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15O(α,γ)19Ne is regarded as one of the most important thermonuclear reactions in type I X-ray bursts. For studying the properties of the key resonance in this reaction using β decay, the existing Proton Detector component of the Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) assembly is being upgraded to operate as a time projection chamber (TPC) at FRIB. This upgrade includes the associated hardware as well as software and this paper mainly focusses on the software upgrade. The full detector set up is simulated using the ATTPCROOTv 2 data analysis framework for 20Mg and 241Am.

Sensitivity studies have shown that the 15O(α, γ)19Ne reaction is the most important reaction rate uncertainty affecting the shape of light curves from Type I X-ray bursts. This reaction is dominated by the 4.03 MeV resonance in 19Ne. Previous measurements by our group have shown that this state is populated in the decay sequence of 20Mg. A single 20Mg(βp α)15O event through the key 15O(α, γ)19Ne resonance yields a characteristic signature: the emission of a proton and alpha particle. To achieve the granularity necessary for the identification of this signature, we have upgraded the Proton Detector of the Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) into a time projection chamber to form the GADGET II detection system. GADGET II has been fully constructed, and is entering the testing phase.

A direct measurement of the 19Ne(p, γ)20 Na reaction has been performed in inverse kinematics at the DRAGON recoil separator, at an energy ∼ 10 keV higher than previous measurements. The key resonance in the 19 Ne + p system relevant for ONe novae and Type-I X-ray burst temperatures have been successfully measured for the first time. Preliminary estimates of the resonance energy and strength are reported as Ec.m. ≈ 458 keV and ωγ ≈ 18 meV. These results are consistent with previous direct measurements, but disagree with the most recent study of the 19Ne(p, γ)20 Na reaction rate. These preliminary results will be finalised after a forthcoming negative log-likelihood analysis.

The structure of the 10Li unbound nucleus is a subject of large interest and its description is nowadays a matter of debate. We have investigated this system using the d(9Li,p)10 Li one-neutron transfer reaction at 100 MeV in inverse kinematics. The experiment was performed at the ISACII facility at TRIUMF laboratory. The excitation energy spectrum has been reconstructed by measuring the emitted protons at backward angles and the 9Li at forward angles.

The astrophysical S-factor for the 3He(α,γ)7Be reaction plays an important role in the Solar Standard Model and in the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis scenario. The advances from two recent experiments performed using complementary techniques at center of mass (C.M.) energies between 1 and 3 MeV are discussed.