18-Fluorine

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.

physrevc.83.042801_2.pdf

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]