Beta-decay of 33Mg using Total Absorption Spectroscopy

ORAL

Abstract

Low mass X-ray binaries that transiently accrete matter onto their neutron stars are excellent laboratories for studying dense matter physics. These systems alternate between outburst and quiescence phases and monitoring the surface temperatures of neutron stars in quiescence reveals a great deal of information about their structure and composition. But infering these properties requires a complete understanding of different nuclear reactions that heat or cool the crust. Urca cooling is a source of neutrino cooling in the crust that strongly depends on the ground-state to ground-state beta decay transition strengths. The 33Mg - 33Al transition is predicted to be the strongest Urca cooling agent for crusts composed of X-ray burst ashes. This relies partly on the strong ground state branch measured in high-resolution beta-delayed gamma-spectroscopy of 33Mg. However, recent measurements of a negative parity ground state in 33Mg makes this a first forbidden decay and the strong transition strength is questioned in the literature, citing Pandemonium effect as a possible reason. We try to resolve this anomaly using Total Absorption Spectroscopy that is mostly free of this Pandemonium effect. I will present preliminary results from the beta-decay of 33Mg experiment performed at NSCL.

*This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-1913554 (NSF Astro group grant at NSCL/FRIB) and PHY-1430152 (JINA Center for the Evolution of the Elements).

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Presenters

  • Rahul Jain

    • Michigan State University

Authors

  • Rahul Jain

    • Michigan State University

  • Hendrik Schatz

    • Michigan State University

  • Wei Jia Ong

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawerence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Kirby Hermansen

    • Michigan State University

  • Nabin Rijal

    • Michigan State University

  • Hannah C Berg

    • Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
    • FRIB/MSU
    • Michigan State University

  • Paul A Deyoung

    • Hope College

  • Eric Flynn

    • Michigan State University

  • Caley M Harris

    • Michigan State University

  • Sean N Liddick

    • Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
    • Michigan State University
    • NSCL Michigan State University
    • Michigan State University (MSU)
    • FRIB
    • Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, Michigan State University

  • Stephanie M Lyons

    • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
    • Michigan State University
    • NSCL Michigan State University
    • Pacific Northwest National Lab
    • Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory
    • FRIB

  • Sara Miskovich

    • SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
    • Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

  • Fernando Montes

    • Michigan State University
    • Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

  • Timilehin H Ogunbeku

    • Mississippi State University

  • Alicia Palmisano

    • UTK
    • University of Tennessee Knoxville

  • Andrea L Richard

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • NSCL Michigan State University
    • Lawrence Livermore National Lab

  • Mackenzie Smith

    • Michigan State University

  • Mallory K Smith

    • NSCL
    • NSCL Michigan State University
    • Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

  • Artemis Spyrou

    • Michigan State University