TY - JOUR
T1 - BAYESIAN ESTIMATION of THERMONUCLEAR REACTION RATES
AU - Iliadis, C.
AU - Anderson, K. S.
AU - Coc, A.
AU - Timmes, Francis
AU - Starrfield, Sumner
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - The problem of estimating non-resonant astrophysical S-factors and thermonuclear reaction rates, based on measured nuclear cross sections, is of major interest for nuclear energy generation, neutrino physics, and element synthesis. Many different methods have been applied to this problem in the past, almost all of them based on traditional statistics. Bayesian methods, on the other hand, are now in widespread use in the physical sciences. In astronomy, for example, Bayesian statistics is applied to the observation of extrasolar planets, gravitational waves, and Type Ia supernovae. However, nuclear physics, in particular, has been slow to adopt Bayesian methods. We present astrophysical S-factors and reaction rates based on Bayesian statistics. We develop a framework that incorporates robust parameter estimation, systematic effects, and non-Gaussian uncertainties in a consistent manner. The method is applied to the reactions d(p,γ)3He, 3He(3He,2p)4He, and 3He(α;,γ)7Be, important for deuterium burning, solar neutrinos, and Big Bang nucleosynthesis.
AB - The problem of estimating non-resonant astrophysical S-factors and thermonuclear reaction rates, based on measured nuclear cross sections, is of major interest for nuclear energy generation, neutrino physics, and element synthesis. Many different methods have been applied to this problem in the past, almost all of them based on traditional statistics. Bayesian methods, on the other hand, are now in widespread use in the physical sciences. In astronomy, for example, Bayesian statistics is applied to the observation of extrasolar planets, gravitational waves, and Type Ia supernovae. However, nuclear physics, in particular, has been slow to adopt Bayesian methods. We present astrophysical S-factors and reaction rates based on Bayesian statistics. We develop a framework that incorporates robust parameter estimation, systematic effects, and non-Gaussian uncertainties in a consistent manner. The method is applied to the reactions d(p,γ)3He, 3He(3He,2p)4He, and 3He(α;,γ)7Be, important for deuterium burning, solar neutrinos, and Big Bang nucleosynthesis.
KW - abundances
KW - methods: numerical
KW - nuclear reactions
KW - nucleosynthesis
KW - primordial nucleosynthesis
KW - stars: interiors
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U2 - 10.3847/0004-637X/831/1/107
DO - 10.3847/0004-637X/831/1/107
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84994202017
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 831
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 1
M1 - 107
ER -