• Accepted Paper

Bayesian analysis of proton-proton fusion in chiral effective field theory

V. Barlucchi, A. Gnech, S. Degl’Innocenti, and L. E. Marcucci

Phys. Rev. C - Accepted 19 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/c92w-4s4k

Abstract

The astrophysical S-factor for the proton-proton fusion is calculated in the low-energy regime for a variety of nuclear interactions and consistent nuclear currents, derived within chiral effective field theory. We estimate, for the first time, the theoretical uncertainty on the S-factor due to the truncation of the chiral expansion of the currents using a Bayesian analysis. In order to reach an accuracy at the percent level in the calculation, the electromagnetic potential includes contributions beyond the leading Coulomb interaction, such as two-photon exchange and vacuum polarization. The initial proton-proton state is expanded in partial waves and only the 1S0 contribution is included, as it is known that the other partial-waves effects are negligible. The low-energy constant entering the contact term in the weak axial current operator is calibrated to reproduce the Gamow-Teller matrix element in Tritium β-decay. The value S(0) is found to be S(0)=(4.068±0.024)×10−25MeVb.

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