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Abstract The Electromagnetic Mass Analyser (EMMA) is a new vacuum-mode recoil mass spectrometer currently undergoing the final stages of commissioning at the ISAC-II facility of TRIUMF. EMMA employs a symmetric configuration of electrostatic and magnetic deflectors to separate the products of nuclear reactions from the beam, focus them in both energy and angle, and disperse them in a focal plane according to their mass/charge (m ∕ q) ratios. The spectrometer was designed to accommodate the γ -ray detector array TIGRESS around the target position in order to provide spectroscopic information from electromagnetic transitions. EMMA is intended to be used in the measurement of fusion evaporation, radiative capture, and transfer reactions for the study of nuclear structure and astrophysics. Its complement of focal plane detectors facilitates the identification of recoiling nuclei and subsequent recoil decay spectroscopy. Here we describe the facility and report on commissioning efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EMMA is a recoil mass spectrometer for ISAC-II at TRIUMF that will be used to separate the recoils of nuclear reactions from the beam and to disperse them according to their mass-to-charge ratios. EMMA has been designed for both efficiency and selectivity, possessing large acceptances in angle, mass, and energy without sacrificing the necessary beam suppression and mass resolving power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here a determination of the asymptotic normalization coefficient of the valence neutron in 8Li from a measurement of the angular distribution of the 7Li(8Li,7Li)8Li reaction at 11 MeV. Using isospin symmetry the 8B ANC has also been calculated and used to infer a value for S17(0) of 20.2 ± 4.4 eV b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct and statistical neutron decay of the isoscalar giant dipole resonance has been studied in 90Zr, 116Sn, and 208Pb using the (α, α’ n) reaction at a bombarding energy of 200 MeV. The spectra of fast decay neutrons populating valence hole states of the Z, N − 1 nuclei were analyzed, and estimates for the branching ratios were determined. The observation of the nucleon-direct-decay channels helped to select giant-resonance strengths and suppress the underlying background and continuum, which led to an indication of the existence of a new mode with L = 2 character, presumably the overtone of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental landscape for the 7Be+p radiative capture reaction is rapidly changing as new high precision data become available. We present an evaluation of existing data, detailing the treatment of systematic errors and discrepancies, and show how they constrain the astrophysical S factor (S 17), independent of any nuclear structure model. With theoretical models robustly determining the behavior of the sub-threshold pole, the extrapolation error can be reduced and a constraint placed on the slope of S 17. Usin only radiative capture data, we find if data sets are completely independent, while if data sets are completely correlated we find . The truth likely lies somewhere in between these two limits. Although we employ a formalism capable of treating discrepant data, we note that the central value of the S factor is dominated by the recent high precision data of Junghans et al., which imply a substantially higher value than other radiative capture and indirect measurements. Therefore we conclude that future progress will require new high precision data with a detailed error budget. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In stars, 16O represents the endpoint of the helium burning sequence due to the low rate of 16O(α,γ)20Ne. We present a new direct measurement of the total cross section of 16O(α,γ)20Ne at Ec.m. = 1.69 MeV employing the DRAGON recoil separator. In addition, the branching ratios and strength of the Ec.m. = 2.426 MeV 3- resonance were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 17O(p,γ)18F reaction plays an important role in hydrogen-burning nucleosynthesis. Conflicting values for the low-energy behavior of its cross section exist in the literature. We present direct measurements of the astrophysical S factor of the 17O(p,γ)18F reaction at center-of-mass energies between 250 and 500 keV. These measurements were conducted in inverse kinematics at the DRAGON recoil separator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A feasibility study was made of an important aspect of the Coulomb-dissociation method, which has been proposed for the determination of the rate of the astrophysically important 12C(α, γ)16O reaction. A crucial aspect is the disentanglement of nuclear and Coulomb interactions on one hand and the separation of dipole and quadrupole contributions on the other. As a first step the resonant breakup via two well-known 2+ states of 16O was measured. The differential cross section of 208Pb(16O, 16O*)208Pb and the angular correlations of the fragments 12C and α in the center of mass were measured and compared to theoretical predictions calculated in DWBA and the coupled-channel method. The best agreement was found for the state at 11.52 MeV associated to a one-step excitation from the ground state, while the 9.84 MeV requires coupling to the first-excited 2+ state and is not well described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The first measurement of the one-neutron transfer reaction 11 Li(p,d) 10 Li performed using the IRIS facility at TRIUMF with a 5.7 A MeV 11 Li beam interacting with a solid H 2 target is reported. The 10 Li residue was populated strongly as a resonance peak with energy E r = 0.62 ± 0.04 MeV having a total width Γ = 0.33 ± 0.07 MeV . The angular distribution of this resonance is characterized by neutron occupying the 1 p 1 / 2 orbital. A DWBA analysis yields a spectroscopic factor of 0.67 ± 0.12 for p 1 / 2 removal strength from the ground state of 11 Li to the region of the peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Wolf-Rayet and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, the 26gAl(p,γ)27 Si reaction is expected to govern the destruction of the cosmic γ-ray emitting nucleus 26Al. The rate of this reaction, however, is highly uncertain due to the unknown properties of key resonances in the temperature regime of hydrogen burning. We present a high-resolution inverse kinematic study of the 26gAl(d,p)27Si reaction as a method for constraining the strengths of key astrophysical resonances in the 26gAl(p,γ)27Si reaction. In particular, the results indicate that the resonance at Er = 127keV in determines the entire 26gAl(p,γ)27Si reaction rate over almost the complete temperature range of Wolf-Rayet stars and AGB stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1S(p,γ)34Cl reaction is important for constraining predictions of certain isotopic abundances in oxygen-neon novae. Models currently predict as much as 150 times the solar abundance of 33S in oxygen-neon nova ejecta. This overproduction factor may, however, vary by orders of magnitude due to uncertainties in the 33S(p,γ)34Cl reaction rate at nova peak temperatures. Depending on this rate, 33S could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool for classifying certain types of presolar grains. Better knowledge of the 33S(p,γ)34Cl rate would also aid in interpreting nova observations over the S-Ca mass region and contribute to the firm establishment of the maximum endpoint of nova nucleosynthesis. Additionally, the total S elemental abundance which is affected by this reaction has been proposed as a thermometer to study the peak temperatures of novae. Previously, the 33S(p,γ)34Cl reaction rate had only been studied directly down to resonance energies of 432 keV. However, for nova peak temperatures of 0.2-0.4 GK there are 7 known states in 34Cl both below the 432 keV resonance and within the Gamow window that could play a dominant role. Direct measurements of the resonance strengths of these states were performed using the DRAGON recoil separator at TRIUMF. Additionally two new states within this energy region are reported. Several hydrodynamic simulations have been performed, using all available experimental information for the 33S(p,γ)34Cl rate, to explore the impact of the remaining uncertainty in this rate on nucleosynthesis in nova explosions. These calculations give a range of ~ 20-150 for the expected 33S overproduction factor, and a range of ~ 100-450 for the 32S/33S ratio expected in ONe novae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The DRAGON facility for the study of radiative capture reactions has an extended gas target, surrounded by an array of BGO detectors. The distribution of detected gamma rays amongst the segmented array permits an estimate of the reaction position and consequently of the resonance energy. We report a study of the technique, using the 24Mg(p, )25Al reaction. Energy determination to better than 0.5% has been demonstrated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The 18Ne(α,p)21Na reaction provides one of the main HCNO-breakout routes into the rp process in x-ray bursts. The 18Ne(α,p0)21Na reaction cross section has been determined for the first time in the Gamow energy region for peak temperatures 7 ∼ 2 GK by measuring its time-reversal reaction 21Ne(p,α)18Ne in inverse kinematics. The astrophysical rate for ground-state to ground-state transitions was found to be a factor of 2 lower than Hauser-Feshbach theoretical predictions. Our reduced rate will affect the physical conditions under which breakout from the HCNO cycles occurs via the 18Ne(p,α)21Na reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The first reaction spectroscopy on the ground state structure of 33Mg through the measurement of the longitudinal momentum distribution from the one-neutron removal reaction using a C target at is reported. The experiment was performed at the FRS, GSI. The distribution has a relatively narrow width ( (FWHM)) and the one-neutron removal cross-section is . An increased contribution from the orbital is required to explain the observation showing its lowering compared to existing model predictions. This provides new information regarding the configuration of 33Mg and the island of inversion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The s-wave neutron fraction of the levels in 12Be has been investigated for the first time through the 11Be() transfer reaction using a 11Be beam at TRIUMF, Canada. The reaction populated all the known bound states of 12Be. The ground state s-wave spectroscopic factor was determined to be while that for the long-lived excited state was . This observation, together with the smaller effective separation energy indicates enhanced probability for an extended density tail beyond the 10Be core for the excited state compared to the ground state. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Preliminary studies in preparation for an absolute cross-section measurement of the radiative capture reaction 3He()7Be with the DRAGON recoil separator have demonstrated beam suppression at the 90% confidence level. A measurement of this cross section by observation of 7Be recoils at the focal plane of the separator should be virtually background free. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This Letter reports a study of the highly debated 10Li structure through the d(9Li, p)10Li one-neutron transfer reaction at 100 MeV. The 10Li energy spectrum is measured up to 4.6 MeV and angular distributions corresponding to different excitation energy regions are reported for the first time. The comparison between data and theoretical predictions, including pairing correlation effects, shows the existence of a p1/2 resonance at 0.45 ± 0.03 MeV excitation energy, while no evidence for a significant s-wave contribution close to the threshold energy is observed. Moreover, two high-lying structures are populated at 1.5 and 2.9 MeV. The corresponding angular distributions suggest a significant s1/2 partial-wave contribution for the 1.5 MeV structure and a mixing of configurations at higher energy, with the d5/2 partial-wave contributing the most to the cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]