R. E. Segel

Astrophysical rate of O-15(alpha,gamma)Ne-19 via the (p, t) reaction in inverse kinematics

A recoil coincidence technique has been applied to measure the alpha-decay branching ratios of near-threshold states in Ne-19. Populating these states using the (p,t) reaction in inverse kinematics, we detected the recoils and their decay products with 100% geometric efficiency using a magnetic spectrometer. Combining our branching ratio measurements with independent determinations of the radiative widths of these states, we calculate the astrophysical rate of O-15(alpha,gamma)Ne-19. Using this reaction rate, we perform hydrodynamic calculations of nova outbursts and conclude that no significant breakout from the hot CNO cycles into the rp process occurs in novae via O-15(alpha,gamma)Ne-19.

Limit on Tensor Currents from Li8 β Decay

In the standard model, the weak interaction is formulated with a purely vector-axial-vector (V-A) structure. Without restriction on the chirality of the neutrino, the most general limits on tensor currents from nuclear β decay are dominated by a single measurement of the β-ν[over ¯] correlation in ^{6}He β decay dating back over a half century. In the present work, the β-ν[over ¯]-α correlation in the β decay of ^{8}Li and subsequent α-particle breakup of the ^{8}Be^{*} daughter was measured. The results are consistent with a purely V-A interaction and in the case of couplings to right-handed neutrinos (C_{T}=-C_{T}^{}) limits the tensor fraction to |C_{T}/C_{A}|^{2}<0.011 (95.5% C.L.). The measurement confirms the ^{6}He result using a different nuclear system and employing modern ion-trapping techniques subject to different systematic uncertainties.