Neutron induced charged-particle reactions

In a neutron-rich environment, such as in supernovae, neutron induced reactions such as (n,p) and (n,α) reactions are responsible for destruction of proton-rich isotopes with relatively long lifetimes. Hence, a precise determination of their rate is essential for estimating the abundancies of those and related isotopes in the ashes of the supernova.

Specifically, ²⁶Al (with half-life of ~720 thousand years) is an important γ-emitting marker of supernova remnants, and it is used to map the distribution and frequency of supernova events in the Milky Way. The uncertainty on the amount of ²⁶Al produced in supernova is dominated by the unmeasured ²⁶Al(n,p) and ²⁶Al(n,α) reaction rates at temperatures of 1.5-3.5 GK. We are developing an experiment intended to measure those reaction rates, for the first time, throughout this entire temperature range.