High temperature combustion: Approaching equilibrium using nuclear networks

Abstract

A method for integrating the chemical equations associated with nuclear combustion at high temperature is presented and extensively checked. Following the idea of E. Müller, the feedback between nuclear rates and temperature was taken into account by simultaneously computing molar fraction changes and temperature response in the same matrix. The resulting algorithm is very stable and efficient at calculating nuclear combustion in explosive scenarios, especially in those situations where the reacting material manages to climb to the nuclear statistical equilibrium regime. The numerical scheme may be useful not only for those who carry out hydrodynamical simulations of explosive events, but also as a tool to investigate the properties of a nuclear system approaching equilibrium through a variety of thermodynamical trajectories.