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Studies of charged-particle reactions for low-energy nuclear astrophysics require high sensitivity, which can be achieved by means of detection setups with high efficiency and low backgrounds, to obtain precise measurements in the energy region of interest for stellar scenarios. High-efficiency total absorption spectroscopy is an established and powerful tool for studying radiative capture reactions, particularly if combined with the cosmic background reduction by several orders of magnitude obtained at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA). We present recent improvements in the detection setup with the Bismuth Germanium Oxide (BGO) detector at LUNA, aiming to reduce high-energy backgrounds and increase the summing detection efficiency. The new design results in enhanced sensitivity of the BGO setup, as we demonstrate and discuss in the context of the first direct measurement of the 65 keV resonance (E x = 5672 keV) of the 17O(p,γ)18F reaction. Moreover, we show two applications of the BGO detector, which exploit its segmentation. In the case of complex γ-ray cascades, e.g. the de-excitation of E x = 5672 keV in 18F, the BGO segmentation allows to identify and suppress the beam-induced background signals that mimic the sum peak of interest. We demonstrate another new application for such a detector in form of in situ activation measurements of a reaction with β + unstable product nuclei, e.g. the 14N(p,γ)15O reaction.

The β-delayed one- and two-neutron emission probabilities (P_{1n} and P_{2n}) of 20 neutron-rich nuclei with N≥82 have been measured at the RIBF facility of the RIKEN Nishina Center. P_{1n} of ^{130,131}Ag, ^{133,134}Cd, ^{135,136}In, and ^{138,139}Sn were determined for the first time, and stringent upper limits were placed on P_{2n} for nearly all cases. β-delayed two-neutron emission (β2n) was unambiguously identified in ^{133}Cd and ^{135,136}In, and their P_{2n} were measured. Weak β2n was also detected from ^{137,138}Sn. Our results highlight the effect of the N=82 and Z=50 shell closures on β-delayed neutron emission probability and provide stringent benchmarks for newly developed macroscopic-microscopic and self-consistent global models with the inclusion of a statistical treatment of neutron and γ emission. The impact of our measurements on r-process nucleosynthesis was studied in a neutron star merger scenario. Our P_{1n} and P_{2n} have a direct impact on the odd-even staggering of the final abundance, improving the agreement between calculated and observed Solar System abundances. The odd isotope fraction of Ba in r-process-enhanced (r-II) stars is also better reproduced using our new data.

Carbon fusion reactions $$^{12}$$ 12 C($$^{12}$$ 12 C,p)$$^{23}$$ 23 Na and $$^{12}$$ 12 C($$^{12}$$ 12 C,$$\alpha $$ α )$$^{20}$$ 20 Ne play a key role in the evolution of massive stars and in explosive scenarios such as type-Ia supernovae and super-bursts in binary stars. A direct determination of their cross sections is extremely challenging and discrepancies exist between different data sets in the literature. Here we report the results of a direct measurement performed at the CIRCE Tandem Accelerator Laboratory in Caserta (Italy), using $$\varDelta E-E$$ Δ E - E detectors for unambiguous charge identification. Cross sections were measured in the energy range $$E_{\mathrm{c.m.}} =2.51{-}4.36$$ E c . m . = 2.51 - 4.36 MeV with energy steps between 10 and 25 keV in the centre of mass. To our knowledge these represent the finest energy steps to date. Results are presented in the form of partial and summed astrophysical $${\tilde{S}}$$ S ~ -factors for individual proton- and $$\alpha $$ α -particle channels. Branching ratios of individual proton- and $$\alpha $$ α -particle groups were found to vary significantly with energy. Angular distributions, albeit limited to three angles, were also found to be non-isotropic, which could be a potential explanation for the discrepancies observed among different data sets. Further efforts are ongoing to extend measurements to lower energies.

The 18O(p,α)15N reaction affects the synthesis of 15N, 18O and 19F isotopes, whose abundances can be used to probe the nucleosynthesis and mixing processes occurring deep inside asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We performed a low-background direct measurement of the 18O(p,α)15N reaction cross-section at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) from center of mass energy Ec.m.=340 keV down to Ec.m.=55 keV, the lowest energy measured to date corresponding to a cross-section of less than 1 picobarn/sr. The strength of a key resonance at center of mass energy Er=90 keV was found to be a factor of 10 higher than previously reported. A multi-channel R-matrix analysis of our and other data available in the literature was performed. Over a wide temperature range, T=0.01–1.00 GK, our new astrophysical rate is both more accurate and precise than recent evaluations. Stronger constraints can now be placed on the physical processes controlling nucleosynthesis in AGB stars with interesting consequences on the abundance of 18O in these stars and in stardust grains, specifically on the production sites of oxygen-rich Group II grains., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Light elements were produced in the first few minutes of the Universe through a sequence of nuclear reactions known as Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN)1,2. Among the light elements produced during BBN1,2, deuterium is an excellent indicator of cosmological parameters because its abundance is highly sensitive to the primordial baryon density and also depends on the number of neutrino species permeating the early Universe. Although astronomical observations of primordial deuterium abundance have reached percent accuracy3, theoretical predictions4,5,6 based on BBN are hampered by large uncertainties on the cross-section of the deuterium burning D(p,γ)3He reaction. Here we show that our improved cross-sections of this reaction lead to BBN estimates of the baryon density at the 1.6 percent level, in excellent agreement with a recent analysis of the cosmic microwave background7. Improved cross-section data were obtained by exploiting the negligible cosmic-ray background deep underground at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy)8,9. We bombarded a high-purity deuterium gas target10 with an intense proton beam from the LUNA 400-kilovolt accelerator11 and detected the γ-rays from the nuclear reaction under study with a high-purity germanium detector. Our experimental results settle the most uncertain nuclear physics input to BBN calculations and substantially improve the reliability of using primordial abundances to probe the physics of the early Universe.

The observation of oxygen isotopes in giant stars sheds light on mixing processes operating in their interiors. Due to the very strong correlation between nuclear burning and mixing processes it is very important to reduce the uncertainty on the cross sections of the nuclear reactions that are involved. In this paper we focus our attention on the reaction O 18 ( p , γ ) 19 F . While the O 18 ( p , α ) 15 N channel is thought to be dominant, the (p,γ) channel can still be an important component in stellar burning in giants, depending on the low energy cross section. So far only extrapolations from higher-energy measurements exist and recent estimates vary by orders of magnitude. These large uncertainties call for an experimental reinvestigation of this reaction. We present a direct measurement of the O 18 ( p , γ ) 19 F cross section using a high-efficiency 4π BGO summing detector at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA). The reaction cross section has been directly determined for the first time from 140 keV down to 85 keV and the different cross section components have been obtained individually. The previously highly uncertain strength of the 90 keV resonance was found to be 0.53 ± 0.07 neV, three orders of magnitude lower than an indirect estimate based on nuclear properties of the resonant state and a factor of 20 lower than a recently established upper limit, excluding the possibility that the 90 keV resonance can contribute significantly to the stellar reaction rate.

We introduce the LUNA neutron detector array developed for the investigation of the 13C( α , n )16O reaction towards its astrophysical s -process Gamow peak in the low-background environment of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). Eighteen 3He counters are arranged in two different configurations (in a vertical and a horizontal orientation) to optimize neutron detection efficiency, target handling and target cooling over the investigated energy range E α , lab = 300 − 400 keV (E n = 2 . 2 − 2 . 6 MeV in emitted neutron energy). As a result of the deep underground location, the passive shielding of the setup and active background suppression using pulse shape discrimination, we reached a total background rate of 1 . 23 ± 0 . 12 counts/hour. This resulted in an improvement of two orders of magnitude over the state of the art allowing a direct measurement of the 13C( α , n )16O cross-section down to E α , lab = 300 keV. The absolute neutron detection efficiency of the setup was determined using the 51V(p,n)51Cr reaction and an AmBe radioactive source, and completed with a Geant4 simulation. We determined a (34 ± 3)% and (38 ± 3)% detection efficiency for the vertical and horizontal configurations, respectively, for E n = 2 . 4 MeV neutrons.

Aquesta es una copia de la versio author’s final draft d'un article publicat a la revista [Physical Review C ]. URL d'aquest document a UPCommons E-prints: http://hdl.handle.net/2117/174873

The NeNa and the MgAl cycles play a fundamental role in the nucleosynthesis of asymptotic giant branch stars undergoing hot bottom burning. The Na 23 ( p , γ ) 24 Mg reaction links these two cycles and a precise determination of its rate is required to correctly estimate the contribution of these stars to the chemical evolution of various isotopes of Na, Mg and Al. At temperatures of 50 ≲ T ≲ 110 MK , narrow resonances at E p = 140 and 251 keV are the main contributors to the reaction rate, in addition to the direct capture that dominates in the lower part of the temperature range. We present new measurements of the strengths of these resonances at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA). We have used two complementary detection approaches: high efficiency with a 4π BGO detector for the 140 keV resonance, and high resolution with a HPGe detector for the 251 keV resonance. Thanks to the reduced cosmic ray background of LUNA, we were able to determine the resonance strength of the 251 keV resonance as ω γ = 482 ( 82 ) μ eV and observed new gamma ray transitions for the decay of the corresponding state in Mg 24 at E x = 11931 keV . With the highly efficient BGO detector, we observed a signal for the 140 keV resonance for the first time in a direct measurement, resulting in a strength of ω γ 140 = 1.46 − 0.53 + 0.58 neV (68% CL). Our measurement reduces the uncertainty of the Na 23 ( p , γ ) 24 Mg reaction rate in the temperature range from 0.05 to 0.1 GK to at most − 35 % + 50 % at 0.07 GK. Accordingly, our results imply a significant reduction of the uncertainties in the nucleosynthesis calculations.

The ^{22}Ne(p,γ)^{23}Na reaction, part of the neon-sodium cycle of hydrogen burning, may explain the observed anticorrelation between sodium and oxygen abundances in globular cluster stars. Its rate is controlled by a number of low-energy resonances and a slowly varying nonresonant component. Three new resonances at E_{p}=156.2, 189.5, and 259.7 keV have recently been observed and confirmed. However, significant uncertainty on the reaction rate remains due to the nonresonant process and to two suggested resonances at E_{p}=71 and 105 keV. Here, new ^{22}Ne(p,γ)^{23}Na data with high statistics and low background are reported. Stringent upper limits of 6×10^{-11} and 7×10^{-11} eV (90% confidence level), respectively, are placed on the two suggested resonances. In addition, the off-resonant S factor has been measured at unprecedented low energy, constraining the contributions from a subthreshold resonance and the direct capture process. As a result, at a temperature of 0.1 GK the error bar of the ^{22}Ne(p,γ)^{23}Na rate is now reduced by 3 orders of magnitude.

The 12C(12C,p)23Na and 12C(12C, $\alpha$ )20Ne fusion reactions are among the most important in stellar evolution since they determine the destiny of massive ( $ M \simeq 8-10 M_{\odot}$ ) stars. However, experimental low-energy investigations of such reactions are significantly hampered by ubiquitous natural hydrogen and deuterium contaminants in the carbon targets. The associated beam-induced background completely masks the reaction products of interest thus preventing cross-section measurements at the relevant energies of astrophysical interest, $E_{\mathrm{cm}} < 2$ MeV. In this work, we report about an investigation aimed at assessing possible deuterium reductions on both natural graphite and Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite targets as a function of target temperature. Our results indicate that reductions up to about 80% can be attained on both targets in the temperature range investigated, $ T \simeq 200-1200 {}^{\circ}$ C. A further reduction by a factor of 2.5 in absolute deuterium content is observed when the scattering chamber is surrounded by a dry nitrogen atmosphere so as to minimise light-particles uptake within the chamber rest gas (and thus on target) through air leaks. The results from this study will inform the choice of optimal experimental conditions and procedures for improved measurements of the 12C + 12C reactions cross-sections at the low energies of astrophysical interest.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.252501.

A new detection system has been installed at the RIKEN Nishina Center (Japan) to investigate decay properties of very neutron-rich nuclei. The setup consists of three main parts: a moderated neutron counter , a detection system sensitive to the implantation and decay of radioactive ions, and γ -ray detectors. We describe here the setup, the commissioning experiment and some selected results demonstrating its performance for the measurement of half-lives and β -delayed neutron emission probabilities. The methodology followed in the analysis of the data is described in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on the correction of the accidental neutron background.

A new detection array called GASTLY (GAs-Silicon Two-Layer sYstem) has been designed to detect and identify low-energy light particles emitted in nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest. Devoted to the measurement of nanobarn cross-sections, the system is optimised for large solid angle coverage and for low-energy detection thresholds. The array consists of eight modules, each comprising an ionisation chamber and a large area silicon strip detector. Its modularity and versatility allow for use in a variety of experiments. Here we report on the performance of the array as obtained during its commissioning phase with standard $\alpha$ -particle sources and during in-beam tests with an intense 12C beam. Typical energy resolutions $\Delta E(\mathrm{FWHM})/E$ of about 3% and 2% were obtained for the ionisation chambers and the silicon detectors, respectively. The status of the development of individual strip readout, based on ASIC technology, is also presented.

Direct measurements of small nuclear reaction cross sections require a low background in the signal region of interest to achieve the necessary sensitivity. We describe two complementary detector setups that have been used for studies of $({\rm{p}},\gamma )$ reactions with solid targets at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA): a high-purity germanium detector and a bismuth germanate (BGO) detector. We present the effect of a customised lead shielding on the measured background spectra in the two detector setups at LUNA. We developed a model to describe the contributions of environmental and intrinsic backgrounds in the BGO detector measurements. Furthermore we present an upgrade of the data acquisition system for our BGO detector, which allows us to exploit the features of the segmented detector and overcome some of the limitations encountered in previous experiments. We conclude with a discussion on the improved sensitivity of the presented setups, and the benefits for ongoing and possible future measurements.

The experimental study of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest is greatly facilitated by a low-background, high-luminosity setup. The Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) 400 kV accelerator offers ultra-low cosmic-ray induced background due to its location deep underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (INFN-LNGS), Italy, and high intensity, 250-500 $\mu$A, proton and $\alpha$ ion beams. In order to fully exploit these features, a high-purity, recirculating gas target system for isotopically enriched gases is coupled to a high-efficiency, six-fold optically segmented bismuth germanate (BGO) $\gamma$-ray detector. The beam intensity is measured with a beam calorimeter with constant temperature gradient. Pressure and temperature measurements have been carried out at several positions along the beam path, and the resultant gas density profile has been determined. Calibrated $\gamma$-intensity standards and the well-known $E_p$ = 278 keV $\mathrm{^{14}N(p,\gamma)^{15}O}$ resonance were used to determine the $\gamma$-ray detection efficiency and to validate the simulation of the target and detector setup. As an example, the recently measured resonance at $E_p$ = 189.5 keV in the $^{22}$Ne(p,$\gamma$)$^{23}$Na reaction has been investigated with high statistics, and the $\gamma$-decay branching ratios of the resonance have been determined., Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted in Eur. Phys. Journal A

Accurate knowledge of thermonuclear reaction rates is important in understanding the generation of energy, the luminosity of neutrinos, and the synthesis of elements in stars. Cross-section measurements for quiescent stellar H-burning are mainly hampered by extremely low counting rate and cosmic background. The LUNA Collaboration has shown that, by going underground and by using the typical techniques of low background physics, it is possible to measure nuclear cross-sections down to the energy of the nucleosynthesis inside stars. This paper reports an overview of the experimental techniques adopted in underground nuclear astrophysics through a summary of the main recent results and achievements. The future developments of the LUNA experiment are also given. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Context. Material processed by the CNO cycle in stellar interiors is enriched in 17O. When mixing processes from the stellar surface reach these layers, as occurs when stars become red giants and undergo the first dredge up, the abundance of 17O increases. Such an occurrence explains the drop of the 16O/17O observed in RGB stars with mass larger than 1.5 M_\solar. As a consequence, the interstellar medium is continuously polluted by the wind of evolved stars enriched in 17O . Aims. Recently, the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) collaboration released an improved rate of the 17O(p,alpha)14N reaction. In this paper we discuss the impact that the revised rate has on the 16O/17O ratio at the stellar surface and on 17O stellar yields. Methods. We computed stellar models of initial mass between 1 and 20 M_\solar and compared the results obtained by adopting the revised rate of the 17O(p,alpha)14N to those obtained using previous rates. Results. The post-first dredge up 16O/17O ratios are about 20% larger than previously obtained. Negligible variations are found in the case of the second and the third dredge up. In spite of the larger 17O(p,alpha)14N rate, we confirm previous claims that an extra-mixing process on the red giant branch, commonly invoked to explain the low carbon isotopic ratio observed in bright low-mass giant stars, marginally affects the 16O/17O ratio. Possible effects on AGB extra-mixing episodes are also discussed. As a whole, a substantial reduction of 17O stellar yields is found. In particular, the net yield of stars with mass ranging between 2 and 20 M_\solar is 15 to 40% smaller than previously estimated. Conclusions. The revision of the 17O(p,alpha)14N rate has a major impact on the interpretation of the 16O/17O observed in evolved giants, in stardust grains and on the 17O stellar yields., Comment: Accepted by A&A

We investigate the impact of the new LUNA rate for the nuclear reaction Ne-22(p, gamma) Na-23 on the chemical ejecta of intermediate-mass stars, with particular focus on the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars that experience hot-bottom burning. To this aim, we use the PARSEC and COLIBRI codes to compute the complete evolution, from the premain sequence up to the termination of the TP-AGB phase, of a set of stellar models with initial masses in the range 3.0-6.0M(circle dot) and metallicities Z(i) = 0.0005, 0.006 and 0.014. We find that the new LUNA measures have much reduced the nuclear uncertainties of the Ne-22 and Na-23 AGB ejecta that drop from factors of similar or equal to 10 to only a factor of few for the lowest metallicity models. Relying on the most recent estimations for the destruction rate of Na-23, the uncertainties that still affect the Ne-22 and Na-23 AGB ejecta are mainly dominated by the evolutionary aspects (efficiency of mass-loss, third dredge-up, convection). Finally, we discuss how the LUNA results impact on the hypothesis that invokes massive AGB stars as the main agents of the observed O-Na anticorrelation in Galactic globular clusters. We derive quantitative indications on the efficiencies of key physical processes (mass-loss, third dredgeup, sodium destruction) in order to simultaneously reproduce both the Na-rich, O-poor extreme of the anticorrelation and the observational constraints on the CNO abundance. Results for the corresponding chemical ejecta are made publicly available.

The correct prediction of the abundances of the light nuclides produced during the epoch of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) is one of the main topics of modern cosmology. For many of the nuclear reactions that are relevant for this epoch, direct experimental cross section data are available, ushering the so-called “age of precision”. The present work addresses an exception to this current status: the 2H(α,γ)6Li reaction that controls 6Li production in the Big Bang. Recent controversial observations of 6Li in metal-poor stars have heightened the interest in understanding primordial 6Li production. If confirmed, these observations would lead to a second cosmological lithium problem, in addition to the well-known 7Li problem. In the present work, the direct experimental cross section data on 2H(α,γ)6Li in the BBN energy range are reported. The measurement has been performed deep underground at the LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) 400 kV accelerator in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. The cross section has been directly measured at the energies of interest for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis for the first time, at E c m = 80, 93, 120, and 133 keV. Based on the new data, the 2H(α,γ)6Li thermonuclear reaction rate has been derived. Our rate is even lower than previously reported, thus increasing the discrepancy between predicted Big Bang 6Li abundance and the amount of primordial 6Li inferred from observations.

The authors perform a direct measurement of radiative proton capture on ${}^{22}$Ne at the LUNA underground laboratory whose low background allows unprecedented sensitivity. They report detailed experimental information for three recently observed new resonances in the ${}^{22}$Ne($p$,$\ensuremath{\gamma}$)${}^{23}$Na reaction which is the most uncertain process in the neon-sodium cycle of stellar hydrogen burning. At temperatures relevant for nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch stars and classical novae, its uncertainty is mainly due to a large number of predicted but hitherto unobserved resonances at low energy. The updated thermonuclear reaction rate is significantly higher than previous evaluations at temperatures below 0.3 GK.

The nucleosynthesis of light elements, from helium up to silicon, mainly occurs in Red Giant and Asymptotic Giant Branch stars and Novae. The relative abundances of the synthesized nuclides critically depend on the rates of the nuclear processes involved, often through non-trivial reaction chains, combined with complex mixing mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the contributions made by LUNA experiments in furthering our understanding of nuclear reaction rates necessary for modeling nucleosynthesis in AGB stars and Novae explosions.

To precisely determine BBN 6 Li production, the cross-section of the nuclear reaction 2 H(α, γ) 6 Li must be directly measured within the astrophysical energy range of 30–400 keV. This measure requires an ultra-low γ-ray background in the experimental set-up. We have realized the conditions matching these very strict requirements at LUNA, the deep underground accelerator laboratory active in the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy: the γ-ray spectrometer background has been reduced down to reach unmatched low levels, comparable to the good ones experienced in dedicated off-line underground ultra low γ counting rate. We present and discuss the γ-ray background reduction reached in the HpGe spectrometer, where most of the remaining γ-ray background seen in the spectra are coming from the energetic deuterons scattered in the gas target by the α beam. Thanks to the low neutron environmental background at LUNA, the effect of this weak flux of 2–3 MeV neutrons on HpGe detectors has been studied in details and the results are presented and discussed.

When deriving resonance strengths using the thick-target yield approximation, for very narrow resonances it may be necessary to take beam energy straggling into account. This applies to gas targets of a few keV width, especially if there is some additional structure in target stoichiometry or detection efficiency. The correction for this effect is shown and tested on recent studies of narrow resonances in the and reactions.

The $^{22}$Ne(p,$\gamma$)$^{23}$Na reaction takes part in the neon-sodium cycle of hydrogen burning. This cycle is active in asymptotic giant branch stars as well as in novae and contributes to the nucleosythesis of neon and sodium isotopes. In order to reduce the uncertainties in the predicted nucleosynthesis yields, new experimental efforts to measure the $^{22}$Ne(p,$\gamma$)$^{23}$Na cross section directly at the astrophysically relevant energies are needed. In the present work, a feasibility study for a $^{22}$Ne(p,$\gamma$)$^{23}$Na experiment at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) 400\,kV accelerator deep underground in the Gran Sasso laboratory, Italy, is reported. The ion beam induced $\gamma$-ray background has been studied. The feasibility study led to the first observation of the $E_{\rm p}$ = 186\,keV resonance in a direct experiment. An experimental lower limit of 0.12\,$\times$\,10$^{-6}$\,eV has been obtained for the resonance strength. Informed by the feasibility study, a dedicated experimental setup for the $^{22}$Ne(p,$\gamma$)$^{23}$Na experiment has been developed. The new setup has been characterized by a study of the temperature and pressure profiles. The beam heating effect that reduces the effective neon gas density due to the heating by the incident proton beam has been studied using the resonance scan technique, and the size of this effect has been determined for a neon gas target., Comment: Minor errors corrected; final version

In stars, the fusion of $^{22}$Ne and $^4$He may produce either $^{25}$Mg, with the emission of a neutron, or $^{26}$Mg and a $\gamma$ ray. At high temperature, the ($\alpha,n$) channel dominates, while at low temperature, it is energetically hampered. The rate of its competitor, the $^{22}$Ne($\alpha$,$\gamma$)$^{26}$Mg reaction, and, hence, the minimum temperature for the ($\alpha,n$) dominance, are controlled by many nuclear resonances. The strengths of these resonances have hitherto been studied only indirectly. The present work aims to directly measure the total strength of the resonance at $E$_{r}$\,=\,$334$\,$keV (corresponding to $E$_{x}$\,=\,$10949$\,$keV in $^{26}$Mg). The data reported here have been obtained using high intensity $^4$He$^+$ beam from the INFN LUNA 400 kV underground accelerator, a windowless, recirculating, 99.9% isotopically enriched $^{22}$Ne gas target, and a 4$\pi$ bismuth germanate summing $\gamma$-ray detector. The ultra-low background rate of less than 0.5 counts/day was determined using 67 days of no-beam data and 7 days of $^4$He$^+$ beam on an inert argon target. The new high-sensitivity setup allowed to determine the first direct upper limit of 4.0$\,\times\,$10$^{-11}$ eV (at 90% confidence level) for the resonance strength. Finally, the sensitivity of this setup paves the way to study further $^{22}$Ne($\alpha$,$\gamma$)$^{26}$Mg resonances at higher energy., Comment: Submitted to Eur. Phys. J. A