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4. Low-energy measurement of the 25Mg(α,n)28Si reaction via neutron spectroscopy

Low-energy measurement of the 25Mg(α,n)28Si reaction via neutron spectroscopy

Published: March 2026 Wiescher

Lead Author(s): Shahina

During core helium and carbon burning in massive stars, neutrons are produced by the ²²Ne(α,n)²⁵Mg reaction. However, the rates of neutron poison and recycling reactions must also be well determined. One such critical reaction is ²⁵Mg(α,n)²⁸Si, where past attempts to measure the cross section using neutron moderator counters have been greatly hindered by lower-Z background reactions. In this work, neutron spectroscopy with deuterated liquid scintillator detectors has been used to improve the background discrimination. Learn more

Publication: Low energy measurement of the 25Mg(α,n)²⁸Si reaction via neutron spectroscopy