Coincident Gamma-ParticleMeasurements for Deep Sub-Barrier Fusion Cross Sections with STELLA

by Dr Marcel Heine (Institut Pluridisciplinaire H.Curien, Strasbourg)

Tuesday 23 Oct 2018, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Rome

Tandem meeting room (INFN-LNL)

The measurement of sub-barrier light heavy-ion fusion cross sections can yield both insight into nuclear cluster effects and the S-factors at energies of astrophysical interest. In particular, 12C+12C fusion was identified as a key reaction on the production route of heavier elements in massive stars during the carbon burning phase, amongst other astrophysical sites. Since sub-barrier fusion reactions are strongly hindered by Coulomb repulsion, the experimental determination of these cross sections that are as small as nbarn or lower is highly challenging. Nowadays, the direct determination of such cross sections is targeted with coincidence measurements using the so called gamma-particle-technique. In this contribution, the measurement campaign of 12C+12C fusion cross sections with STELLA (STELlar LAboratory) will be presented with highlights on the key developments of the technical apparatus as well as the analysis technique for the detection of sub nano-barn cross sections in long-running experiments.