The $^{15}{rm N}(p,gamma)^{16}{rm O}$ reaction provides a path from the CN cycle to the CNO bi-cycle and CNO tri-cycle. The measured astrophysical factor for this reaction is dominated by resonant capture through two strong $J^{pi}=1^{-}$ resonances
at $E_{R}= 312$ and 962 keV and direct capture to the ground state. Recently, a new measurement of the astrophysical factor for the $^{15}{rm N}(p,gamma)^{16}{rm O}$ reaction has been published [P. J. LeBlanc {it et al.}, Phys. Rev. {bf C 82}, 055804 (2010)]. The analysis has been done using the $R$-matrix approach with unconstrained variation of all parameters including the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC). The best fit has been obtained for the square of the ANC $C^{2}= 539.2$ fm${}^{-1}$, which exceeds the previously measured value by a factor of $approx 3$. Here we present a new $R$-matrix analysis of the Notre Dame-LUNA data with the fixed within the experimental uncertainties square of the ANC $C^{2}=200.34$ fm${}^{-1}$. Rather than varying the ANC we add the contribution from a background resonance that effectively takes into account contributions from higher levels. Altogether we present 8 fits, five unconstrained and three constrained. In all the fits the ANC is fixed at the previously determined experimental value $C^{2}=200.34$ fm${}^{-1}$. For the unconstrained fit with the boundary condition $B_{c}=S_{c}(E_{2})$, where $E_{2}$ is the energy of the second level, we get $S(0)=39.0 pm 1.1 $ keVb and normalized ${tilde chi}^{2}=1.84$, i.e. the result which is similar to [P. J. LeBlanc {it et al.}, Phys. Rev. {bf C 82}, 055804 (2010)]. From all our fits we get the range $33.1 leq S(0) leq 40.1$ keVb which overlaps with the result of [P. J. LeBlanc {it et al.}, Phys. Rev. {bf C 82}, 055804 (2010)]. We address also physical interpretation of the fitting parameters.
The $^{18}{rm O}(p,alpha)^{15}{rm N}$ reaction is of primary importance in several astrophysical scenarios, including fluorine nucleosynthesis inside AGB stars as well as oxygen and nitrogen isotopic ratios in meteorite grains. Thus the indirect meas
urement of the low energy region of the $^{18}{rm O}(p,alpha)^{15}{rm N}$ reaction has been performed to reduce the nuclear uncertainty on theoretical predictions. In particular the strength of the 20 and 90 keV resonances have been deduced and the change in the reaction rate evaluated.
Direct neutron capture reactions play an important role in nuclear astrophysics and applied physics. Since for most unstable short-lived nuclei it is not possible to measure the $(n, gamma)$ cross sections, $(d,p)$ reactions have been used as an alte
rnative indirect tool. We analyze simultaneously $^{48}{rm Ca}(d,p)^{49}{rm Ca}$ at deuteron energies $2, 13, 19$ and 56 MeV and the thermal $(n,gamma)$ reaction at 25 meV. We include results for the ground state and the first excited state of $^{49}$Ca. From the low-energy $(d,p)$ reaction, the neutron asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) is determined. Using this ANC, we extract the spectroscopic factor (SF) from the higher energy $(d,p)$ data and the $(n, gamma)$ data. The SF obtained through the 56 MeV $(d,p)$ data are less accurate but consistent with those from the thermal capture. We show that to have a similar dependence on the single particle parameters as in the $(n, gamma)$, the (d,p) reaction should be measured at 30 MeV.
