Study of the neutron induced reaction 17O(n,α)14C at astrophysical energies via the Trojan Horse Method

Neutron induced reactions are fundamental for the nucleosynthesis of elements in the universe. Indeed, to correctly study the reactions involved in the well-known s-process in stars, which produce about half of the elements beyond the iron peak, it is mandatory to know the neutron abundance available in those stars. The 17O(n, a)14C reaction is one of the so-called “neutron poisons” for the pro- cess and it could play an important role in the balance of the neutron abundance. The reaction is therefore investigated in the energy range of astrophysical inter- est between 0 and 350 keV in the center of mass by applying the Trojan Horse Method to the three body reaction 2H(17O, a14C)H.