STUDYING THE REACTION CHAIN OF 17O(P,?)18F(P,?) IN CLASSICAL NOVAE VIA ONE-PROTON BREAKUP REACTIONS

Classical novae are fascinating stellar explosions of considerable interest for understanding the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The short-lived radioisotope 18F, which is most likely synthesized in novae, is expected to be the most important contributor to the observed emission of 511 keV ? radiation by space based ?-ray detection telescopes. This emission is produced by electron-positron annihilation following the ß+ decay of radioactive nuclei. A detection of these ? rays could significantly constrain the nova simulation models. In our study we investigate the 17O(p,?)18F(p,?)19Ne reaction chain for the creation and respective destruction of 18F. An experiment that was carried out at GANIL in France using a beam of 18F at 40 MeV/nucleon impinging on a carbon target. The EXOGAM germanium detector array has been used in conjunction with the SPEG spectrometer at GANIL. Longitudinal momentum distributions of the 17O breakup fragments were measured in coincidence with gamma rays emitted by 17O and 18F residues left excited after the one-proton breakup of 18F and 19Ne, respectively. We report on differential cross-section distributions for the 19Ne one-proton breakup and the 18F one-proton breakup reactions. By comparison with theoretical breakup calculations we are going to determine the astrophysically relevant reaction rates for 17O(p,?)18F(p,?)19Ne applying the ANC indirect method[1]. [1] A. Banu, L. Trache, F. Carstoiu etal., Phys. Rev. C 84 (2011) 015803

Additional Abstract Information

Student(s): Bryan Isherwood

Department: Physics

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Adriana Banu

Type: Oral

Year: 2014