New Developments in Experimental Thermonuclear Reactions

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3455970· OSTI ID:21362136

Iliadis, Christian ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 (United States) and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina 27708 (United States)

We review new developments regarding experimental thermonuclear reaction rates. First, it is pointed out that published experimental thermonuclear reaction rates have no rigorous statistical meaning. To overcome this problem, we have been working for the past 3 years on a new method of estimating experimental reaction rates by using a Monte Carlo method. Our new reaction rate evaluation for charged-particle reactions on A = 14-40 target nuclei, which is based on this method, has just been completed. With these new reaction rates, many interesting aspects of nucleosynthesis and energy generation can be addressed that were previously not accessible. Second, as an example for a direct measurement, we discuss the recent study of the direct capture component in the {sup 17}O(p,gamma){sup 18}F reaction at our LENA facility. The {sup 17}O+p reactions in classical novae are particularly important for the production of radioactive nuclei (mainly {sup 18}F), for the Galactic origin of {sup 17}O, and for oxygen isotopic ratios in nova presolar grains. Third, as an example for an indirect measurement, we discuss the recent {sup 26}Mg nuclear resonance fluorescence study at our HIgammaS facility. By measuring angular correlations using a linearly polarized gamma-ray beam, we determined the spins and parities of 5 levels near the alpha-particle threshold in {sup 26}Mg. Thus we could substantially reduce the rate uncertainties for the {sup 22}Ne(alpha,n){sup 25}Mg neutron source. Our new reaction rates may have an important impact on the s-process in both massive stars and in AGB stars.

• OSTI ID: 21362136
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1238, Issue 1; Conference: 7. Tours symposium on nuclear physics and astrophysics, Kobe (Japan), 16-20 Nov 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3455970; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ALPHA PARTICLES
ANGULAR CORRELATION
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
FLUORINE 18
GAMMA RADIATION
ISOTOPE RATIO
MAGNESIUM 25
MAGNESIUM 26
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NEON 22
NEUTRON SOURCES
NOVAE
OXYGEN 17
PARITY
REACTION KINETICS
RESONANCE FLUORESCENCE
S PROCESS
SPIN
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BINARY STARS
CALCULATION METHODS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CORRELATIONS
DIMENSIONLESS NUMBERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EMISSION
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EVOLUTION
FLUORESCENCE
FLUORINE ISOTOPES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
LIGHT NUCLEI
LUMINESCENCE
MAGNESIUM ISOTOPES
NANOSECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NEON ISOTOPES
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PARTICLE SOURCES
PHOTON EMISSION
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
SYNTHESIS
VARIABLE STARS