Speaker
Description
Half of the elements heavier than iron in the universe are synthesized by the slow
neutron capture process ($s$-process), which occurs in asymptotic giant branch (AGB)
stars and in massive stars. The $^{18}$O(α, γ)$^{22}$Ne reaction is a key link in determining
the availability of $^{22}$Ne in the stellar environment, which affects the amount of neutrons
available for the s-process through the $^{22}$Ne(α, n)$^{25}$Mg reaction. The nuclear parameters
of some of the excited states in $^{22}$Ne play a key role in determining the thermonuclear
reaction rate. The $^{18}$O(α, γ)$^{22}$Ne reaction was measured in inverse kinematics for
the first-time using the DRAGON recoil separator at TRIUMF, Canada’s particle
accelerator centre. We studied resonance states in $^{22}$Ne with excitation energies of
10.28 and 10.29 MeV to measure their structure information, namely strengths and
energies, which will be compared with the available nuclear data. In this talk, I will
present the scientific motivation, the experimental setup, and progress on the analysis
for obtaining the resonance strengths and energies. I will also discuss potential future
plans for additional measurements of the $^{18}$O(α, γ)$^{22}$Ne reaction with DRAGON.