Curiositythermal pulse

If ²²Ne(α,n)²⁵Mg were twice as fast, this model of an AGB thermal pulse would end up with three times as much krypton‑86 (×3.1).

Biggest knock-on effect: ⁷⁰Ge (×5.8).

In the short hot pulse, neon‑22 burns only partly: its rate sets the neutrons.

One-zone model at 270 MK over 5 years. Real stars adjust. This pulse gives the nuclei several times the neutron exposure of a real one: read the size of the change with care. Krypton‑86 comes through the branch at krypton‑85, modelled without its short-lived isomer, so this model makes too much of it. Doubling is a what-if, not the rate's actual uncertainty. How well this rate is known: uncertain.

Try it How we know this rate

If 22Ne(α,n)25Mg were twice as fast, this model of an AGB thermal pulse would end up with three times as much krypton‑86 (×3.1).

If ²²Ne(α,n)²⁵Mg were twice as fast, this model of an AGB thermal pulse would end up with three times as much krypton‑86 (×3.1).