Nuclear Seminar

JINA REACLIB in Type-I X-ray Bursts

Professor Richard H. Cyburt
NSCL, Michigan State University

Monday, September 8, 2008   4:00 p.m.   NSH 124
(Refreshments served prior to seminar in NSH 124)

Nuclear astrophysics requires knowledge of experiments, observations and models. Of particular importance is nuclear physics input, in the form of thermonuclear reaction rates, weak decay rates and nuclear masses. This interchange between theory and experiment and observations is quite prevalent in studies of the explosions on neutron star surfaces, known as X-ray bursts. The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA) REACLIB Project is an ongoing effort to maintain the most current and accurate library of thermonuclear reaction rates and ground state weak decay rates.

A consequence of updating rates is that old rates are kept as optional rate versions for users. We have just finished a round of updating and have created two new snapshot libraries, V_0.5 and V_1.0. Both libraries contain the newest experimental-based rates and differ only in the statistical model reaction rates adopted. I will discuss the biggest changes to these libraries and explore the impact they have on X-ray burst predictions. Our studies can be used by experimentalists/observers/theorists to improve our understanding of these bursts.