The Solar Proton Burning Process Revisited In Chiral Perturbation Theory

Abstract

The proton burning process p + p -> d + e(+) + \nu(e), important for the stellar evolution of main-sequence stars of mass equal to or less than that of the Sun, is computed in effective field theory using chiral perturbation expansion to the next-to-next-to leading chiral order. This represents a model-independent calculation consistent with low-energy effective theory of QCD comparable in accuracy to the radiative np capture at thermal energy previously calculated by first using very accurate two-nucleon wavefunctions backed up by an effective field theory technique with a finite cut-off. The result obtained thereby is found to support within theoretical uncertainties the previous calculation of the same process by Bahcall and his co-workers.