Constraining the 6.05 MeV 0+ and 6.13 MeV 3- cascade transitions in the 12C(α,γ)16O reaction using the asymptotic normalization coefficients.

The 12C(α,γ)^16O reaction plays a fundamental role in astrophysics and needs to be known with accuracy better than 10%. Cascade γ transitions through the excited states of 16 O are contributing to the uncertainty. We constrained the contribution of the 0+ (6.05 MeV) and 3- (6.13 MeV) cascade transitions by measuring the asymptotic normalization coefficients for these states using the α-transfer reaction 6 Li(12C,d)^16O at sub-Coulomb energy. The contribution of the 0+ and 3- cascade transitions at 300 keV is found to be 1.96 ± 0.3 and 0.12 ± 0.04 keV b for destructive interference of the direct and resonance capture and 4.36 ± 0.45 and 1.44 ± 0.12 keV b for constructive interference, respectively. The combined contribution of the 0+ and 3- cascade transitions to the 12C(α,γ)16O reaction cross section at 300 keV does not exceed 4%. Significant uncertainties have been dramatically reduced.

Measurement of the 60Fe(n, gamma)61Fe Cross Section at Stellar Temperatures.

Observations of galactic gamma-ray activity have challenged the current understanding of nucleosynthesis in massive stars. Recent measurements of (60)Fe abundances relative to ;{26}Al;{g} have underscored the need for accurate nuclear information concerning the stellar production of (60)Fe. In light of this motivation, a first measurement of the stellar (60)Fe(n, gamma)(61)Fe cross section, the predominant destruction mechanism of (60)Fe, has been performed by activation at the Karlsruhe Van de Graaff accelerator. Results show a Maxwellian averaged cross section at kT = 25 keV of 9.9 +/-_{1.4(stat)};{2.8(syst)}mbarn, a significant reduction in uncertainty with respect to existing theoretical discrepancies. This result will serve to significantly constrain models of (60)Fe nucleosynthesis in massive stars.