Speaker
Description
The dominant (p,$\gamma$) nucleosynthesis flow in Type I X-ray bursts (XRBs) is halted at several waiting point nuclei such as $^{22}$Mg, $^{24-26}$Si, $^{28-30}$S and $^{34}$Ar due to ($p,\gamma$)-($\gamma,p$) equilibrium. Reactions such as ($\alpha$,p) reactions assist the nucleosynthesis flow to bypass these waiting points. The present uncertainties in the relevant ($\alpha,p$) reaction rates at these waiting points hinder the ability to accurately predict the light curve and ash composition of XRBs. For these waiting point nuclei, the $^{22}$Mg($\alpha$,p)$^{25}$Al reaction has been identified as an important reaction bypassing the waiting points for XRB nucleosynthesis. Thus, it is crucial to constrain the reaction rate of the $^{22}$Mg($\alpha$,p)$^{25}$Al reaction at astrophysical energies. To this end, we have performed a direct measurement of the $^{22}$Mg($\alpha$,p)$^{25}$Al reaction cross section in inverse kinematics using a $^{22}$Mg beam from the Argonne In-Flight Radioactive Ion Separator (RAISOR) and the MUlti-Sampling Ionization Chamber (MUSIC) at Argonne National Laboratory. Preliminary results from this measurement will be discussed.
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