title: End point of the rp process on accreting neutron stars.
abstract: We calculate the rapid proton ( rp) capture process of hydrogen burning on the surface of an accreting neutron star with an updated reaction network that extends up to Xe, far beyond previous work. In both steady-state nuclear burning appropriate for rapidly accreting neutron stars (such as the magnetic polar caps of accreting x-ray pulsars) and unstable burning of type I x-ray bursts, we find that the rp process ends in a closed SnSbTe cycle. This prevents the synthesis of elements heavier than Te and has important consequences for x-ray burst profiles, the composition of accreting neutron stars, and potentially galactic nucleosynthesis of light p nuclei.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy and National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schatz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aprahamian
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barnard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bildsten
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cumming
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ouellette
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rauscher
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Thielemann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiescher