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18-Fluorine

Direct measurement of the 18F(p,α)15O reaction at nova temperatures

NovaePeer ReviewedScience

The 18F(p,α)15O reaction rate is crucial for understanding the final abundance of 18F predicted by nova models. The γ-ray emission in the first few hours after a nova outburst is expected to be dominated by 511 keV annihilation photons from the decay of 18F, and so understanding its production can provide important constraints on the conditions during the outburst when compared with observations. Results are presented from the lowest-energy direct measurement to date, performed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator radioactive beam facility at the TRIUMF laboratory, Canada. Cross section measurements at center-of-mass energies of 250, 330, 453, and 673 keV are obtained and the results compared to previous data and R-matrix calculations. The implications for the overall reaction rate in the context of nova explosions have been discussed.

Author: C. E. Beer, A. M. Laird, A. St. J. Murphy, M. A. Bentley, L. Buchman, B. Davids, T. Davinson, C. A. Diget, S. P. Fox, B. R. Fulton, U. Hager, D. Howell, L. Martin, C. Ruiz, G. Ruprecht, P. Salter, C. Vockenhuber, and P. Walden
Journal: Phys. Rev. C 83, 042801(R) (2011) [4 pages]