Nuclear astrophysics articles within Nature Communications

Featured

• Article
  19 December 2023 | Open Access

  Strongly interacting matter exhibits deconfined behavior in massive neutron stars

  Neutron stars contain matter at extremely high densities, the properties of which are reflected in the corresponding equation of state (EoS). Here, the authors argue that the inferred properties of the neutron-star-matter EoS point to the likely presence of deconfined quark matter in the cores of the most massive stable neutron stars.

  • Eemeli Annala
  • , Tyler Gorda
  •  & Aleksi Vuorinen

• Article
  05 September 2023 | Open Access

  Search for ²²Na in novae supported by a novel method for measuring femtosecond nuclear lifetimes

  The authors report a particle-particle correlation and velocity-difference profile method to measure nuclear lifetime. The results obtained for excited states of 23Mg are used to constrain the production of 22Na in the astrophysical novae explosions.

  • Chloé Fougères
  • , François de Oliveira Santos
  •  & Magdalena Zielińska

• Article
  10 August 2023 | Open Access

  Expanding the limits of nuclear stability at finite temperature

  It is interesting and important to understand how the properties of nuclei and their stability change with temperature. Here the authors report their theoretical study of hot nuclei and the drip lines that limit the nuclear existence at finite temperature.

  • Ante Ravlić
  • , Esra Yüksel
  •  & Nils Paar

• Article
  20 April 2022 | Open Access

  Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process

  The triple-alpha process plays a role in nucleosynthesis, in the formation of ¹²C. Here, the authors discuss the rate and role of the neutron upscattering phenomenon on the triple-alpha process in a multi-step process.

  • J. Bishop
  • , C. E. Parker
  •  & C. Wheldon

• Article
  10 January 2022 | Open Access

  Forward-looking insights in laser-generated ultra-intense γ-ray and neutron sources for nuclear application and science

  Laser-plasma interaction can provide alternative platform over conventional method for particle and photon beam generation. Here the authors demonstrate generation of gamma ray and neutron beams from intense laser interaction with near critical density plasma.

  • M. M. Günther
  • , O. N. Rosmej
  •  & N. E. Andreev

• Article
  11 October 2021 | Open Access

  Precision measurements on oxygen formation in stellar helium burning with gamma-ray beams and a Time Projection Chamber

  Presence of oxygen in the universe can provide information to stellar mass evolution. Here the authors report their method for the measurements of carbon to oxygen ratio and cross-section of the reaction-capture of helium-4 by carbon-12, to produce oxygen-16.

  • R. Smith
  • , M. Gai
  •  & M. W. Ahmed

• Article
  04 August 2020 | Open Access

  Phosphorus-rich stars with unusual abundances are challenging theoretical predictions

  Current models of Galactic chemical evolution under predict the phosphorus we observe in our Solar System. Here, the authors show the discovery of 15 phosphorus-rich stars with a peculiar abundance pattern that challenges the present stellar nucleosynthesis theoretical predictions, but which could explain the missing source of phosphorus in the Galaxy.

  • Thomas Masseron
  • , D. A. García-Hernández
  •  & Carlos Dafonte

• Article
  22 November 2016 | Open Access

  Evidence from stable isotopes and ¹⁰Be for solar system formation triggered by a low-mass supernova

  One hypothesis for solar system formation is gas compression by a nearby supernova, whose traces should be found in isotopic anomalies. Here the authors show that this mechanism is viable only if the triggering event was a low-mass supernova, looking at short-lived 10Be and lack of anomalies in stable isotopes.

  • Projjwal Banerjee
  • , Yong-Zhong Qian
  •  & W C Haxton