Sensitivity studies on the thermal beta+ decay and thermal neutrino decay rates in the one-zone X-ray burst model

Abstract

ABSTRACT We investigated how the thermal beta+ decay rates and their corresponding neutrino energy loss rates affect the properties of X-ray bursts. Previous studies carried out showed how the beta+ decay rates alone affect the properties of X-ray bursts. Here, we performed the sensitivity studies on neutrino energy loss rates and their impact on X-ray bursts. Furthermore, all the experimental beta+ decay rates related to X-ray bursts were measured. However, the temperature of X-ray bursts can be as high as 1.5 GK. Thus, at such a high temperature, the nuclei can be in excited states due to thermal effects. Experiments cannot directly measure the thermal beta decay rates and thermal neutrino loss rates. We performed sensitivity tests on the thermal beta+ decay rates and their thermal neutrino losses in one-zone X-ray burst models in different ignition conditions. We discovered that beta decays due to thermal effects do affect the light curves in some ignition conditions. The thermal beta decay rates of 68Se also have major effects on the final abundances in most circumstances. We further found that a neutrino energy loss rate of 64Ga has noticeable effects on the light curves of X-ray bursts in general.