Stellar reaction rates of alpha capture on light (N not equal to Z) nuclei and their astrophysical implications

A theoretical analysis of direct and resonant capture of alpha-particles in specific states for Be-7(alpha, gamma)C-11, Li-7(alpha, gamma)B-11, C-14(alpha, gamma)O-18, O-15(alpha, gamma)Ne-19, and O-18(alpha, gamma)Ne-22 is presented, with application to the study of nucleosynthesis in the early universe and light element production in supermassive objects. It is demonstrated that the rates of some of these reactions could increase significantly depending upon certain spectroscopic factors. The direct capture process is shown to be of importance for alpha-fusion processes in steller environments when reactions involving compound nuclei with low-level densities occur at relatively low stellar temperatures. 31 references.