出版社：SISSA, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati
摘要：We compute the nucleosynthesis in the outer crust of an accreting neutron star, starting with an
rp-process distribution of nuclei and integrating to neutron-drip density. Our reaction network includes
temperature-dependent continuum electron capture rates and realistic sources of heat loss
by thermal neutrino emission from the crust and core. We show that, in contrast to previous calculations,
electron captures into excited states and subsequent g-emission significantly increases
the local heat deposited into the outer crust. This heating raises the crust temperature and reduces
the critical accreted mass needed for unstable ignition of 12C+12C, which is thought to trigger
superbursts observed from some accreting neutron stars. As a result, the superburst recurrence
time is shortened, which brings calculations of the superburst ignition depth closer to that inferred
from observations.
