A Comparative Analysis of R-Matrix Fitting: ${}^{12}$C$(p,\gamma)$${}^{13}$N as Test Case
Abstract
In nuclear astrophysics, the accurate determination of nuclear reaction cross sections at astrophysical energies is critical for understanding stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. This study focuses on the C()N reaction, which takes part in the CNO cycle and is significant for determining the C/C ratio in stellar interiors. Data from various studies, including recent LUNA measurements, reveal high discrepancies in cross section values, underscoring the need for robust fitting approaches. Utilizing the R-matrix theory, we compare different frequentist and Bayesian methodologies for estimating reaction cross sections and their uncertainties. The analysis evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of different statistical techniques, highlighting the importance of systematic uncertainty treatment and the estimate of covariance matrix estimation to enhance the reliability and reproducibility of uncertainty estimates in nuclear astrophysics.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2502.14040,
title = {A Comparative Analysis of R-Matrix Fitting: ${}^{12}$C$(p,\gamma)$${}^{13}$N as Test Case},
author = {J. Skowronski and D. Piatti and D. Rapagnani and M. Aliotta and C. Ananna and L. Barbieri and F. Barile and D. Bemmerer and A. Best and A. Boeltzig and C. Broggini and C. G. Bruno and A. Caciolli and M. Campostrini and F. Casaburo and F. Cavanna and G. F. Ciani and P. Colombetti and A. Compagnucci and P. Corvisiero and L. Csedreki and T. Davinson and R. Depalo and A. Di Leva and Z. Elekes and F. Ferraro and A. Formicola and Zs. Fülöp and G. Gervino and R. M. Gesuè and A. Guglielmetti and C. Gustavino and Gy. Gyürky and G. Imbriani and M. Junker and M. Lugaro and P. Marigo and J. Marsh and E. Masha and R. Menegazzo and D. Mercogliano and V. Paticchio and R. Perrino and P. Prati and V. Rigato and D. Robb and L. Schiavulli and R. S. Sidhu and O. Straniero and T. Szücs and S. Turkat and S. Zavatarelli},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2502.14040},
year = {2025}
}