Abstract
Proton capture by 17F plays an important role in the synthesis of nuclei in nova explosions. A revised rate for this reaction, based on a measurement of the 1H(17F, p)17F excitation function using a radioactive 17F beam at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility, is used to calculate the nucleosynthesis in nova outbursts on the surfaces of 1.25 and 1.35 M · ONeMg white dwarfs and a 1.00 M· CO white dwarf. We find that the new 17F (p, γ)18Ne reaction rate changes the abundances of some nuclides (e.g., 17O) synthesized in the hottest zones of an explosion on a 1.35 M· white dwarf by more than a factor of 104 compared to calculations using some previous estimates for this reaction rate, and by more than a factor of 3 when the entire exploding envelope is considered. In a 1.25 M· white dwarf nova explosion, this new rate changes the abundances of some nuclides synthesized in the hottest zones by more than a factor of 600, and by more than a factor of 2 when the entire exploding envelope is considered. Calculations for the 1.00 M· white dwarf nova show that this new rate changes the abundance of 18Ne by 21% but has negligible effect on all other nuclides. Comparison of model predictions with observations is also discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1239-1245 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 598 |
Issue number | 2 I |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 1 2003 |
Keywords
- Novae, cataclysmic variables
- Nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science