Sensitivity of X-ray Burst Models to Uncertainties in Nuclear Processes

X-ray burst models simulate thermonuclear explosions on the surface of accreting neutron stars, offering new and exciting research in nuclear astrophysics. The underlying nuclear reaction sequence in the X-ray bursts is the rp-process, a sequence of proton captures and beta decays on proton-rich nuclei. We examine the sensitivity of current X-ray burst models within nuclear reaction rate uncertainties in terms of predicted X-ray light curves and final produced ashes. Many of the relevant reaction rates have significantly large uncertainties, which can greatly impact the results of X-ray burst models. We use an updated nuclear reaction network and run almost 800,000 simulations with a one-zone X-ray burst model to determine the impact of reaction rate variations. We also explore the validity of the one-zone approximation by comparing to a full 1D multi-zone model. Simple one-zone models are shown to be a useful tool for investigating nuclear physics influences on Type I X-ray bursts.