Cross sections relevant to gamma-ray line emission in solar flares: ${}^3$He-induced reactions on ${}^{16}$O nuclei

Abstract

Gamma-ray production cross sections have been measured for gamma-ray lines copiously emitted in the ${}^3$He bombardment of ${}^{16}$O nuclei: the 937, 1042 and 1081 keV lines of ${}^{18}$F and the 1887 keV line of ${}^{18}$Ne. Four Ge detectors with BGO shielding for Compton suppression were used to measure the angular distributions of the gamma-rays. The excitation functions have been obtained for ${}^3$He bombarding energies from 3.7 to 36 MeV. Total cross sections are tabulated for calculations relevant to gamma-ray astronomy. The importance of these lines as diagnosis for the presence and properties of accelerated ${}^3$He in solar flares is discussed in light of the measured cross sections.

Phys. Rev. C68 (2003) 0258XX, in press