No Arabic abstract
The most intense gamma-ray line observable from novae is likely to be from positron annihilation associated with the decay of 18F. The uncertainty in the destruction rate of this nucleus through the 18F(p,{alpha})15O reaction presents a limit to interpretation of any future observed gamma-ray flux. Direct measurements of the cross section of both this reaction and the 18F(p,p)18F reaction have been performed between center of mass energies of 0.5 and 1.9 MeV. Simultaneous fits to both data sets with the R-Matrix formalism reveal several resonances, with the inferred parameters of populated states in 19Ne in general agreement with previous measurements. Of particular interest, extra strength has been observed above ECM sim1.3 MeV in the 18F(p,p)18F reaction and between 1.3-1.7 MeV in the 18F(p,{alpha})15O reaction. This is well described by a broad 1/2+ state, consistent with both a recent theoretical prediction and an inelastic scattering measurement. The astrophysical implications of a broad sub-threshold partner to this state are discussed.
The 17O(p,g)18F reaction plays an important role in hydrogen burning processes in different stages of stellar evolution. The rate of this reaction must therefore be known with high accuracy in order to provide the necessary input for astrophysical models. The cross section of 17O(p,g)18F is characterized by a complicated resonance structure at low energies. Experimental data, however, is scarce in a wide energy range which increases the uncertainty of the low energy extrapolations. The purpose of the present work is therefore to provide consistent and precise cross section values in a wide energy range. The cross section is measured using the activation method which provides directly the total cross section. With this technique some typical systematic uncertainties encountered in in-beam gamma-spectroscopy experiments can be avoided. The cross section was measured between 500 keV and 1.8 MeV proton energies with a total uncertainty of typically 10%. The results are compared with earlier measurements and it is found that the gross features of the 17O(p,g)18F excitation function is relatively well reproduced by the present data. Deviation of roughly a factor of 1.5 is found in the case of the total cross section when compared with the only one high energy dataset. At the lowest measured energy our result is in agreement with two recent datasets within one standard deviation and deviates by roughly two standard deviations from a third one. An R-matrix analysis of the present and previous data strengthen the reliability of the extrapolated zero energy astrophysical S-factor. Using an independent experimental technique, the literature cross section data of 17O(p,g)18F is confirmed in the energy region of the resonances while lower direct capture cross section is recommended at higher energies. The present dataset provides a constraint for the theoretical cross sections.
The ^18F(p, alpha)^15O reaction is recognized as one of the most important reaction for nova gamma-ray astronomy as it governs the early =< 511 keV emission. However, its rate remains largely uncertain at nova temperatures due to unknown low-energy resonance strengths. In order to better constrain this reaction rate, we have studied the one-nucleon transfer reaction, D(^18F,p alpha)^15N, at the CRC-RIB facility at Louvain La Neuve.
The degree to which the (p,gamma) and (p,alpha) reactions destroy 18F at temperatures 1-4x10^8 K is important for understanding the synthesis of nuclei in nova explosions and for using the long-lived radionuclide 18F, a target of gamma-ray astronomy, as a diagnostic of nova mechanisms. The reactions are dominated by low-lying proton resonances near the 18F+p threshold (E_x=6.411 MeV in 19Ne). To gain further information about these resonances, we have used a radioactive 18F beam from the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility to selectively populate corresponding mirror states in 19F via the inverse d(18F,p)19F neutron transfer reaction. Neutron spectroscopic factors were measured for states in 19F in the excitation energy range 0-9 MeV. Widths for corresponding proton resonances in 19Ne were calculated using a Woods-Saxon potential. The results imply significantly lower 18F(p,gamma)19Ne and 18F(p,alpha)15O reaction rates than reported previously, thereby increasing the prospect of observing the 511-keV annihilation radiation associated with the decay of 18F in the ashes ejected from novae.
The 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne reaction is one of two routes for breakout from the hot CNO cycles into the rp process in accreting neutron stars. Its astrophysical rate depends critically on the decay properties of excited states in 19Ne lying just above the 15O + alpha threshold. We have measured the alpha-decay branching ratios for these states using the p(21Ne,t)19Ne reaction at 43 MeV/u. Combining our measurements with previous determinations of the radiative widths of these states, we conclude that no significant breakout from the hot CNO cycle into the rp process in novae is possible via 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne, assuming current models accurately represent their temperature and density conditions.
According to sensitivity studies, the $^{38}mathrm{K}left( p, gamma right){}^{39}mathrm{Ca}$ reaction has a significant influence on $mathrm{Ar}$, $mathrm{K}$, and $mathrm{Ca}$ production in classical novae. In order to constrain the rate of this reaction, we have performed a direct measurement of the strengths of three candidate $ell = 0$ resonances within the Gamow window, at $386 pm 10~mathrm{keV}$, $515 pm 10~mathrm{keV}$, and $689 pm 10~mathrm{keV}$. The experiment was performed in inverse kinematics using a beam of unstable $^{38}mathrm{K}$ impinged on a windowless $mathrm{H}_2$ target. The $^{39}mathrm{Ca}$ recoils and prompt $gamma$ rays from $^{38}mathrm{K}left( p, gamma right){}^{39}mathrm{Ca}$ reactions were detected in coincidence using a recoil mass separator and a BGO array, respectively. For the $689$ keV resonance, we observed a clear recoil-$gamma$ coincidence signal and extracted resonance strength and energy values of $120^{+50}_{-30}~mathrm{(stat.)}^{+20}_{-60}~mathrm{(sys.)}~mathrm{meV}$ and $679^{+2}_{-1}~mathrm{(stat.)} pm 1~mathrm{(sys.)}~mathrm{keV}$, respectively. We also performed a singles analysis, extracting a resonance strength of $120 pm 20~mathrm{(stat.)} pm 15~mathrm{(sys.)}~mathrm{meV}$, consistent with the coincidence result. For the $386$ keV and $515$ keV resonances, we extract $90%$ confidence level upper limits of $2.54$ meV and $18.4$ meV, respectively. We have established a new recommended $^{38}mathrm{K}(p, gamma){}^{39}mathrm{Ca}$ rate based on experimental information, which reduces overall uncertainties near the peak temperatures of nova burning by a factor of ${sim} 250$. Using the rate obtained in this work in model calculations of the hottest oxygen-neon novae reduces overall uncertainties on $mathrm{Ar}$, $mathrm{K}$, and $mathrm{Ca}$ synthesis to factors of $15$ or less in all cases.