Impact of the molecular resonances on the C12+12C fusion reaction rate

Abstract

The properties of the low-energy C12+12C molecular resonances, which potentially enhance the fusion reaction rate at low temperatures, have been investigated by a full-microscopic nuclear model employing various nuclear energy density functionals. We show that some density functionals plausibly describe the observed high-spin C12+12C molecular resonances and predict many 0+ and 2+ resonances at low energies, which enhance the reaction rate. We also discuss how the uncertainty in the nuclear energy density functionals propagates to that of the reaction rate.

Keywords

• C12+12C fusion reaction rate
• X-ray superburst
• Microscopic nuclear model