Reaction rate uncertainties and the operation of the NeNa and MgAl chains during HBB in intermediate-mass AGB stars

Context. We test the effect of proton-capture reaction rate uncertainties on the abundances of the Ne, Na, Mg and Al isotopes processed by the NeNa and MgAl chains during hot bottom burning (HBB) in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars of intermediate mass between 4a nd 6Mand metallicities between Z = 0.0001 and 0.02. Aims. We provide uncertainty ranges for the AGB stellar yields, for inclusion in galactic chemical evolution models, and indicate which reaction rates are most important and should be better determined. Methods. We use a fast synthetic algorithm based on detailed AGB models. We run a large number of stellar models, varying one reaction per time for a very fine grid of values, as well as all reactions simultaneously. Results. We show that there are uncertainties in the yields of all the Ne, Na, Mg and Al isotopes due to uncertain proton-capture reaction rates. The most uncertain yields are those of 26 Al and 23 Na (variations of two orders of magnitude), 24 Mg and 27 Al (variations of more than one order of magnitude), 20 Ne and 22 Ne (variations between factors 2 and 7). In order to obtain more reliable Ne, Na, Mg and Al yields from IM-AGB stars the rates that require more accurate determination are: 22 Ne(p ,γ ) 23 Na, 23 Na(p ,γ ) 24 Mg, 25 Mg(p ,γ ) 26 Al, 26 Mg(p ,γ ) 27 Al and 26 Al(p ,γ ) 27 Si. Conclusions. Detailed galactic chemical evolution models should be constructed to address the impact of our uncertainty ranges on the observational constraints related to HBB nucleosynthesis, such as globular cluster chemical anomalies.