Abstract
Accurate knowledge of thermonuclear reaction rates is important in understanding the generation of energy, the luminosity of neutrinos, and the synthesis of elements in stars. The LUNA Collaboration (Costantini et al. in Rep Prog Phys 72:086301, 2009; Broggini et al. in Annu Rev Nucl Part Sci 60:53–73, 2010) has shown how going underground and using the typical techniques of low background physics allows to measure nuclear cross sections at or close to energies relevant for the nucleosynthesis inside stars. This contribution will outline the general features of resonant and non resonant few nucleon reactions studied with stable beam including an overview of the experimental techniques adopted in underground nuclear astrophysics. Moreover, it will present a summary of the main recent results and achievements.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
As a general notation in this work, \(E_{R,lab}\) is the resonance energy in the laboratory system, while \(E_{r}\) is the resonance energy in the center of mass system.
- 2.
Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics; http://luna.lngs.infn.it.
- 3.
- 4.
Resonance energies are given in the center-of-mass system.
References
Costantini, H., Formicola, A., Imbriani, G., et al.: LUNA: a laboratory for underground nuclear astrophysics. Rep. Prog. Phys. 72, 086301 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/72/8/086301
Broggini, C., Bemmerer, D., Guglielmetti, A., Menegazzo, R.: LUNA: nuclear astrophysics deep underground. Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 60, 53–73 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nucl.012809.104526
Rolfs, C., Rodney, W.S.: Cauldrons in the Cosmos. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1988)
Adelberger, E.G., et al.: Solar fusion cross sections II: the pp chain and CNO cycles. Rev. Mod. Phys. 83, 195–245 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.83.195
Iliadis, C.: Nuclear Physics in Stars. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (2007)
Lane, A.M., Thomas, R.G.: R-matrix theory of nuclear reactions. Rev. Mod. Phys. 30, 257–353 (1958)
Tumino, A., et al.: New advances in Trojan Horse Method as an indirect approach to nuclear astrophysics. Few-Body Sys. 54, 745–753 (2013)
Bettini, A.: The world deep underground laboratories. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 127, 114 (2012)
Best, A., et al.: Low energy neutron background in deep underground laboratories. Nucl. Instr. Meth. A 812, 1–6 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.12.034
Best, A., et al.: Underground nuclear astrophysics. Eur. Phys. J. A 52, 72–75 (2016)
Aliotta, M., et al.: Helium burning and neutron sources in the stars. Eur. Phys. J. A 52, 76 (2016)
Strieder, F., et al.: Bulletin of the American Physical Society - 2015 Fall Meeting of the APS Division of Nuclear Physics, vol. 60 (2015)
Yu-Cheng, Wu, et al.: Measurement of cosmic-ray flux in the China JinPing underground laboratory. Chin. Phys. C 37, 086001 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1088/1674-1137/37/8/086001
Heusser, G.: Low-radioactivity background techniques. Ann. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 45, 543–590 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ns.45.120195.002551
Anders, M., Trezzi, D., Bellini, A., et al.: Neutron-induced background by an \(\alpha \)-beam incident on a deuterium gas target and its implications for the study of the \(^2\)H(\(\alpha \),\(\gamma \))\(^6\)Li reaction at LUNA. Eur. Phys. J. A 49, 28 (2013)
Arpesella, C., et al.: Measurement of the \(^3\)H(\(^3\)H,2p)\(^4\)He cross section within the solar Gamow peak. Phys. Lett. B 389, 452–456 (1996)
Formicola, A., et al.: The nuclear physics of the hydrogen burning in the sun. Eur. Phys. J. A 52, 73 (2016)
Bemmerer, D., et al.: Activation measurement of the \(^3\)He(\(\alpha \),\(\gamma \))\(^7\)Be cross section at low energy. Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 122502 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.122502
Gyurky, G., et al.: \(^3\)He(\(\alpha \),\(\gamma \))\(^7\)Be cross section at low energies. Phys. Rev. C. 75, 035805 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.75.035805
Confortola, F., et al.: Astrophysical S factor of the \(^3\)He(\(\alpha \),\(\gamma \))\(^7\)Be reaction measured at low energy via detection of prompt and delayed \(\gamma \) rays. Phys. Rev. C 75, 065803 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.75.065803
Formicola, A., et al.: The LUNA II 400 kV accelerator. Nucl. Instr. Meth. A 507, 609–615 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9002(03)01435-9
deBoer, R.J., et al.: Monte Carlo uncertainty of the \(^3\)He(\(\alpha \),\(\gamma \))\(^7\)Li reaction rate. Phys. Rev. C 90, 035804 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.90.035804
Di Leva, A., et al.: Stellar and Primordial Nucleosynthesis of the \(^7\)Be: Measurement of \(^3\)He(\(\alpha \),\(\gamma \))\(^7\)Li. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102(23), 232502 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.232502
Formicola, A., et al.: Astrophysical S-factor of \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O. Phys. Lett. B 591, 61–68 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2004.03.092
Imbriani, G., et al.: S-factor of \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O at astrophysical energies. Eur. Phys. J. A 25, 455–466 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2005-10138-7
Lemut, A., et al.: First measurement of the \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O cross section down to 70 keV. Phys. Lett. B 634, 483–487 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2006.02.021
Marta, M., et al.: Precision study of ground state capture in the \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O reaction. Phys. Rev. C 78, 022802(R) (2008). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.78.022802
Mukhamedzhanov, A.M., et al.: Asymptotic normalization coefficients for \(^{14}\)N+p\(\rightarrow \)\(^{15}\)O and the astrophysical S factor for \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O. Phys. Rev. C 67, 065804 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.67.065804
Runkle, R.C., et al.: Direct measurement of the \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O S factor. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 082503 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.082503
Schröder, U., et al.: Stellar reaction rate of \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O and hydrogen burning in massive stars*. Nucl. Phys. A 467, 240–260 (1987)
Serenelli, A., et al.: Using the standard solar model to constrain composition and S-factors. arXiv:1211.6740
Bertone, P.F., et al.: Lifetime of the 6793-keV State in \(^{15}\)O. Phys. Rev. Lett 87, 152501 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.152501
Angulo, C., Descouvemont, P.: The \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O low-energy S-factor. Nucl. Phys. A 690, 755–768 (2001)
Li, Q., et al.: Cross section measurement of \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O in the CNO cycle. Phys. Rev. C 93, 055806 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.93.055806
Wagner, L., et al.: Astrophysical S factor of the \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O reaction at 0.41.3 MeV. Phys. Rev. C 97, 015801 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.97.015801
Yamada, K., et al.: E1 strength of the subthreshold 3/2+ state in \(^{15}\)O studied by Coulomb excitation. Phys. Lett. B 579, 265–270 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2003.11.024
Schrmann, D., et al.: Lifetime measurement of the 6792 keV state in\(^{15}\)O, important for the astrophysical S factor extrapolation in \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O. Phys. Rev. C 77, 055803 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.77.055803
Nelson, S.O., et al.: Analyzing power measurement for the \(^{14}\)N(\(\overrightarrow{p}\),\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O reaction at astrophysically relevant energies. Phys. Rev. C 68, 065804 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.68.065804
Bemmerer, D., et al.: Low energy measurement of the \(^{14}\)N(p,\(\gamma \))\(^{15}\)O total cross section at the LUNA underground facility. Nucl. Phys. A 779, 297–317 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2006.09.001
Sen, A., et al.: High intensity, high stability 3.5 MV Singletron accelerator. Nucl. Instr. Meth. B (in press). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2018.09.016
Acknowledgements
The experimental work described in this paper has been mainly developed in the framework of the LUNA experiments. The authors would thank all the members of this international collaboration.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Formicola, A., Ciani, G.F., Csedreki, L., Di Paolo, L., Junker, M. (2020). Few-Nucleon Reactions in Underground Laboratory. In: Orr, N., Ploszajczak, M., Marqués, F., Carbonell, J. (eds) Recent Progress in Few-Body Physics. FB22 2018. Springer Proceedings in Physics, vol 238. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32357-8_64
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32357-8_64
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-32356-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-32357-8
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)