Erratum: State-Resolved Mutual Neutralization of Mg

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.033401.

State-Resolved Mutual Neutralization of Mg

We present experimental final-state distributions for Mg atoms formed in Mg^{+}+D^{-} mutual neutralization reactions at center-of-mass collision energies of 59±12 meV by using the merged-beams method. Comparisons with available full-quantum results reveal large discrepancies and a previously underestimated total rate coefficient by up to a factor of 2 in the 0-1 eV (<10^{4} K) regime. Asymptotic model calculations are shown to describe the process much better and we recommend applying this method to more complex iron group systems; data that is of urgent need in stellar spectral modeling.

Mutual neutralisation of O+ with O-: investigation of the role of metastable ions in a combined experimental and theoretical study.

The mutual neutralisation of O+ with O- has been studied in a double ion-beam storage ring with combined merged-beams, imaging and timing techniques. Branching ratios were measured at the collision energies of 55, 75 and 170 (± 15) meV, and found to be in good agreement with previous single-pass merged-beams experimental results at 7 meV collision energy. Several previously unidentified spectral features were found to correspond to mutual neutralisation channels of the first metastable state of the cation (O+(2Do), τ ≈ 3.6 hours), while no contributions from the second metastable state (O+(2Po), τ ≈ 5 seconds) were observed. Theoretical calculations were performed using the multi-channel Landau-Zener model combined with the anion centered asymptotic method, and gave good agreement with several experimentally observed channels, but could not describe well observed contributions from the O+(2Do) metastable state as well as channels involving the O(3s 5So) state.

Nucleosynthetic signatures of the first stars.

The chemically most primitive stars provide constraints on the nature of the first stellar objects that formed in the Universe; elements other than hydrogen, helium and traces of lithium present within these objects were generated by nucleosynthesis in the very first stars. The relative abundances of elements in the surviving primitive stars reflect the masses of the first stars, because the pathways of nucleosynthesis are quite sensitive to stellar masses. Several models have been suggested to explain the origin of the abundance pattern of the giant star HE0107-5240, which hitherto exhibited the highest deficiency of heavy elements known. Here we report the discovery of HE1327-2326, a subgiant or main-sequence star with an iron abundance about a factor of two lower than that of HE0107-5240. Both stars show extreme overabundances of carbon and nitrogen with respect to iron, suggesting a similar origin of the abundance patterns. The unexpectedly low Li and high Sr abundances of HE1327-2326, however, challenge existing theoretical understanding: no model predicts the high Sr abundance or provides a Li depletion mechanism consistent with data available for the most metal-poor stars.