Activation measurements of 13C+12C fusion cross section at deep sub-barrier energies in IFIN-HH

Abstract

Heavy-ion fusion reactions between light nuclei such as carbon and oxygen isotopes have been studied because of their significance for a wide variety of stellar burning scenarios [1]. One important stellar reaction is 12C+12C, but it is difficult to measure in the Gamow window because of very low cross sections and several resonances occurring [2]. Hints can be obtained from the study of 13C+12C reaction. We studied 13C+12C fusion trough an activation method for energies from Ec.m.= 2.2 MeV, which is the lowest energy ever reached for this reaction (down into Gamow window), up to 5.3 MeV, using 13C beams from the Bucharest 3 MV Tandetron on thick graphite targets. Thick target yield for the 12C(13C, p)24Na reaction was determined through the measurement of the gamma ray yield following the beta decay of 24Na (T1/2=15 h) in our low and ultralow background laboratories, the latter located in a salt mine about 100 km north of Bucharest. Results of the experiments are shown.