results derived from the present actinide content of meteorites. Implications to the different above-cited fields, and in particular nucleo-cosmochronometry are discussed.
