Direct measurement of the Na 23 (α,p) Mg 26 reaction cross section at energies relevant for the production of galactic Al 26

The 1809-keV γ ray from the decay of Alg26 is an important target for γ-ray astronomy. In the convective C/Ne burning shell of massive presupernova stars, the Na23(α,p)Mg26 reaction directly influences the production of Al26. We have performed a direct measurement of the Na23(α,p)Mg26 reaction cross section at the appropriate astrophysically important energies. The stellar rate calculated in the present work is larger than the recommended rate by nearly a factor of 40 and could strongly affect the production of Al26 in massive stars. © 2014 American Physical Society