The effect of nonlocal potential on the 14N(p,γ)15O reaction cross section at low energies
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Applied Science, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT)
- Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, 179 Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Ha Noi, Vietnam
- Department of Nuclear Physics, Faculty of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Abstract
Introduction: The astrophysically crucial 14N(p,γ)15O reaction governs the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen (CNO) cycle rate. Reliable theoretical predictions of this reaction require careful consideration of nuclear interactions. This study examines the influence of potential nonlocal effects on the calculated astrophysical S-factor for this reaction at low energies.
Methods: The calculable R-matrix method was applied within the potential model framework to calculate the S-factor of the 14N(p,γ)15O reaction. Results obtained with a local Woods-Saxon (WS) potential were compared with those from a nonlocal Perey-Buck (PB) potential.
Results: Although both models reproduced the experimental data reasonably well, the nonlocal potential required a ~12.5% smaller spectroscopic factor for normalization. Importantly, when extrapolated to zero energy, the S-factor in the nonlocal potential case was around 14% higher than in the local potential case.
Conclusion: The significant difference in the zero-energy S-factor observed in this study indicates that potential nonlocality effects are non-negligible and must be considered for accurate calculations of the 14N(p,γ)15O reaction rate in stellar environments.