arXiv subjects

M. Richer

Publications and source records attributed to M. Richer.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Refining the deep sub-barrier 12C+12C excitation function with STELLA

Purpose: We have investigated the cross section around the lowest direct coincident gamma-particle measurements, where previously only limits could be established with the aim of obtaining a detailed description of the excitation function. We have furthermore analysed the ratio of extreme decay branching into the first excited state of daughter nuclei with alpha or proton emission at relative kinetic energies where previous measurements are in disagreement with each other. Conclusions: Our findings in the astrophysics RoI support reaction-rate models with a lower average S-factor trend, that deviates significantly from standard extrapolations between 2.2 MeV and 2.6 MeV, for stellar carbon burning simulations of up to 25 Msol stars. Based on our data, an overall increase of the S-factor at deep subbarrier energy cannot be confirmed. The extremely low ratio of the branching into the first excited state with proton over alpha emission of ~ 2% at 3.23 MeV might indicate the presence of alpha cluster compound states in 24Mg. This highly favours {\alpha} emission with fundamental consequences in possible stellar carbon burning sites.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2024

An Optical Gamma-Ray Burst Catalogue with Measured Redshift PART I: Data Release of 535 Gamma-Ray Bursts and Colour Evolution

We present the largest optical photometry compilation of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) with redshifts ($z$). We include 64813 observations of 535 events (including upper limits) from 28 February 1997 up to 18 August 2023. We also present a user-friendly web tool \textit{grbLC} which allows users the visualization of photometry, coordinates, redshift, host galaxy extinction, and spectral indices for each event in our database. Furthermore, we have added a Gamma Ray Coordinate Network (GCN) scraper that can be used to collect data by gathering magnitudes from the GCNs. The web tool also includes a package for uniformly investigating colour evolution. We compute the optical spectral indices for 138 GRBs for which we have at least 4 filters at the same epoch in our sample and craft a procedure to distinguish between GRBs with and without colour evolution. By providing a uniform format and repository for the optical catalogue, this web-based archive is the first step towards unifying several community efforts to gather the photometric information for all GRBs with known redshifts. This catalogue will enable population studies by providing light curves (LCs) with better coverage since we have gathered data from different ground-based locations. Consequently, these LCs can be used to train future LC reconstructions for an extended inference of the redshift. The data gathering also allows us to fill some of the orbital gaps from Swift in crucial points of the LCs, e.g., at the end of the plateau emission or where a jet break is identified.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Flexible Ansatz for N-body Perturbation Theory

We propose a new Perturbation Theory framework that can be used to help with the projective solution of the Schr\"odinger equation for arbitrary wavefunctions. This Flexible Ansatz for N-body Perturbation Theory (FANPT) is based on our previously proposed Flexible Ansatz for N-body Configuration Interaction (FANCI). We derive recursive FANPT expressions including arbitrary orders in the perturbation hierarchy. We show that the FANPT equations are well-behaved across a wide range of conditions, including static correlation-dominated configurations and highly non-linear wavefunctions.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2023

Coupled Cluster-Inspired Geminal Wavefunctions

Electron pairs have an illustrious history in chemistry, from powerful concepts to understanding structural stability and reactive changes, to the promise of serving as building blocks of quantitative descriptions of the electronic structure of complex molecules and materials. However, traditionally, two-electron wavefunctions (geminals), have not enjoyed the popularity and widespread use of the more standard single-particle methods. This has changed recently, with a renewed interest in the development of geminal wavefunctions as an alternative to describing strongly-correlated phenomena. Hence, there is a need to find geminal methods that are accurate, computationally-tractable, and do not demand significant input from the user (particularly, via cumbersome and often ill-behaved orbital optimization steps). Here we propose new families of geminal wavefunctions, inspired by the pair Coupled Cluster (pCCD) ansatz. We present a new hierarchy of two-electron wavefunctions that extend the one-reference orbital idea to other geminals. Moreover, we show how to incorporate single-like excitations in this framework, without leaving the quasiparticle picture. We explore the role of imposing seniority restrictions on these wavefunctions, and benchmark these new methods on model strongly-correlated systems.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2018

The STELLA Apparatus for Particle-Gamma Coincidence Fusion Measurements with Nanosecond Timing

The STELLA (STELlar LAboratory) experimental station for the measurement of deep sub-barrier light heavy-ion fusion cross sections has been installed at the Andromède accelerator at the Institut de Physique Nucléaire, Orsay (France). The setup is designed for the direct experimental determination of heavy-ion fusion cross sections as low as tens of picobarn. The detection concept is based on the coincident measurement of emitted gamma rays with the UK FATIMA (FAst TIMing Array) and evaporated charged particles using a silicon detector array. Key developments relevant to reaching the extreme sub-barrier fusion region are a rotating target mechanism to sustain beam intensities above 10$μ$A, an ultra-high vacuum to prevent carbon built-up and gamma charged-particle timing in the order of nanoseconds sufficient to separate proton and alpha particles.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2007

An object that defies stereotypes. X-ray observations of SBS 1150+599A -- the binary nucleus of PN G135.9+55.9

We present X-ray observations of the close binary nucleus of the planetary nebula PN G135.9+55.9 obtained with the XMM satellite. The nebula is the most oxygen-poor PN known to date and is located in the Galactic halo. It is known to harbor a close binary nucleus of which only one component can be observed in optical-UV range. New X-ray observations show that the invisible component is a very hot compact star. This finding allows us to reconstruct the immediate past of the object and predict its future. The parameters of the binary components we determine strongly suggest that the precursor was a symbiotic supersoft X-ray source that finished its life by Roche lobe overflow. PN G135.9+55.9 is an excelent candidate for a future type Ia supernova.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The Red Stellar Contents of Three Selected Fields of The Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxy IC1613

We present a moderately-deep JK photometry for three selected areas of the dwarf irregular galaxy IC1613. The color-magnitude diagrams contain a mixture of red supergiants, asymptotic giant branch stars and the brightest red giant stars. The red supergiants are massive (20 - 25 M_\odot) and young -with ages between 8 and 25 Myr. The most important result is the evidence of the decreasing density of the intermediate age AGB population in the vicinity of the HII regions in the galaxy. We also find age differences between AGB stars in the main body of the galaxy and those near the HII regions in the North-East. The former span a range in ages between 1 and 10 Gyr, while the latter are younger than 1 Gyr. Using the period-luminosity relation derived by Madore & Freedman (1991) and JK magnitudes of the Cepheid variable V20, we calculated (m-M)_K = 24.37+-0.2. The recently discovered Nova (King et al. 1999) was identified in Field III. Its presence of our images and its brightness questioned its classification as a nova.

astro-ph↗