Deciphering Fingerprints of Stellar Nucleosynthesis Through Nuclear Reaction Rate Measurements and Isotopic Analyses of Stardust

Brett Isselhardt | 20-ERD-030

Executive Summary

We will measure isotopic compositions of multiple elements in a large collection of stardust grains to determine stellar nucleosynthesis signatures and will measure an essential neutron capture cross section needed to determine the stellar conditions under which these elements are formed. This unique combined approach will fill important gaps in our understanding of the environments in which elements are produced and enhance capabilities relevant to national missions in nuclear threat reduction.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

Trappitsch, R., D.Z. Shulaker, W.J. Ong, M.R. Savina, B.H. Isselhardt. (in press). (2022)."Resonance Ionization of Zirconium." Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. LLNL-JRNL-834497.

Lugaro, Maria, Borbála Cseh, Blanka Világos, Amanda I. Karakas, Paolo Ventura, Flavia Dell’Agli, Trappitsch, Reto Trappitsch, et al. "Origin of Large Meteoritic SiC Stardust Grains in Metal-Rich AGB Stars." The Astrophysical Journal 898, no. 2 (2020): 96.

Wang, Barbara, Craig Reingold, Jason Harke, Richard Hughes, Jutta Escher, Reto Trappitsch, Sean Burcher, Sean, et al. (2021). "Determining the 95Zr(n) and 93Zr(n) Cross sections via 96Zr(p,p’) and 94Zr(p,p’) Surrogate Reactions." Presented at 2021 APS DNP Meeting. LLNL-PRES-827881.

Trappitsch, R., W. J. Ong, C. J. Dory, D. Z. Shulaker, M. Lugaro, M. R. Savina, P. K. Weber, B. H. Isselhardt, and S. Amari. (2021). "Simultaneous Analyses of Titanium and Molybdenum Isotopic Compositions in Persolar sic Grains." 84th Annual Meeting of the Meteroritics & Planetary Science. vol. 56. August 15-21.2021. Chicago IL. LLNL-PRES-825885.

Pal, Ishita, Manavi Jadhav, Michael R. Savina, Danielle Z. Shulaker, Christopher J. Dory, Frank Gyngard, Noriko Kita, and Sachiko Amari. "Heavy Element Isotopic Measurements of High Density Presolar Graphite Grains with LION." LPI Contributions 2678. 2022. 1262. LLNL-ABS-830518.

Pal, Ishita, Jadhav, M., Savina, M.R., Shulaker, D.Z., Dory, C.J., Gyngard, F.,Noriko Kita, N., and Amari, S. "P-nuclide Enrichments in Presolar Graphite Grains." 85th Annual Meeting of the Meteroritics & Planetary Science, vol. 57. 2022. LLNL-ABS-834931.

Escher, Jutta. "Static and Dynamic Properties of Medium-Mass and Heavy Nuclei: From Phenomenology to Microscopic Descriptions." Bulletin of the American Physical Society 2021.

Ong, W.J. "Probing the Origins of the Elements with Relict Stardust." Low Energy Community Meeting. August 11, 2021.

Trappitsch, R. "Understanding Stellar Nucleosynthesis, its Sites, and Galactic Chemical Evolution by Analyzing Stardust Grains." MSU, invited colloquium, Joint Institute of Nuclear Astrophysics. February 10, 2020.

Trappitsch, R. "Hands-on Astrophysics - Using Stardust Grain Analysis to Further our Understanding of Stellar Nucleosynthesis and Galactic Chemical Evolution." Brandeis Unversity, Physics Colloquium. October 13, 2020.

Trappitsch, R. "New Opportunities with Stardust." JINA Horizons Meeting, Virtual. December 18, 2020.

Trappitsch, R. "Simultaneous Analyses of Titanium and Molybdenum Isotopic Composition in Presolar SiC Grains." Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, Chicago, IL. August 17, 2021. LLNL-PRES-825885.

Escher, J.E. , "Advancing Nuclear Reaction Descriptions for Astrophysics and Applications." Louisiana State University Colloquium. November 19, 2020.