• H. L. Duorah

Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy

• Rapid Neutron Capture Process in Supernovae and Chemical Element Formation

The rapid neutron capture process (r-process) is one of the major nucleosynthesis processes responsible for the synthesis of heavy nuclei beyond iron. Isotopes beyond Fe are most exclusively formed in neutron capture processes and more heavier ones are produced by the r-process. Approximately half of the heavy elements with mass number 𝐴 ≻ 70 and all of the actinides in the solar system are believed to have been produced in the r-process. We have studied the r-process in supernovae for the production of heavy elements beyond 𝐴 = 40 with the newest mass values available. The supernova envelopes at a temperature ≻ 109 K and neutron density of 1024 cm-3 are considered to be one of the most potential sites for the r-process. The primary goal of the r-process calculations is to fit the global abundance curve for solar system r-process isotopes by varying time dependent parameters such as temperature and neutron density. This method aims at comparing the calculated abundances of the stable isotopes with observation.We have studied the r-process path corresponding to temperatures ranging from 1.0 × 109 K to 3.0 × 109 K and neutron density ranging from 1020 cm-3 to 1030 cm-3. With temperature and density conditions of 3.0 × 109 K and 1020 cm-3 a nucleus of mass 273 was theoretically found corresponding to atomic number 115. The elements obtained along the r-process path are compared with the observed data at all the above temperature and density range.

• A Comparative Study on SN II Progenitors for the Synthesis of Li7 and B11 with the help of Neutrinos

The synthesis of Li7 and B11 confronts astrophysicists. Type II (SN II) and Type Ic (SN Ic) supernovae are supposed to be the producers of these two elements. In this study we calculate the yields of these two elements for SN II progenitors with 8, 10 and 20 solar masses. The process considered here is the neutral current interaction of heavy flavour neutrinos (𝜈𝜇 or 𝜈𝜏) with He4 nuclei of the helium zone. The low mass progenitors are considered because the helium zone lies much closer to the core and hence experiences large neutrino flux. The starting point of the helium zone depends on detail stellar model. However, the shell radius at which it begins is available for these stars. 20 solar mass is considered for comparison of our production ratio Li/B with that of an earlier work. It is contrasted with the shock heating yields in the hydrogen envelope. The Li/B ratio has been found to be about 0.96. In the three model stars, the Li7 and B11 yields are found to be in the range 6.61×10−6 −2.63×10−6 𝑀Sun and 6.92×10−6 −2.75×10−6 𝑀Sun respectively as we go from 8 to 20 𝑀Sun. Some equivalence is found with shock induced nucleosynthesis model for SN II. The SN II yield is found to be compatible with that of hypernovae produced by C–O core collapse but higher than the yields obtained by neutrino processes in SNIc.

• Inverse Compton Gamma Rays from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Dwarf Galaxies

Dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies are thought to be good candidates for dark matter search due to their high mass-to-light (M/L) ratio. One of the most favored dark matter candidates is the lightest neutralino(neutral $\chi$ particle) as predicted in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). In this study, we model the gamma ray emission from dark matter annihilation coming from the nearby dSph galaxies Draco, Segue 1, Ursa Minor and Willman 1, taking into account the contribution from prompt photons and photons produced from inverse Compton scattering off starlight and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons by the energetic electrons and positrons from dark matter annihilation. We also compute the energy spectra of electrons and positrons from the decay of dark matter annihilation products. Gamma ray spectra and fluxes for both prompt and inverse Compton emission have been calculated for neutralino annihilation over a range of masses and found to be in agreement with the observed data. It has been found that the ultra faint dSph galaxy Segue 1 gives the largest gamma ray flux limits while the lowest gamma ray flux limits has been obtained from Ursa Minor. It is seen that for larger M/L ratio of dwarf galaxies the intensity pattern originating from $e^+e^−-$ pairs scattering off CMB photons is separated by larger amount from that off the starlight photons for the same neutralino mass. As the $e^+e^−-$ energy spectra have an exponential cut off at high energies, this may allow to discriminate some dark matter scenarios from other astrophysical sources. Finally, some more detailed study about the effect of inverse Compton scattering may help constrain the dark matter signature in the dSph galaxies.

• Abundances of La138 and Ta180 Through ν-Nucleosynthesis in $20 M_\odot$ Type II Supernova Progenitor, Guided by Stellar Models for Seeds

Yields of nature’s rarest isotopes La^{138} and Ta^{180} are calculated by neutrino processes in the Ne-shell of density $\rho ≈ 10^4 g/cc$ in a type II supernova (SN II) progenitor of mass 20 $M_\odot$. Two extended sets of neutrino temperature $- T_{\nue}$ = 3, 4, 5, 6 MeV and $T_{\nu(\mu/\tau)}$= 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 MeV respectively for charged and neutral current processes are taken. Solar mass fractions of the seeds La139, Ta181, Ba138 and Hf180 are taken for calculation. They are assumed to be produced in some s-processing events of earlier generation massive ‘seed stars’ with average interior density range $\langleρ\rangle \approx 10^3−10^6 g/cc$. The abundances of these two elements are calculated relative to O16 and are found to be sensitive to the neutrino temperature. For neutral current processes with the neutron emission branching ratio, $b_n = 3.81 \times 10^{-4}$ and $b_n = 9.61 \times 10^{−1}$, the relative abundances of La138 lie in the ranges $4.48 \times 10^{−14}−2.94 \times 10^{−13}$ and $1.13 \times 10^{−10} − 7.43 \times 10^{−10}$ respectively. Similarly, the relative abundances of Ta180 lie in the ranges $1.80 \times 10^{−15} − 1.17 \times 10^{−14}$ and 4.53 \times 10^{−12}−2.96 × 10^{−11} respectively for the lower and higher values of the neutron emission branching ratio. For charged current processes, the relative abundances of La138 and Ta180 are found to be in the ranges $1.38 \times 10^{−9} − 7.62 \times 10^{−9}$ and $2.09 \times 10^{-11} − 1.10 \times 10^{−10}$ respectively. Parametrized by density of the ‘seed stars’, the yields are found to be consistent with recent supernova simulation results throughout the range of neutrino temperatures. La138 and Ta180 are found to be efficiently produced in charged current interaction.

• Studies on Axions as the Energy Source in Magnetar

Highly magnetized neutron stars known as magnetars are some of the most interesting objects in the Universe. Non-baryonic dark matter candidate axions are produced in the highly magnetized neutron star via Bremsstrahlung process in the highly dense medium. These axions thus produced are then converted into photons in the strong magnetic field via Primakoff effect giving rise to the observed X-ray luminosity level of these objects. Our results are found within observational limit of SGRs(1806-20, 1900+14,0526-66 and 1627-41) and AXPs(4U0142+61,1E1048-5937,RXS1708-4009 and 1E1841-045).

• Contribution of Proton Capture Reactions to the Ascertained Abundance of Fluorine in the Evolved Stars of Globular Cluster M4, M22, 47 Tuc and NGC 6397

The origin of the abundance pattern and also the (anti)correlation present among the elements found in stars of globular clusters (GCs) remains unimproved until date. The proton-capture reactions are presently recognised in concert of the necessary candidates for that sort of observed behaviour in the second generation stars. We tend to propose a reaction network of a nuclear cycle namely carbon–nitrogen–oxygen–fluorine (CNOF) at evolved stellar condition since fluorine (19F) is one such element which gets plagued by proton capture reactions. The stellar temperature thought about here ranges from 2×107 to 10×107 K and there has been an accretion occuring, with material density being 102 g/cm3 and 103 g/cm3. Such kind of temperature density conditions are probably going to be prevailing within the H-burning shell of evolved stars. The estimated abundances of 19F are then matched with the info that has been determined for a few some metal-poor giants of GC M4, M22,47 Tuc as well as NGC 6397. As far as the comparison between the observed and calculated abundances is concerned, it is found that the abundance of 19F have shown an excellent agreement with the observed abundances with a correlation coefficent above 0.9, supporting the incidence of that nuclear cycle at the adopted temperature density conditions.

• # Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy

Current Issue
Volume 40 | Issue 6
December 2019

• # Continuous Article Publication

Posted on January 27, 2016

Since January 2016, the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy has moved to Continuous Article Publishing (CAP) mode. This means that each accepted article is being published immediately online with DOI and article citation ID with starting page number 1. Articles are also visible in Web of Science immediately. All these have helped shorten the publication time and have improved the visibility of the articles.

• # Editorial Note on Continuous Article Publication

Posted on July 25, 2019