Publications (41)
The importance of the 13C(alpha,n)16O reaction in Asymptotic Giant Branch stars
S. Cristallo, M. La Cognata, C. Massimi +9
Low mass Asymptotic Giant Branch stars are among the most important polluters of the interstellar medium. In their interiors, the main component (A>90) of the slow neutron capture…
First direct measurement of resonance strengths in 17O(α, γ)21Ne
A. Best, J. Görres, M. Couder +10
The reaction 17O(α,γ)21Ne has been measured by in-beam gamma spectroscopy for the first time in the energy range Eα = 750 keV to 1650 keV using highly enriched anodized Ta2(17O)…
Setup commissioning for an improved measurement of the D(p,gamma)3He cross section at Big Bang Nucleosynthesis energies
V. Mossa, K. Stöckel, F. Cavanna +44
Among the reactions involved in the production and destruction of deuterium during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, the deuterium-burning D(p,gamma)3He reaction has the largest uncertaint…
The first direct measurement of 12C(12C,n)23Mg at stellar energies
B. Bucher, X. D. Tang, X. Fang +28
Neutrons produced by the carbon fusion reaction 12C(12C,n)23Mg play an important role in stellar nucleosynthesis. However, past studies have shown large discrepancies between exper…
First direct measurement of the 64.5 keV resonance strength in O(p,)F reaction
R. M. Gesuè, G. F. Ciani, D. Piatti +50
The CNO cycle is one of the most important nuclear energy sources in stars. At temperatures of hydrostatic H-burning (20 MK T 80 MK) the O(p,)F reaction r…
New experimental study of low-energy (p,gamma) resonances in magnesium isotopes
B. Limata, F. Strieder, A. Formicola +30
Proton captures on Mg isotopes play an important role in the Mg-Al cycle active in stellar H shell burning. In particular, the strengths of low-energy resonances with E < 200 keV i…
Towards a comprehensive study of the 14N(p,g)15O astrophysical key reaction: Description of the experimental technique including novel target preparation
A. Compagnucci, A. Formicola, M. Campostrini +46
While the 14N(p,g)15O reaction plays a key role in the hydrogen-burning processes in various stellar conditions, its reaction rate is not known with sufficient precision. Therefore…
Status and future directions for direct cross-section measurements of the 13C(a,n)16O reaction for astrophysics
L. Csedreki, Gy. Gyürky, D. Rapagnani +45
The 13C(a,n)16O reaction is the main neutron source of the s-process taking place in thermally pulsing AGB stars and it is one of the main candidate sources of neutrons for the i-p…
Direct measurement of low-energy Ne(p,)Na resonances
R. Depalo, F. Cavanna, M. Aliotta +30
The Ne(p,)Na reaction is the most uncertain process in the neon-sodium cycle of hydrogen burning. At temperatures relevant for nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant…
Underground nuclear astrophysics: why and how
A. Best, A. Caciolli, Zs. Fülöp +6
The goal of nuclear astrophysics is to measure cross sections of nuclear physics reactions of interest in astrophysics. At stars temperatures, these cross sections are very low due…
Detector characterization for a new C+C reaction study at LUNA
R. M. Gesùè, S. Turkat, J. SkowroÅski +50
The C+C fusion reaction plays a crucial role in stellar evolution, including the occurrence of supernova explosions, and in the synthesis of the chemical elements. Ho…
Direct measurement of the 13C(α,n)16O cross section into the s-process Gamow peak
G. F. Ciani, L. Csedreki, D. Rapagnani +45
One of the main neutron sources for the astrophysical s-process is the reaction 13C(α,n)16O, taking place in thermally pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch stars at temperatures around…
Horizons: Nuclear Astrophysics in the 2020s and Beyond
H. Schatz, A. D. Becerril Reyes, A. Best +162
Nuclear Astrophysics is a field at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics, which seeks to understand the nuclear engines of astronomical objects and the origin of the…
Systematic study of (p,γ) reactions on Ni isotopes
A. Simon, A. Spyrou, T. Rauscher +23
A systematic study of the radiative proton capture reaction for all stable nickel isotopes is presented. The results were obtained using 2.0 - 6.0 MeV protons from the 11 MV tandem…
Clarifying the Radiative Decay of the Hoyle State with Charged-Particle Spectroscopy
D. Dell'Aquila, I. Lombardo, L. Redigolo +33
A detailed knowledge of the decay properties of the so called Hoyle state in the C nucleus ( MeV, ) is required to calculate the rate at which carbon is forg…
Measurement of 25Mg(p; gamma)26Al resonance strengths via gamma spectrometry
A. Formicola, A. Best, G. Imbriani +28
The COMPTEL instrument performed the first mapping of the 1.809 MeV photons in the Galaxy, triggering considerable interest in determing the sources of interstellar 26Al. The predi…
Three new low-energy resonances in the Ne(p,)Na reaction
F. Cavanna, R. Depalo, M. Aliotta +31
The Ne(p,)Na reaction takes part in the neon-sodium cycle of hydrogen burning. This cycle affects the synthesis of the elements between Ne and Al in…
Constraining the S factor of 15N(p,g)16O at Astrophysical Energies
P. J. LeBlanc, G. Imbriani, J. Goerres +44
The 15N(p,g)16O reaction represents a break out reaction linking the first and second cycle of the CNO cycles redistributing the carbon and nitrogen abundances into the oxygen rang…
New proton-capture rates on carbon isotopes and their impact on the astrophysical ratio
J. Skowronski, A. Boeltzig, G. F. Ciani +43
The ratio is a significant indicator of nucleosynthesis and mixing processes during hydrogen burning in stars. Its value mainly depends on the…
Direct capture cross section and the = 71 and 105 keV resonances in the Ne()Na reaction
F. Ferraro, M. P. Takács, D. Piatti +41
The Ne()Na reaction, part of the neon-sodium cycle of hydrogen burning, may explain the observed anticorrelation between sodium and oxygen abundances in globula…
A high-efficiency gas target setup for underground experiments, and redetermination of the branching ratio of the 189.5 keV resonance
F. Ferraro, M. P. Takács, D. Piatti +42
The experimental study of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest is greatly facilitated by a low-background, high-luminosity setup. The Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astr…
Measurement of the reaction O-17(α,n)Ne-20 and its impact on the s process in massive stars
A. Best, M. Beard, J. Görres +16
The ratio between the rates of the reactions O-17(α,n)Ne-20 and O-17(α,γ)Ne-21 determines whether O-16 is an efficient neutron poison for the s process in massive stars, or if m…
A Comparative Analysis of R-Matrix Fitting: CN as Test Case
J. Skowronski, D. Piatti, D. Rapagnani +49
In nuclear astrophysics, the accurate determination of nuclear reaction cross sections at astrophysical energies is critical for understanding stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis…
Measurement of 1323 and 1487 keV resonances in 15N(α, γ)19F with the recoil separator ERNA
A. Di Leva, G. Imbriani, R. Buompane +16
The origin of fluorine is a widely debated issue. Nevertheless, the ^{15}N(α,γ)^{19}F reaction is a common feature among the various production channels so far proposed. Its reac…
Improved direct measurement of low-energy resonances in the Ne(p,)Na reaction
R. S. Sidhu, F. Casaburo, E. Masha +57
In the nova temperature range, 0.1 GK 0.4 GK, several low-energy resonances dominate the Ne(p,)Na reaction rate, which is currently affected by large unce…
Ne and Na ejecta from intermediate-mass stars: The impact of the new LUNA rate for Ne(p,)Na
A. Slemer, P. Marigo, D. Piatti +36
We investigate the impact of the new LUNA rate for the nuclear reaction NeNa on the chemical ejecta of intermediate-mass stars, with particular focus on the the…
The 25Mg(p,g)Al reaction at low astrophysical energies
LUNA Collaboration, F. Strieder, B. Limata +28
In the present work we report on a new measurement of resonance strengths in the reaction 25Mg(p,gamma)26Al at E_cm= 92 and 189 keV. This study was performed at the LUNA facility i…
The impact of the revised ON reaction rate on O stellar abundances and yields
O. Straniero, C. G. Bruno, M. Aliotta +33
Context. Material processed by the CNO cycle in stellar interiors is enriched in 17O. When mixing processes from the stellar surface reach these layers, as occurs when stars become…
First measurement of the low-energy direct capture in 20Ne(p, γ)21Na and improved energy and strength of the Ecm = 368 keV resonance
E. Masha, L. Barbieri, J. Skowronski +48
The reaction is the slowest in the NeNa cycle and directly affects the abundances of the Ne and Na isotopes in a variety of astrophysical sites. He…
Validation of the VUV-reflective coating for next-generation liquid xenon detectors
D. Bajpai, A. Best, I. Ostrovskiy +2
Coating detector materials with films highly reflective in the ultraviolet region improves sensitivity of the rare-event detectors that use liquid xenon. In this work, we investiga…
The 12C(a,g)16O reaction and its implications for stellar helium burning
R. J. deBoer, J. Gorres, M. Wiescher +10
The creation of carbon and oxygen in our universe is one of the forefront questions in nuclear astrophysics. The determination of the abundance of these elements is key to both our…
Origin of meteoritic stardust unveiled by a revised proton-capture rate of O
M. Lugaro, A. I. Karakas, C. G. Bruno +34
Stardust grains recovered from meteorites provide high-precision snapshots of the isotopic composition of the stellar environment in which they formed. Attributing their origin to…
First direct limit on the 334 keV resonance strength in the Ne(α,γ)Mg reaction
D. Piatti, E. Masha, M. Aliotta +44
In stars, the fusion of Ne and He may produce either Mg, with the emission of a neutron, or Mg and a ray. At high temperature, the () channel do…
Slow dynamics of salol: a pressure and temperature dependent light scattering study
L. Comez, S. Corezzi, D. Fioretto +3
We study the slow dynamics of salol by varying both temperature and pressure using photon correlation spectroscopy and pressure-volume-temperature measurements, and compare the beh…
Measurement of the Zr(p,)Nb reactions for the nucleosynthesis of elements around A=90
A. Spyrou, S. J. Quinn, A. Simon +24
Cross section measurements of the reactions Zr(p,)Nb were performed using the NSCL SuN detector at the University of Notre Dame. These reactions are part o…
Improved Direct Measurement of the 64.5 keV Resonance Strength in the 17O(p,a)14N Reaction at LUNA
C. G. Bruno, D. A. Scott, M. Aliotta +32
The O(p,)N reaction plays a key role in various astrophysical scenarios, from asymptotic giant branch stars to classical novae. It affects the synthesis of rare i…
Total cross section of N+ from 0.1 to 12~MeV
R. J. deBoer, R. Arquette, D. Bemmerer +18
The reaction NC is one of the main neutron poisons during -process nucleosynthesis. In addition, the reaction provides insight into the yields of atmospheric…
Solar fusion III: New data and theory for hydrogen-burning stars
B. Acharya, M. Aliotta, A. B. Balantekin +47
In stars that lie on the main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram, like our sun, hydrogen is fused to helium in a number of nuclear reaction chains and series, such as the p…
Characterization of the LUNA neutron detector array for the measurement of the 13C(a,n)16O reaction
L. Csedreki, G. F. Ciani, J. Balibrea-Correa +46
We introduce the LUNA neutron detector array developed for the investigation of the 13C(a,n)16O reaction towards its astrophysical s-process Gamow peak in the low-background enviro…
A new approach to monitor 13C-targets degradation in situ for 13C(alpha,n)16O cross-section measurements at LUNA
G. F. Ciani, L. Csedreki, J. Balibrea-Correa +46
Direct measurements of reaction cross-sections at astrophysical energies often require the use of solid targets able to withstand high ion beam currents for extended periods of tim…
Nuclear Physics Mid Term Plan at LNGS
R. Buompane, F. Cavanna, C. Curceanu +59
The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) is one of the largest underground physics laboratory, a very peculiar environment suited for ex…