Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science
Research Introduction
A variety of explosive phenomena occur throughout the universe, and among them, X-ray bursts are the most frequently occurring explosive astronomical events. While X-ray bursts are understood to be triggered by a chain of nuclear reactions proceeding on the surface of a neutron star, many of the nuclear reaction rates involved in these nuclear burning processes remain unmeasured, and as a result, the explosion mechanism of X-ray bursts is not yet fully understood.
Among the various nuclear reactions that proceed during an X-ray burst, the 15O(α,γ)19Ne reaction is theoretically predicted to have the greatest influence on the explosion. My goal is to elucidate the explosion mechanism of X-ray bursts by measuring the rate of this reaction.
Self-Introduction
I played the horn in my school's wind ensemble. I still go to concerts whenever I come across one that looks interesting, and lately I've been hoping to attend a concert by the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. I also enjoy trying local specialties, especially fish dishes, and I'd love to go try katsuo no tataki (seared bonito) in Kochi sometime.