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arXiv · 1605.03690

The production of proton-rich isotopes beyond iron: The $\gamma$ process in stars

Marco Pignatari·Kathrin Göbel·René Reifarth·Claudia Travaglio
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Abstract

Beyond iron, a small fraction of the total abundances in the Solar System is made of proton-rich isotopes, the p nuclei. The clear understanding of their production is a fundamental challenge for nuclear astrophysics. The p nuclei constrain the nucleosynthesis in core-collapse and thermonuclear supernovae. The $\gamma$ process is the most established scenario for the production of the p nuclei, which are produced via different photodisintegration paths starting on heavier nuclei. A large effort from nuclear physics is needed to access the relevant nuclear reaction rates far from the valley of stability. This review describes the production of the heavy proton-rich isotopes by the $\gamma$ process in stars, and explores the state of the art of experimental nuclear physics to provide nuclear data for stellar nucleosynthesis.

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Marco Pignatari, Kathrin Göbel, René Reifarth, Claudia Travaglio. 2016-05-12. The production of proton-rich isotopes beyond iron: The $\gamma$ process in stars. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0218301316300034

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