Abstract
The reaction is expected to trigger the initial path for breakout from the CNO hydrogen-burning cycles to the rapid proton capture process in type I x-ray bursts on accreting neutron stars. The thermonuclear reaction rate has a major impact on models of type I x-ray burst observables and it depends on the small -particle branching ratio, , of the 4.03 MeV state in . Attempts to measure by populating the 4.03 MeV state using nuclear reactions have only led to strong upper limits. In the present work, we report the first experimental evidence that the 4.03 MeV state is populated in -delayed proton emission. This new channel has the potential to provide the necessary sensitivity to detect a finite value of .
- Received 14 February 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.96.032801
©2017 American Physical Society