Constraints on the $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O and $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O Reaction Rates from Binary Black Holes Detected via Gravitational Wave Signals
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arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , , , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866914519346839552 |
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| author | Xin, Wenyu Hou, Xiaokun Zhang, Xianfei Bi, Shaolan Zhao, Gang |
| author_facet | Xin, Wenyu Hou, Xiaokun Zhang, Xianfei Bi, Shaolan Zhao, Gang |
| contents | Gravitational-wave observations of binary black hole (BH) mergers provide a novel avenue for testing massive-star evolution and the resulting BH mass spectrum. Recent population analyses under the hierarchical-merger hypothesis have offered evidence for the BH mass gap and inferred its lower edge to $\sim 44 - 68$ M$_\odot$. Motivated by these findings, we compute low-metallicity ($Z=10^{-5}$) helium star models with MESA and systematically explore the effect of uncertainties in the $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O and $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O reaction rates on the final fate. Varying the $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O reaction rate by $-3 σ$ to $+3σ$, we find that the predicted BH mass gap shifts from $\sim104 - 184$ M$_\odot$ to $\sim45 - 135$ M$_\odot$. In contrast, scaling the $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O reaction rate by global factors of 0.1, 1, and 10 has only a modest effect on the lower edge of the BH mass gap (less than 5 M$_\odot$), and shifts the upper edge by more than 10 M$_\odot$. Using the predictions of our models together with the literature estimates for the lower edge of the BH mass gap, we constrain the astrophysical S factor of $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O reaction at 300 keV of $S_{300} \simeq$ 137.6 - 263.4 keV barn. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_19883 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Constraints on the $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O and $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O Reaction Rates from Binary Black Holes Detected via Gravitational Wave Signals Xin, Wenyu Hou, Xiaokun Zhang, Xianfei Bi, Shaolan Zhao, Gang Solar and Stellar Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Gravitational-wave observations of binary black hole (BH) mergers provide a novel avenue for testing massive-star evolution and the resulting BH mass spectrum. Recent population analyses under the hierarchical-merger hypothesis have offered evidence for the BH mass gap and inferred its lower edge to $\sim 44 - 68$ M$_\odot$. Motivated by these findings, we compute low-metallicity ($Z=10^{-5}$) helium star models with MESA and systematically explore the effect of uncertainties in the $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O and $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O reaction rates on the final fate. Varying the $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O reaction rate by $-3 σ$ to $+3σ$, we find that the predicted BH mass gap shifts from $\sim104 - 184$ M$_\odot$ to $\sim45 - 135$ M$_\odot$. In contrast, scaling the $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O reaction rate by global factors of 0.1, 1, and 10 has only a modest effect on the lower edge of the BH mass gap (less than 5 M$_\odot$), and shifts the upper edge by more than 10 M$_\odot$. Using the predictions of our models together with the literature estimates for the lower edge of the BH mass gap, we constrain the astrophysical S factor of $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O reaction at 300 keV of $S_{300} \simeq$ 137.6 - 263.4 keV barn. |
| title | Constraints on the $^{12}$C$(α, γ)^{16}$O and $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O Reaction Rates from Binary Black Holes Detected via Gravitational Wave Signals |
| topic | Solar and Stellar Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.19883 |