$S$-factor and scattering-parameter extractions from ${}^{3}\mathrm{He} +{}^{4}\mathrm{He} \rightarrow {}^{7}\mathrm{Be} + γ$

Abstract

Previous studies of the reaction ${}^{3}\mathrm{He} +{}^{4}\mathrm{He} \rightarrow {}^{7}\mathrm{Be} + γ$ have focused on providing the best central value and error bar for the $S$ factor at solar energies. Measurements of this capture reaction, the ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$-${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ scattering phase shifts, as well as properties of ${}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$, have been used to constrain employed theoretical models. Here we show that much more information than was previously appreciated can be extracted from angle-integrated capture data alone. We use the next-to-leading-order (NLO) amplitude in an effective field theory (EFT) for the reaction to perform the extrapolation. At this order the EFT describes the reaction using an s-wave scattering length and effective range, the asymptotic properties of the final bound states, and short-distance contributions to the $E1$ capture amplitude. We extract the multi-dimensional posterior of all these parameters via a Bayesian analysis. We find that properties of the ${}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ ground and excited states are well constrained. The total $S$ factor $S(0)= 0.578^{+0.015}_{-0.016}$ keV~b, while the branching ratio for excited- to ground-state capture at zero energy, $Br(0)=0.406^{+0.013}_{-0.011}$, both at 68\% degree of belief. This $S(0)$ is broadly consistent with other recent evaluations, including the previously recommended value $S(0)=0.56 \pm 0.03$ eV b, but has a smaller error bar. We also find significant constraints on the scattering parameters, and we obtain constraints on the $S(E)$'s angular dependence. The path forward seems to lie with better measurements of the scattering phase shift and $S(E)$'s angular dependence, together with better understanding of the asymptotic normalization coefficients of the ${}^7$Be bound states' wave functions. Data on these could further reduce $S(0)$'s uncertainty.