β-Delayed proton-decay study of 20Mg and its implications for the Ne19(p,γ)Na20 breakout reaction in X-ray bursts

Abstract Under astrophysical conditions of high temperature and density, such as for example found in X-ray bursts, breakout can occur from the hot CNO cycles into the rapid proton capture process. A key breakout route is via the sequence O 15 ( α , γ ) Ne 19 ( p , γ ) Na 20 . The Ne 19 ( p , γ ) Na 20 reaction rate is expected to be dominated by a single resonance at 457(3) keV. The identity of the resonance has been under discussion for a long time, with J π = 1 + and 3 + assignments suggested. In this study of the β -delayed proton decay of 20 Mg we report a new, significantly more stringent, upper limit on the β -decay branch to this state of 0.02% with a confidence level of 90%. This makes a 1 + assignment highly unlikely and favours a 3 + assignment for which no branch is expected to be observed. The 3 + state is predicted to have a significantly higher resonance strength, and to produce a proportionately higher Ne 19 ( p , γ ) Na 20 reaction rate in X-ray burst conditions.