Speaker
Alan Michael Howard
(Aarhus University (DK))
Description
Observation of $^{26}$Al in the galactic medium, via decay of its daughter nucleus $^{26}$Mg, has provided direct evidence for ongoing nucleosynthesis in the galaxy [1]. While the main sites for $^{26}$Al production are still uncertain, the C/Ne convective shell within massive stars is a prime candidate. Large-scale network calculations have been reported which assess the impact of various reactions on $^{26}$Al production. A strong sensitivity to the $^{23}$Na($\alpha$,$p$)$^{26}$Mg reaction rate is found, with the $^{26}$Al production changing by a factor of 3 for a factor 10 change in cross section [2]. We present here the results of a direct measurement of the $^{23}$Na($\alpha$,$p$)$^{26}$Mg cross section performed at Aarhus University [3], in addition to other recent measurements performed at Argonne National Laboratory [4] and TRIUMPH [5].
[1] W. Mahoney et. al., Astrophys. J. 262, 742 (1982)
[2] C. Iliadis et. al., The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 193, 16 (2011)
[3] A.M. Howard et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 052701 (2015)
[4] S. Almaraz-Calderon et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 152701 (2014)
[5] J.R. Tomlinson et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 052702 (2015)
Author
Alan Michael Howard
(Aarhus University (DK))
