Sensitivity of He Flames in X-Ray Bursts to Nuclear Physics

Through the use of axisymmetric 2D hydrodynamic simulations, we further investigate laterally propagating flames in X-ray bursts (XRBs). Our aim is to understand the sensitivity of a propagating helium flame to different nuclear physics. Using the Castro simulation code, we confirm the phenomenon of enhanced energy generation shortly after a flame is established by adding ¹²C(p, γ)¹³N(α, p)¹⁶O to the network, in agreement with the past literature. This sudden outburst of energy leads to a short accelerating phase, causing a drastic alteration in the overall dynamics of the flame in XRBs. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of different plasma screening routines on the propagation of the XRB flame. We finally examine the performance of simplified spectral deferred correction, a novel approach to hydrodynamics and reaction coupling incorporated in Castro, as an alternative to operator splitting.