The research group of Associate Professor Masaaki Kimura of Hokkaido University and Lecturer Mitsuu Taniguchi of Kagawa National College of Technology predicted the existence of molecular resonance, which is the origin of elements.It is expected that the origin of matter existing in the universe will be elucidated.
It has long been predicted that the carbon-oxygen fusion reaction that occurs during a supernova explosion will play an important role in the origin of the elements.However, since it is extremely difficult to reproduce the same environment as a supernova explosion with an accelerator on the ground and conduct experiments, verification by theoretical research has been awaited.
The molecular metastable state in which various forces between two atoms are balanced and the nuclei are bonded is called molecular resonance.This time, we investigated the properties of molecular resonance using the "antisymmetric molecular dynamics model" that describes the motions of protons and neutrons that make up the nucleus with wave packets.Carbon nuclei have a flat shape like a kagami mochi and can be oriented in various directions when forming molecular resonance.In order to describe this "rotational effect", the wave functions of carbon nuclei in different directions were superimposed, and the energy of molecular resonance and its expression mechanism were clarified.
Specifically, when the structure of silicon nuclei was investigated by numerical simulation using a supercomputer, it was possible that molecular resonance, in which carbon and oxygen nuclei are weakly bonded to each other, exists at extremely low energies much lower than conventional observations. It pointed out.Due to the existence of this molecular resonance, a fusion reaction of carbon and oxygen occurs explosively during a supernova explosion, and it is possible that a large amount of magnesium and silicon nuclei are produced.
Paper information:[Physics Letters] 12C + 16O molecular resonances at deep sub-barrier energy
