R. E. Tribble

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.

New limit for the family number nonconserving decay mu+ ---> e+ gamma

The transport properties of a quasi-three-dimensional, 200 layer quantum well structure are investigated at integer filling in the quantum Hall state. We find that the transverse magnetoresistance R xx , the Hall resistance R xy , and the vertical resistance R zz all follow a similar behavior with both temperature and in-plane magnetic field. A general feature of the influence of increasing in-plane field B in is that the Hall conductance quantization first improves, but above a characteristic value B C in , the quantization is systematically removed. We consider the interplay of the chid edge state transport and the bulk (quantum Hall) transport properties. This mechanism may arise from the competition of the cyclotron energy with the superlattice band structure energies. A comparison of the resuIts with existing theories of the chiral edge state transport with in-plane field is also discussed.An experiment has been performed to search for the muon- and electron-number non-conserving decay mu+ to e+_gamma. The upper limit for the branching ratio to be GAMMA(mu+ to e+_gamma)/GAMMA(mu+ to e+_nu_nubar) < 1.2e-11 with 90% confidence.

Solar fusion cross sections II: the pp chain and CNO cycles

The available data on nuclear fusion cross sections important to energy generation in the Sun and other hydrogen-burning stars and to solar neutrino production are summarized and critically evaluated. Recommended values and uncertainties are provided for key cross sections, and a recommended spectrum is given for {sup 8}B solar neutrinos. Opportunities for further increasing the precision of key rates are also discussed, including new facilities, new experimental techniques, and improvements in theory. This review, which summarizes the conclusions of a workshop held at the Institute for Nuclear Theory, Seattle, in January 2009, is intended as a 10-year update and supplement to 1998, Rev. Mod. Phys. 70, 1265.

Indirect techniques in nuclear astrophysics: a review

In this review, we discuss the present status of three indirect techniques that are used to determine reaction rates for stellar burning processes, asymptotic normalization coefficients, the Trojan Horse method and Coulomb dissociation. A comprehensive review of the theory behind each of these techniques is presented. This is followed by an overview of the experiments that have been carried out using these indirect approaches.

Parton Energy Loss Limits and Shadowing in Drell-Yan Dimuon Production

A precise measurement of the ratios of the Drell-Yan cross section per nucleon for an 800 GeV/{ital c} proton beam incident on Be, Fe, and W targets is reported. The behavior of the Drell-Yan ratios at small target-parton momentum fraction is well described by an existing fit to the shadowing observed in deep-inelastic scattering. The cross-section ratios as a function of the incident-parton momentum fraction set tight limits on the energy loss of quarks passing through a cold nucleus. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

Measurement of Angular Distributions of Drell-Yan Dimuons in p + d Interaction at 800 GeV/c

We report a measurement of the angular distributions of Drell-Yan dimuons produced using an 800 GeV/c proton beam on a deuterium target. The muon angular distributions in the dilepton rest frame have been measured over the kinematic range 4.5<m{mu mu}<15 GeV/c{2}, 0<p{T}<4 GeV/c, and 0<x{F}<0.8. No significant cos2phi dependence is found in these proton-induced Drell-Yan data, in contrast with the situation for pion-induced Drell-Yan data. The data are compared with expectations from models which attribute the cos2phi distribution to a QCD vacuum effect or to the presence of the transverse-momentum-dependent Boer-Mulders structure function h{1}{perpendicular}. Constraints on the magnitude of the sea-quark h{1}{perpendicular} structure functions are obtained.

Tests of transfer reaction determinations of astrophysical S factors

The {sup 16}O({sup 3}He,d){sup 17}F reaction has been used to determine asymptotic normalization coefficients for transitions to the ground and first excited states of {sup 17}F. The coefficients provide the normalization for the tails of the overlap functions for {sup 17}F{r_arrow}{sup 16}O+p and allow us to calculate the {ital S} factors for {sup 16}O(p,{gamma}){sup 17}F at astrophysical energies. The calculated {ital S} factors are compared to measurements and found to be in very good agreement. This provides a test of this indirect method to determine astrophysical direct capture rates using transfer reactions. In addition, our results yield S(0) for capture to the ground and first excited states in {sup 17}F, without the uncertainty associated with extrapolation from higher energies. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

MARS: A momentum achromat recoil spectrometer

Abstract We are building a Momentum Achromat Recoil Spectrometer (MARS) for use with the new K500 superconducting cyclotron at Texas A&M University. MARS uses a unique optical design utilizing two dispersive planes to combine a momentum achromat with a recoil mass spectrometer. This configuration makes MARS applicable to a broad range of nuclear reaction studies utilizing inverse kinematics. It also leads to a system that is well matched to the range of secondary particle energies that will be produced in reactions with K500 beams. MARS will have a typical mass resolution of δM M ≅ 1 300 , with an energy acceptance of ± 9% ΔE E and a geometric solid angle of up to 9 msr. A beam swinger system will allow reaction products in the angular range 0° to 30° to be studied. MARS will be used to study both the excited states and decay properties of very proton- and neutron-rich nuclei. MARS will also be used to provide a reaction mechanism filter to assist investigations of the dynamics of heavy ion collisions and to produce secondary radioactive beams for reaction and spectroscopic studies of particular interest for nuclear astrophysics. We describe the design of MARS, together with a brief discussion of the scientific program planned for it.

A Novel Approach to Measure the Cross Section of the 18O(p, α)15N Resonant Reaction in the 0-200 keV Energy Range

The 18O(p, ?)15N reaction is of primary importance to pin down the uncertainties, due to nuclear physics input, affecting present-day models of asymptotic giant branch stars. Its reaction rate can modify both fluorine nucleosynthesis inside such stars and oxygen and nitrogen isotopic ratios, which allow one to constrain the proposed astrophysical scenarios. Thus, an indirect measurement of the low-energy region of the 18O(p, ?)15N reaction has been performed to access, for the first time, the range of relevance for astrophysical application. In particular, a full, high-accuracy spectroscopic study of the 20 and 90 keV resonances has been performed and the strengths deduced to evaluate the reaction rate and the consequences for astrophysics.

Tests of transfer reaction determinations of astrophysical {bold {ital S}} factors

The {sup 16}O({sup 3}He,d){sup 17}F reaction has been used to determine asymptotic normalization coefficients for transitions to the ground and first excited states of {sup 17}F. The coefficients provide the normalization for the tails of the overlap functions for {sup 17}F{r_arrow}{sup 16}O+p and allow us to calculate the {ital S} factors for {sup 16}O(p,{gamma}){sup 17}F at astrophysical energies. The calculated {ital S} factors are compared to measurements and found to be in very good agreement. This provides a test of this indirect method to determine astrophysical direct capture rates using transfer reactions. In addition, our results yield S(0) for capture to the ground and first excited states in {sup 17}F, without the uncertainty associated with extrapolation from higher energies. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}