Experimental determination of the {sup 17}O(p,{alpha}){sup 14}N and {sup 17}O(p,{gamma}){sup 18}F reaction rates

The {sup 17}O(p,{alpha}){sup 14}N and {sup 17}O(p,{gamma}){sup 18}F reactions are of major importance to hydrogen-burning nucleosynthesis in a number of different stellar sites. In particular, {sup 17}O and {sup 18}F nucleosynthesis in classical novae is strongly dependent on the thermonuclear rates of these two reactions. The previously estimated rate for {sup 17}O(p,{alpha}){sup 14}N carries very large uncertainties in the temperature range of classical novae (T=0.01-0.4 GK), whereas a recent measurement has reduced the uncertainty of the {sup 17}O(p,{gamma}){sup 18}F rate. We report on the observation of a previously undiscovered resonance at E{sub c.m.}=183.3 keV in the {sup 17}O(p,{alpha}){sup 14}N reaction, with a measured resonance strength {omega}{gamma}{sub p{alpha}}=(1.6{+-}0.2)x10{sup -3} eV. We studied in the same experiment the {sup 17}O(p,{gamma}){sup 18}F reaction by an activation method, and the resonance strength was found to amount to {omega}{gamma}{sub p{gamma}}=(2.2{+-}0.4)x10{sup -6} eV. The excitation energy of the corresponding level in {sup 18}F was determined to be 5789.8{+-}0.3 keV in a Doppler shift attenuation method measurement, which yielded a value of {tau}<2.6 fs for the level lifetime. The {sup 17}O(p,{alpha}){sup 14}N and {sup 17}O(p,{gamma}){sup 18}F reaction rates were calculated using the measured resonance properties and reconsidering some previous analyses of the contributions of other levels ormore » processes. The {sup 17}O(p,{alpha}){sup 14}N rate is now well established below T=1.5 GK, with uncertainties reduced by orders of magnitude in the temperature range T=0.1-0.4 GK. The uncertainty in the {sup 17}O(p,{gamma}){sup 18}F rate is somewhat larger because of remaining obscurities in the knowledge of the direct capture process. These new resonance properties have important consequences for {sup 17}O nucleosynthesis and {gamma}-ray emission of classical novae.« less