Study of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest through Trojan Horse method

• Grant number: 05/01770-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2006
• End date: September 30, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Nuclear Physics
• Principal Investigator: Nelson Carlin Filho
• Grantee: Francisco de Assis Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 97/04843-8 - Study of the Dynamics of Light Heavy-Ion Reactions with the use of Beam Pulsing System at the University of Sao Paulo Peletron Accelerator, AP.TEM

Abstract

The investigation of breakup process has been the main subject of our research in the last few years. Its influence on the rate of reactions related to the nucleosynthesis of elements is one of the principal motivations for implementing a research program in nuclear astrophysics. The study of nuclear reactions with astrophysical interest has been considered one of the most important motivations to the construction of a neutron detector by our research group. We are proposing, for this project, the study of the 13C(alpha,n)16O reaction with the Trojan Horse Method using the 6Li(13C,n16O)d reaction, in which the deuteron (d) is the spectator. Coincidence measurements between the neutron and 16O will be performed. The study of the 13C(alpha,n)16O reaction at low energies has a great astrophysical relevance. The 13C synthesized in the CNO cycle and burned by the (alpha,n) reaction is considered to be the main source of neutron production for the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements by s process.