E. Pllumbi | Searcharxiv

arXiv2017

Production and Distribution of $^{44}$Ti and $^{56}$Ni in a Three-dimensional Supernova Model Resembling Cassiopeia A

The spatial and velocity distributions of nuclear species synthesized in the innermost regions of core-collapse supernovae can yield important clues about explosion asymmetries and the operation of the still disputed explosion mechanism. Recent observations of radioactive $^{44}$Ti with high-energy satellite telescopes (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array [NuSTAR], INTEGRAL) have measured gamma-ray line details, which provide direct evidence of large-scale explosion asymmetries in SN 1987A and in Cassiopeia A (Cas A) even by mapping of the spatial brightness distribution (NuSTAR). Here we discuss a 3D simulation of a neutrino-driven explosion, using a parameterized neutrino engine, whose $^{44}$Ti distribution is mostly concentrated in one hemisphere pointing opposite to the neutron star (NS) kick velocity. Both exhibit intriguing resemblance to the observed morphology of the Cas A remnant, although neither the progenitor nor the explosion was fine-tuned for a perfect match. Our results demonstrate that the asymmetries observed in this remnant can, in principle, be accounted for by a neutrino-driven explosion, and that the high $^{44}$Ti abundance in Cas A may be explained without invoking rapid rotation or a jet-driven explosion, because neutrino-driven explosions generically eject large amounts of high-entropy matter. The recoil acceleration of the NS is connected to mass ejection asymmetries and is opposite to the direction of the stronger explosion, fully compatible with the gravitational tugboat mechanism. Our results also imply that Cas A and SN 1987A could possess similarly "one-sided" Ti and Fe asymmetries, with the difference that Cas A is viewed from a direction with large inclination angle to the NS motion, whereas the NS in SN 1987A should have a dominant velocity component pointing toward us.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Probing the pairing interaction through two-neutron transfer reactions

Cross sections for ($p,t$) two-neutron transfer reactions are calculated in the one-step zero-range distorted-wave Born approximation for the tin isotopes $^{124}$Sn and $^{136}$Sn and for incident proton energies from 15 to 35 MeV. Microscopic quasiparticle random-phase approximation form factors are provided for the reaction calculation and phenomenological optical potentials are used in both the entrance and the exit channels. Three different surface/volume mixings of a zero-range density-dependent pairing interaction are employed in the microscopic calculations and the sensitivity of the cross sections to the different mixings is analyzed. Since absolute cross sections cannot be obtained within our model, we compare the positions of the diffraction minima and the shapes of the angular distributions. No differences are found in the position of the diffraction minima for the reaction $^{124}$Sn($p,t$)$^{122}$Sn. On the other side, the angular distributions obtained for the reaction $^{136}$Sn($p,t$)$^{134}$Sn with surface and mixed interactions differ at large angles for some values of the incident proton energy. For this reaction, we compare the ratios of the cross sections associated to the ground state and the first excited state transitions. Differences among the three different theoretical predictions are found and they are more important at the incident proton energy of 15 MeV. As a conclusion, we indicate ($p,t$) two-neutron transfer reactions with very neutron-rich Sn isotopes and at proton energies around 15 MeV as good experimental cases where the surface/volume mixing of the pairing interaction may be probed.

nucl-th↗