L. Buchmann

Solar fusion cross-sections

We review and analyze the available information on the nuclear-fusion cross sections that are most important for solar energy generation and solar neutrino production. We provide best values for the low-energy cross-section factors and, wherever possible, estimates of the uncertainties. We also describe the most important experiments and calculations that are required in order to improve our knowledge of solar fusion rates.

The hot proton-proton chains in low-metallicity objects

The rates for proton- and alpha-capture reactions on light nuclei (A less than or equal to 13) close to the proton drip line are calculated from available nuclear structure information. The influence of these reactions as link reactions between the nuclei in the pp chains and the CNO nuclei in hydrogen burning at different temperatures and densities is discussed. 30 refs.

7Be(p,gamma)8B astrophysical S factor from precision cross section measurements.

We measured the 7Be(p,gamma)8B cross section from E(c.m.) = 186 to 1200 keV, with a statistical-plus-systematic precision per point of better than +/-5%. All important systematic errors were measured including 8B backscattering losses. We obtain S17(0) = 22.3+/-0.7(expt)+/-0.5(theor) eV b from our data at E(c.m.)< or =300 keV and the theory of Descouvemont and Baye.

The DRAGON facility for nuclear astrophysics at TRIUMF-ISAC: design, construction and operation

A facility for measuring cross-sections (resonance strengths) for reactions of astrophysical importance involving short-lived, radioactive reactants has been designed, built and installed at the new TRIUMF-ISAC Radioactive Beams Laboratory in Canada. Named DRAGON (Detector of Recoils And Gamma-rays of Nuclear reactions), it has been successfully commissioned with stable and radioactive heavy ion beams from ISAC. This report presents the main components of the facility, namely, the windowless gas target, the surrounding g detector array, the subsequent electromagnetic recoil mass separator, the focal plane detectors for recoils, the detection system for elastics, and the modular electronics and computer software used for the data acquisition. Examples of the operation of the facility for both stable beam reactions and the first radioactive beam reaction study, 21 Naðp;gÞ 22 Mg are also presented, along with future plans for the program. r 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 29.0

The3He(α,γ)7Be reaction and the solar neutrino problem

The capture reaction3He(α,γ)7Be has been investigated in the energy range ofEc.m. =107 to 1,266 keV. The4He or3He beams of up to 300 μA particle current were incident on3He or4He gas targets, respectively. The gas target systems were all of the windowless and recirculating type. Excitation functions have been obtained with the use of an extended-static gas target, while the measurements ofγ-ray angular distributions involved a quasi-point supersonic jet system. The determination of absolute cross sections has been carried out with both types of gas target systems. Theγ-ray yields in the3He(α,γ)7Be reaction were detected using 80 cm3 Ge(Li) detectors. The data lead to a zero-energy intercept of the astrophysicalS(E) factor ofS(0)=0.30±0.03 keV-b. This result reduces the calculated solar neutrino rate by a factor of 1.76.

Measurement of two-halo neutron transfer reaction p(

The p(\nuc{11}{Li},\nuc{9}{Li})t reaction has been studied for the first time at an incident energy of 3

^{11}

A

Li,

MeV delivered by the new ISAC-2 facility at TRIUMF. An active target detector MAYA, build at GANIL, was used for the measurement. The differential cross sectionshave been determined for transitions to the \nuc{9}{Li} ground andthe first excited states in a wide range of scattering angles. Multistep transfer calculations using different \nuc{11}{Li} model wave functions, shows that wave functions with strong correlations between the halo neutrons are the most successful in reproducing the observation.

^{9}

The capture reaction4He(12C, γ)16O (Ec.m.= 1.34–3.38 MeV) as well as the elastic scattering process4He(12C,12C)4He (Ec.m.=1.44–3.38 MeV) have been investigated with the use of an intense12C beam and a windowless and4He recirculating gas target system. The measurements involved two large NaI(T1) crystals in close geometry to an extended gas target, whereby angle-integrated γ-ray yields were obtained. A large area plastic detector was used for the suppression of time-independent background. A search for cascade γ-ray transitions was carried out by coincidence techniques. The measurement of absolute cross sections is also reported. Theoretical fits of the excitation function for the groundstate γ-ray transition requireE1 as well asE2 capture amplitudes, which are of equal importance at stellar energies. This result increases significantly the stellar burning rate of4He(12C, γ)16O and leads to16O as the dominant product at the end of helium burning in massive stars. The observed capture yield to the 6.92 MeV state is dominated by the direct capture mechanism and plays a small role at stellar energies.

Li)t at 3

The 21Na(p,gamma)22Mg reaction is expected to play an important role in the nucleosynthesis of 22Na in oxygen-neon novae. The decay of 22Na leads to the emission of a characteristic 1.275 MeV gamma-ray line. This report provides the first direct measurement of the rate of this reaction using a radioactive 21Na beam, and discusses its astrophysical implications. The energy of the important state was measured to be E(c.m.)=205.7+/-0.5 keV with a resonance strength omegagamma=1.03+/-0.16(stat)+/-0.14(sys) meV.