Speaker
Description
The slow neutron capture process (s-process) creates almost half of the elements heavier than iron in the universe. One of the most important neutron sources for the s-process is the $^{22}Ne(\alpha, n) ^{25}Mg$ reaction, which competes with the $^{22}Ne(\alpha, \gamma) ^{26}Mg$ reaction. The current nuclear data for these reactions show great discrepancies. Thus, in order to understand the synthesis of heavy elements, it is crucial to study the ratio between these two reactions.
Using the EMMA mass spectrometer and TIGRESS $\gamma$-ray spectrometer at TRIUMF, our goal is to indirectly measure the $^{22}Ne(\alpha, \gamma) ^{26}Mg$ reaction. The experiment involves bombarding a $LiF$ target with $^{22}Ne$ beam. A silicon detector is used to detect light ejectiles, the TIGRESS array is used to detect the $\gamma$-rays from the reactions, and the EMMA spectrometer to select the recoils of interest. Different coincidence measurements between the three detectors allows us to measure the particle spectroscopic factors for states above the neutron threshold.
In this talk, I will present the preliminary results and work in progress, as well as the major challenges we face.