Stellar Reactions with Short-Lived Nuclei:17F(p,α)14O

A method has been developed that can provide beams of many short-lived nuclei of interest in nucleosynthesis along the rp process path. With a {sup 17}F beam (T{sub 1/2}=64 s ) the excitation function of the {sup 17}F( p,thinsp{alpha}){sup 14} O reaction was measured to determine properties of excited states in {sup 18}Ne . These states influence the rate of the {sup 14}O( {alpha},thinspp){sup 17} F reaction which is important for understanding energy generation and nucleosynthesis in x-ray bursts. The present direct measurements yield a pattern of resonances and cross sections which differ substantially from previous estimates. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}