The stable nucleus $^{15}$N is the mirror of $^{15}$O, the bottleneck in the hydrogen burning CNO cycle. Most of the $^{15}$N level widths below the proton emission threshold are known from just one nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) measurement, w
ith limited precision in some cases. A recent experiment with the AGATA demonstrator array determined level lifetimes using the Doppler Shift Attenuation Method (DSAM) in $^{15}$O. As a reference and for testing the method, level lifetimes in $^{15}$N have also been determined in the same experiment. The latest compilation of $^{15}$N level properties dates back to 1991. The limited precision in some cases in the compilation calls for a new measurement in order to enable a comparison to the AGATA demonstrator data. The widths of several $^{15}$N levels have been studied with the NRF method. The solid nitrogen compounds enriched in $^{15}$N have been irradiated with bremsstrahlung. The $gamma$-rays following the deexcitation of the excited nuclear levels were detected with four HPGe detectors. Integrated photon-scattering cross sections of ten levels below the proton emission threshold have been measured. Partial gamma-ray widths of ground-state transitions were deduced and compared to the literature. The photon scattering cross sections of two levels above the proton emission threshold, but still below other particle emission energies have also been measured, and proton resonance strengths and proton widths were deduced. Gamma and proton widths consistent with the literature values were obtained, but with greatly improved precision.
The observation of $^{26}$Al gives us the proof of active nucleosynthesis in the Milky Way. However the identification of the main producers of $^{26}$Al is still a matter of debate. Many sites have been proposed, but our poor knowledge of the nuclea
r processes involved introduces high uncertainties. In particular, the limited accuracy on the $^{25}$Mg($alpha$,n)$^{28}$Si reaction cross section has been identified as the main source of nuclear uncertainty in the production of $^{26}$Al in C/Ne explosive burning in massive stars, which has been suggested to be the main source of $^{26}$Al in the Galaxy. We studied this reaction through neutron spectroscopy at the CN Van de Graaff accelerator of the Legnaro National Laboratories. Thanks to this technique we are able to discriminate the ($alpha$,n) events from possible contamination arising from parasitic reactions. In particular, we measured the neutron angular distributions at 5 different beam energies (between 3 and 5 MeV) in the ang{17.5}-ang{106} laboratory system angular range. The presented results disagree with the assumptions introduced in the analysis of a previous experiment.
An increasing demand of environmental radioactivity monitoring comes both from the scientific community and from the society. This requires accurate, reliable and fast response preferably from portable radiation detectors. Thanks to recent improvemen
ts in the technology, $gamma$-spectroscopy with sodium iodide scintillators has been proved to be an excellent tool for in-situ measurements for the identification and quantitative determination of $gamma$-ray emitting radioisotopes, reducing time and costs. Both for geological and civil purposes not only $^{40}$K, $^{238}$U, and $^{232}$Th have to be measured, but there is also a growing interest to determine the abundances of anthropic elements, like $^{137}$Cs and $^{131}$I, which are used to monitor the effect of nuclear accidents or other human activities. The Full Spectrum Analysis (FSA) approach has been chosen to analyze the $gamma$-spectra. The Non Negative Least Square (NNLS) and the energy calibration adjustment have been implemented in this method for the first time in order to correct the intrinsic problem related with the $chi ^2$ minimization which could lead to artifacts and non physical results in the analysis. A new calibration procedure has been developed for the FSA method by using in situ $gamma$-spectra instead of calibration pad spectra. Finally, the new method has been validated by acquiring $gamma$-spectra with a 10.16 cm x 10.16 cm sodium iodide detector in 80 different sites in the Ombrone basin, in Tuscany. The results from the FSA method have been compared with the laboratory measurements by using HPGe detectors on soil samples collected in the different sites, showing a satisfactory agreement between them. In particular, the $^{137}$Cs isotopes has been implemented in the analysis since it has been found not negligible during the in-situ measurements.
The NO cycle takes place in the deepest layer of a H-burning core or shell, when the temperature exceeds T {simeq} 30 {cdot} 106 K. The O depletion observed in some globular cluster giant stars, always associated with a Na enhancement, may be due to
either a deep mixing during the RGB (red giant branch) phase of the star or to the pollution of the primordial gas by an early population of massive AGB (asymptotic giant branch) stars, whose chemical composition was modified by the hot bottom burning. In both cases, the NO cycle is responsible for the O depletion. The activation of this cycle depends on the rate of the 15N(p,{gamma})16O reaction. A precise evaluation of this reaction rate at temperatures as low as experienced in H-burning zones in stellar interiors is mandatory to understand the observed O abundances. We present a new measurement of the 15N(p,{gamma})16O reaction performed at LUNA covering for the first time the center of mass energy range 70-370 keV, which corresponds to stellar temperatures between 65 {cdot} 106 K and 780 {cdot}106 K. This range includes the 15N(p,{gamma})16O Gamow-peak energy of explosive H-burning taking place in the external layer of a nova and the one of the hot bottom burning (HBB) nucleosynthesis occurring in massive AGB stars. With the present data, we are also able to confirm the result of the previous R-matrix extrapolation. In particular, in the temperature range of astrophysical interest, the new rate is about a factor of 2 smaller than reported in the widely adopted compilation of reaction rates (NACRE or CF88) and the uncertainty is now reduced down to the 10% level.
Ultra-sensitive in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy studies for nuclear astrophysics are performed at the LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) 400 kV accelerator, deep underground in Italys Gran Sasso laboratory. By virtue of a specially
constructed passive shield, the laboratory gamma-ray background for E_gamma < 3 MeV at LUNA has been reduced to levels comparable to those experienced in dedicated offline underground gamma-counting setups. The gamma-ray background induced by an incident alpha-beam has been studied. The data are used to evaluate the feasibility of sensitive in-beam experiments at LUNA and, by extension, at similar proposed facilities.
