Abstract
The existence of () in the interstellar medium provides a direct confirmation of ongoing nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy. The presence of a low-lying isomer (), however, severely complicates the astrophysical calculations. We present for the first time a study of the reaction using an isomeric beam. The selectivity of this reaction allowed the study of transfers to , and states in . Mirror symmetry arguments were then used to constrain the reaction rate and provide an experimentally determined upper limit of the rate for the destruction of isomeric via radiative proton capture reactions, which is expected to dominate the destruction path of in asymptotic giant branch stars, classical novae, and core collapse supernovae.
- Received 12 April 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.072701
© 2017 American Physical Society