Effect of Photon Vortex Generated in Extremely Strong Magnetic Fields on Stellar Nucleosynthesis

Abstract It is thought that photon vortices are predominantly produced in extremely strong magnetic fields in the Universe. Because the photon vortex may cause significant large angular momentum transfer in interactions with atomic nuclei, stellar nucleosynthesis in such astrophysical environments is affected. In the present study, we calculate the ratios of the photon absorption transition probabilities of photon vortices with Bessel wave to photons described by the plane wave. The result shows enhancement of excitation of states with large total angular momentum by optimization of the divergence angle of the incident photon vortex in momentum space. However, the average cross section for the photon vortex turns out to be identical with that for the plane wave. Therefore, even when Bessel photons are predominantly produced in astrophysical environments, the isotopic abundances of the synthesized elements are not changed.