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Background: Shell hydrogen burning during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase through the oxygen isotopes has been indicated as a key process that is needed to understand the observed O 18 / O 16 relative abundance in presolar grains and in stellar atmospheres. This ratio is strongly influenced by the relative strengths of the reactions O 18 ( p , α ) N 15 and O 18 ( p , γ ) F 19 in low-mass AGB stars. While the former channel has been the focus of a large number of measurements, the ( p , γ ) reaction path has only recently received some attention and its stellar reaction rate over a wide temperature range rests on only one measurement. Purpose: Our aim is the direct measurement of states in F 19 as populated through the reaction O 18 ( p , γ ) F 19 to better determine their influence on the astrophysical reaction rate, and more generally to improve the understanding of the nuclear structure of F 19 .Method: Branchings and resonance strengths were measured in the proton energy range E p lab = 150 – 400 keV , using a high-purity germanium detector inside a massive lead shield. The measurement took place in the ultra-low-background environment of the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) experiment at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, leading to a highly increased sensitivity. Results: The uncertainty of the γ branchings and strengths was improved for all four resonances in the studied energy range; many new transitions were observed in the case of the 334 keV resonance, and individual γ decays of the 215 keV resonance were measured for the first time. In addition a number of transitions to intermediate states that decay through α emission were identified. The strengths of the observed resonances are generally in agreement with literature values. Conclusions: Our measurements substantially confirm previous determinations of the relevant resonance strengths. Therefore the O 18 ( p , γ ) F 19 reaction rate does not change with respect to the reaction rate reported in the compilations commonly adopted in the extant computations of red-giant branch and AGB stellar models. Nevertheless, our measurements definitely exclude a nonstandard scenario for the fluorine nucleosynthesis and a nuclear physics solution for the O 18 depletion observed in Group 2 oxygen-rich stardust grains.

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

Direct measurements of reaction cross-sections at astrophysical energies often require the use of solid targets able to withstand high ion beam currents for extended periods of time. Thus, monitoring target thickness, isotopic composition, and target stoichiometry during data taking is critical to account for possible target modifications and to reduce uncertainties in the final cross-section results. A common technique used for these purposes is the Nuclear Resonant Reaction Analysis (NRRA), which however requires that a narrow resonance be available inside the dynamic range of the accelerator used. In cases when this is not possible, as for example the $$^{13}\hbox {C}(\alpha ,\hbox {n})^{16}\hbox {O}$$ reaction recently studied at low energies at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) in Italy, alternative approaches must be found. Here, we present a new application of the shape analysis of primary $$\gamma $$ rays emitted by the $$^{13}\hbox {C}(\hbox {p},\gamma )^{14}\hbox {N}$$ radiative capture reaction. This approach was used to monitor $$^{13}\hbox {C}$$ target degradation in situ during the $$^{13}\hbox {C}(\alpha ,\hbox {n})^{16}\hbox {O}$$ data taking campaign. The results obtained are in agreement with evaluations subsequently performed at Atomki (Hungary) using the NRRA method. A preliminary application for the extraction of the $$^{13}\hbox {C}(\alpha ,\hbox {n})^{16}\hbox {O}$$ reaction cross-section at one beam energy is also reported.

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.

Among the reactions involved in the production and destruction of deuterium during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, the deuterium-burning D(p,$$\gamma $$)$$^3$$He reaction has the largest uncertainty and limits the precision of theoretical estimates of primordial deuterium abundance. Here we report the results of a careful commissioning of the experimental setup used to measure the cross-section of the D(p,$$\gamma $$)$$^3$$He reaction at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics of the Gran Sasso Laboratory (Italy). The commissioning was aimed at minimising all sources of systematic uncertainty in the measured cross sections. The overall systematic error achieved ($$< 3\%$$) will enable improved predictions of BBN deuterium abundance.

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.

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

The essential ingredients of nuclear astrophysics are the thermonuclear reactions which shape the life and death of stars and which are responsible for the synthesis of the chemical elements in the Universe. Deep underground in the Gran Sasso Laboratory the cross sections of the key reactions responsible for the hydrogen burning in stars have been measured with two accelerators of 50 and 400 kV voltage right down to the energies of astrophysical interest. As a matter of fact, the main advantage of the underground laboratory is the reduction of the background. Such a reduction has allowed, for the first time, to measure relevant cross sections at the Gamow energy. The qualifying features of underground nuclear astrophysics are exhaustively reviewed before discussing the current LUNA program which is mainly devoted to the study of the Big-Bang nucleosynthesis and of the synthesis of the light elements in AGB stars and classical novae. The main results obtained during the study of reactions relevant to the Sun are also reviewed and their influence on our understanding of the properties of the neutrino, of the Sun and of the Universe itself is discussed. Finally, the future of LUNA during the next decade is outlined. It will be mainly focused on the study of the nuclear burning stages after hydrogen burning: helium and carbon burning. All this will be accomplished thanks to a new 3.5 MV accelerator able to deliver high current beams of proton, helium and carbon which will start running under Gran Sasso in 2019. In particular, we will discuss the first phase of the scientific case of the 3.5 MV accelerator focused on the study of $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C and of the two reactions which generate free neutrons inside stars: $^{13}$C($\alpha$,n)$^{16}$O and $^{22}$Ne($\alpha$,n)$^{25}$Mg., Comment: To be published in Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics 98C (2018) pp. 55-84

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 AEgIS experiment aims at performing the first test of the Weak Equivalence Principle of General Relativity in the antimatter sector by measuring the gravitational acceleration acting on a beam of cold antihydrogen to a precision of 1 %. The installation of the apparatus is making good progress and large parts were taken into operation. Parasitic detector tests during the beamtime in December 2012 gave essential input for an optimal moir´e deflectometer and the detector layout necessary to perform the gravity measurement.

The main goal of the AEgIS experiment at CERN is to test the weak equivalence principle for antimatter. We will measure the Earth's gravitational acceleration g with antihydrogen atoms being launched in a horizontal vacuum tube and traversing a moire deflectometer. We intend to use a position sensitive device made of nuclear emulsions (combined with a time-of-flight detector such as silicon μ� strips) to

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 ^{17}O(p,α)^{14}N reaction plays a key role in various astrophysical scenarios, from asymptotic giant branch stars to classical novae. It affects the synthesis of rare isotopes such as ^{17}O and ^{18}F, which can provide constraints on astrophysical models. A new direct determination of the E_{R}=64.5 keV resonance strength performed at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) accelerator has led to the most accurate value to date ωγ=10.0±1.4_{stat}±0.7_{syst} neV, thanks to a significant background reduction underground and generally improved experimental conditions. The (bare) proton partial width of the corresponding state at E_{x}=5672 keV in ^{18}F is Γ_{p}=35±5_{stat}±3_{syst} neV. This width is about a factor of 2 higher than previously estimated, thus leading to a factor of 2 increase in the ^{17}O(p, α)^{14}N reaction rate at astrophysical temperatures relevant to shell hydrogen burning in red giant and asymptotic giant branch stars. The new rate implies lower ^{17}O/^{16}O ratios, with important implications on the interpretation of astrophysical observables from these stars.

Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) describes the production of light nuclei in the early phases of the Universe. For this, precise knowledge of the cosmological parameters, such as the baryon density, as well as the cross section of the fusion reactions involved are needed. In general, the energies of interest for BBN are so low (E < 1MeV) that nuclear cross section measurements are practically unfeasible at the Earth’s surface. As of today, LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) has been the only facility in the world available to perform direct measurements of small cross section in a very low background radiation. Owing to the background suppression provided by about 1400 meters of rock at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), Italy, and to the high current offered by the LUNA accelerator, it has been possible to investigate cross sections at energies of interest for Big Bang nucleosynthesis using protons, 3He and alpha particles as projectiles. The main reaction studied in the past at LUNA is the 2H(4He,\( \gamma\))6Li . Its cross section was measured directly, for the first time, in the BBN energy range. Other processes like 2H(p,\( \gamma\))3He , 3He(2H, p)4He and 3He(4He,\( \gamma\))7Be were also studied at LUNA, thus enabling to reduce the uncertainty on the overall reaction rate and consequently on the determination of primordial abundances. The improvements on BBN due to the LUNA experimental data will be discussed and a perspective of future measurements will be outlined.

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.

The detection of electron anti-neutrinos is generally carried out by searching for the coincidence of the reaction products, neutron and positron, in liquid scintillators. However, in these last a positron may form positronium (Ps) with an electron of the medium; efficiency of the process may be high. Furthermore, the triplet ground state sublevel (o-Ps) has lifetimes of a few ns. These features introduce distortions in the time distribution of the emitted photons, which is essential for position reconstruction and pulse shape discrimination algorithms in anti-neutrino experiments. This drawback can be favorably exploited by using o-Ps as a probe to detect anti-neutrinos in the scintillator. We report results of positron annihilation lifetime measurements in some organic liquid scintillators used for neutrino experiments. The o-Ps induced distortion of the scintillation photon emission time distribution may enhance the anti-neutrino detection.

The ^{22}Ne(p,γ)^{23}Na reaction takes part in the neon-sodium cycle of hydrogen burning. This cycle affects the synthesis of the elements between ^{20}Ne and ^{27}Al in asymptotic giant branch stars and novae. The ^{22}Ne(p,γ)^{23}Na reaction rate is very uncertain because of a large number of unobserved resonances lying in the Gamow window. At proton energies below 400 keV, only upper limits exist in the literature for the resonance strengths. Previous reaction rate evaluations differ by large factors. In the present work, the first direct observations of the ^{22}Ne(p,γ)^{23}Na resonances at 156.2, 189.5, and 259.7 keV are reported. Their resonance strengths are derived with 2%-7% uncertainty. In addition, upper limits for three other resonances are greatly reduced. Data are taken using a windowless ^{22}Ne gas target and high-purity germanium detectors at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics in the Gran Sasso laboratory of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Italy, taking advantage of the ultralow background observed deep underground. The new reaction rate is a factor of 20 higher than the recent evaluation at a temperature of 0.1 GK, relevant to nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch stars.

AEgIS (Antimatter experiment: gravity, interferometry, spectroscopy) is an experiment approved by CERN with the goal of studying antihydrogen physics. In AEgIS, antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange reactions of cold antiprotons with positronium atoms excited in a Rydberg state (n > 20). In the first phase of the experiment, controlled acceleration by an electric field gradient (Stark effect) and subsequent measurement of free fall in a Moiré deflectometer will allow a test of the weak equivalence principle. In a second phase, the antihydrogen will be slowed, confined, and laser-cooled to perform CPT studies and detailed spectroscopy. In the present work, after a general description of the experiment, the present status of advancement will be reviewed, with special attention to the production and excitation of positronium atoms.

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.

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 abundanceof primordiallight nucleiat the beginningofthe Universe, duringthe so called Big Bang Nucleosynthesisera (BBN), can be estimated by means of Cosmology, Particle and Nuclear Physics. The first two give the environmental conditions and information about nucleons present at that time. The last one describes how those primordial nucleons fused themselves in order to produce the first light elements: helium, lithium and beryllium. The measurement of the nuclear fusion cross sections at energies of interest for BBN are thus very important. These cross sections are generally very low (from pb to fb and even smaller) and often impossible to be measured at laboratories on the Earth’s surface due to the presence of cosmic rays. The only possibility is going deep underground where this kind of background is suppressed. Today, the only facility in the world able to do this is LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics), located in the LNGS (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy) laboratory. Thanks to the background suppression provided by about 1400 meters of rock and to the high current 400 kV accelerator, LUNA is able to investigate cross sections at energies of astrophysical interest (< 400keV in the lab system), giving us the unique possibility to reproduce reactions that, in the past, produced the primordial elements now visible in astrophysical environments such as metal poor stars. In this paper an overview on nuclear astrophysics and BBN will be given, focusing on the latest measurements obtained at LUNA.

Recent observations of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ in metal poor stars suggest a large production of this isotope during big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). In standard BBN calculations, the $^{2}\mathrm{H}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ reaction dominates $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ production. This reaction has never been measured inside the BBN energy region because its cross section drops exponentially at low energy and because the electric dipole transition is strongly suppressed for the isoscalar particles $^{2}\mathrm{H}$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ at energies below the Coulomb barrier. Indirect measurements using the Coulomb dissociation of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ only give upper limits owing to the dominance of nuclear breakup processes. Here, we report on the results of the first measurement of the $^{2}\mathrm{H}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ cross section at big bang energies. The experiment was performed deep underground at the LUNA 400 kV accelerator in Gran Sasso, Italy. The primordial $^{6}\mathrm{Li}/^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ isotopic abundance ratio has been determined to be $(1.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$, from our experimental data and standard BBN theory. The much higher $^{6}\mathrm{Li}/^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ values reported for halo stars will likely require a nonstandard physics explanation, as discussed in the literature.

Background: The $^{17}O(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction affects the production of key isotopes (e.g., $^{18}F$ and $^{18}O$) in the explosive hydrogen burning that powers classical novae. Under these explosive conditions, the reaction rate is dominated by contributions from a narrow resonance at ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=183\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{keV}$ and by the combined contributions of direct capture and low-energy tails of broad resonances. At present, the astrophysical reaction rate is not well constrained because of the lack of data in the energy region appropriate to classical novae.Purpose: This study aims at the measurement of the $^{17}O$$(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction cross section in order to determine its reaction rate in the temperature region appropriate to explosive hydrogen burning in novae.Method: The $^{17}O$$(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction cross section was measured using both the prompt detection of the emitted $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays and an activation technique. Measurements were carried out at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (Gran Sasso, Italy) where the strongly reduced cosmic-ray-induced background allows for improved sensitivity compared to previous studies.Results: The $^{17}O$$(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}F$ reaction cross section was measured in the range ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=160$ to $370\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{keV}$. The strength of the ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=183\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{keV}$ resonance, $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.67\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$, was determined with unprecedented precision. The total $S$ factor was obtained through a combined fit of prompt $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray and activation results. An overall global fit including other existing data sets was also carried out and a recommended astrophysical reaction rate is presented.Conclusions: The reaction rate uncertainty attained in this work is now below the required precision for nova models. We verified, following a full set of hydrodynamic nova models, that the abundances of oxygen and fluorine isotopes obtained with the present reaction rate are determined with 10% precision and put firmer constraints on observational signatures of novae events.

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

Antihydrogen holds the promise to test, for the first time, the universality of free-fall with a system composed entirely of antiparticles. The AEgIS experiment at CERN’s antiproton decelerator aims to measure the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter by measuring the deflection of a beam of antihydrogen in the Earths gravitational field (g¯¯¯). The principle of the experiment is as follows: cold antihydrogen atoms are synthesized in a Penning-Malberg trap and are Stark accelerated towards a moiré deflectometer, the classical counterpart of an atom interferometer, and annihilate on a position sensitive detector. Crucial to the success of the experiment is the spatial precision of the position sensitive detector. We propose a novel free-fall detector based on a hybrid of two technologies: emulsion detectors, which have an intrinsic spatial resolution of 50 nm but no temporal information, and a silicon strip / scintillating fiber tracker to provide timing and positional information. In 2012 we tested emulsion films in vacuum with antiprotons from CERN’s antiproton decelerator. The annihilation vertices could be observed directly on the emulsion surface using the microscope facility available at the University of Bern. The annihilation vertices were successfully reconstructed with a resolution of 1–2 μmon the impact parameter. If such a precision can be realized in the final detector, Monte Carlo simulations suggest of order 500 antihydrogen annihilations will be sufficient to determine g¯¯¯with a 1 % accuracy. This paper presents current research towards the development of this technology for use in the AEgIS apparatus and prospects for the realization of the final detector., Hyperfine Interactions, 228 (1-3), ISSN:0304-3843, ISSN:0304-3834, ISSN:1572-9540, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Low Energy Antiproton Physics (LEAP 2013) held in Uppsala, Sweden, 10–15 June, 2013

see paper for full list of authors; International audience; The AEgIS experiment is an international collaboration with the main goal of performing the first direct measurement of the Earth's gravitational acceleration on antimatter. Critical to the success of AEgIS is the production of cold antihydrogen (View the MathML source) atoms. The FACT detector is used to measure the production and temperature of the View the MathML source atoms and for establishing the formation of a View the MathML source beam. The operating requirements for this detector are very challenging: it must be able to identify each of the thousand or so annihilations in the 1 ms period of pulsed View the MathML source production, operate at 4 K inside a 1 T solenoidal field and not produce more than 10 W of heat. The FACT detector consists of two concentric cylindrical layers of 400 scintillator fibres with a 1 mm diameter and a 0.6 mm pitch. The scintillating fibres are coupled to clear fibres which transport the scintillation light to 800 silicon photomultipliers. Each silicon photomultiplier signal is connected to a linear amplifier and a fast discriminator, the outputs of which are sampled continuously by Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). In the course of the developments for the FACT detector we have established the performance of scintillating fibres at 4 K by means of a cosmic-ray tracker operating in a liquid helium cryostat. The FACT detector was installed in the AEgIS apparatus in December 2012 and will be used to study the View the MathML source formation when the low energy antiproton physics programs resume at CERN in the Summer of 2014. This paper presents the design requirements and construction methods of the FACT detector and provides the first results of the detector commissioning.

Classical novae are important contributors to the abundances of key isotopes, such as the radioactive $^{18}\mathrm{F}$, whose observation by satellite missions could provide constraints on nucleosynthesis models in novae. The $^{17}\mathrm{O}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}\mathrm{F}$ reaction plays a critical role in the synthesis of both oxygen and fluorine isotopes, but its reaction rate is not well determined because of the lack of experimental data at energies relevant to novae explosions. In this study, the reaction cross section has been measured directly for the first time in a wide energy range ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}\ensuremath{\simeq}200--370\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$ appropriate to hydrogen burning in classical novae. In addition, the ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=183\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$ resonance strength, $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.67\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$, has been measured with the highest precision to date. The uncertainty on the $^{17}\mathrm{O}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{18}\mathrm{F}$ reaction rate has been reduced by a factor of 4, thus leading to firmer constraints on accurate models of novae nucleosynthesis.

The AEGIS experiment, currently being set up at the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN, has the objective of studying the free fall of antimatter in the Earth's gravitational field by means of a pulsed cold atomic beam of antihydrogen atoms. Both duration of free fall and vertical displacement of the horizontally emitted atoms will be measured, allowing a first test of the WEP with antimatter.

After the first production of cold antihydrogen by the ATHENA and ATRAP experiments ten years ago, new second-generation experiments are aimed at measuring the fundamental properties of this anti-atom. The goal of AEGIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) is to test the weak equivalence principle by studying the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter with a pulsed, cold antihydrogen beam. The experiment is currently being assembled at CERN’s Antiproton Decelerator. In AEGIS, antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange of cold antiprotons with positronium excited to a high Rydberg state (n > 20). An antihydrogen beam will be produced by controlled acceleration in an electric-field gradient (Stark acceleration). The deflection of the horizontal beam due to its free fall in the gravitational field of the earth will be measured with a moiré deflectometer. Initially, the gravitational acceleration will be determined to a precision of 1%, requiring the detection of about 10^5 antihydrogen atoms. In this paper, after a general description, the present status of the experiment will be reviewed.

The direct measurement of reaction cross sections at astrophysical energies often requires the use of solid targets of known thickness, isotopic composition, and stoichiometry that are able to withstand high beam currents for extended periods of time. Here, we report on the production and characterisation of isotopically enriched Ta$_2$O$_5$ targets for the study of proton-induced reactions at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics facility of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. The targets were prepared by anodisation of tantalum backings in enriched water (up to 66% in $^{17}$O and up to 96% in $^{18}$O). Special care was devoted to minimising the presence of any contaminants that could induce unwanted background reactions with the beam in the energy region of astrophysical interest. Results from target characterisation measurements are reported, and the conclusions for proton capture measurements with these targets are drawn., accepted to EPJA

Electron anti-neutrinos are commonly detected in liquid scintillator experiments via inverse beta decay, by looking at the coincidence between the reaction products, neutron and positron. Prior to positron annihilation, an electron-positron pair may form an orthopositronium (o-Ps) state, with a mean life of a few ns. Even if the o-Ps decay is speeded up by spin flip or pick off effects, it may introduce distortions in the photon emission time distribution, crucial for position reconstruction and pulse shape discrimination algorithms in anti-neutrino experiments. Reversing the problem, the o-Ps induced time distortion represents a new signature for tagging anti-neutrinos in liquid scintillator. In this paper, we report the results of measurements of the o-Ps formation probability and lifetime, for the most used solvents for organic liquid scintillators in neutrino physics (pseudocumene, linear alkyl benzene, phenylxylylethane, and dodecane). We characterize also a mixture of pseudocumene +1.5 g/l of 2,5-diphenyloxazole, a fluor acting as wavelength shifter. In the second part of the paper, we demonstrate that the o-Ps induced distortion of the scintillation photon emission time distributions represent an optimal signature for tagging positrons on an event by event basis, potentially enhancing the anti-neutrino detection., 6 pages, 9 figures

Positronium (Ps) formation measurements in several porous materials as: Vycor, germanate Xerogel, Metal-Organic Frameworks MOF-177 and Aerogel with two densities (20 and 150 mg/cm3), were performed by means of a variable energy positron beam provided with a Ge detector and a positron lifetime spectrometer. An efficient formation of cooled Ps atoms is a requisite for the production of antihydrogen, with the aim of a direct measurement of the Earth gravitational acceleration g of antimatter, which is a primary scientific goal of AEGIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy). Porous materials are necessary to form a high yield of Ps atoms as well as to cool Ps through collisions with the inner walls of the pores. The different materials were characterized and produce Ps into the pores. Lifetime measurements give an estimation of the typical pores dimension of the substances. A comparative study of the positron lifetime and the Ps fraction values in the above mentioned materials indicates that silica Aerogel, with the appropriate density, is an excellent candidate for an efficient formation of cold Ps atoms for the AEGIS project. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

The main scientific goal of the AEGIS experiment ( A ntimatter E xperiment: G ravity, I nterferometry, S pectroscopy) is the direct measurement of the Earth's gravitational acceleration g on a beam of cold antihydrogen ( H ¯ ). The production of an antihydrogen beam is achieved by a charge exchange reaction between Rydberg positronium and cold antiprotons. The H ¯ beam will be accelerated up to a velocity of a few 100 m/s and the gravitational acceleration will be obtained by measuring the small vertical deflection of the beam (a few tens μ m) using a Moire' deflectometer.

A.S. BELOV , G. BONOMI, I. BOSCOLO, N. BRAMBILLA, J. BREMER, R. S. BRUSA, V.M. BYAKOV, G. B URGHART, L. CABARET, C. CARRARO, F. CASTELLI, S. CIALDI, D. COMPARAT, G. CONSOLATI, L. DASSA, N. DJOURELOV, M. DOSER, G. DROBYCHEV, A. DUDAREV, A. DUPASQUIER, T. EISEL, D. FABRIS, R. FERRAGUT, G. FERRARI, A. FISCHER, A. FONTANA, P. FORGET, M. LUNARDON, A. GERVASINI, M. G. GIAMMARCHI, S. N. GNINENKO, G. GRIBAKIN, F. HAUG, S.D. HOGAN, L. V. JOERGENSEN, A. KELLERBAUER, T. KOETTIG, D. KRASNICKY, V. LAGOMARSINO, G. MANUZIO, S. MARIAZZI, V. A. MATVEEV, F. MERKT, S. MORETTO, G. NEBBIA, P. NEDELEC, M. K. OBERTHALER, D. PERINI, V. PETRACEK, M. PREVEDELLI, I. Y. AL-QARADAWI , F. QUASSO, C. RICCARDI, O. ROHNE, S. PESENTE, A. ROTONDI, S. STAPNES, D. SILLOU, S.V. STEPANOV, H. H. STROKE, D. TREZZI, A. VAIRO, G. VIESTI , F. VILLA, H. WALTERS, U. WARRING, S. ZAVATARELLI , A. ZENONI, D. S. ZVEZHINSKIJ (AEGIS COLLABORATION)