Abstract

A recoil coincidence technique has been applied to measure the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay branching ratios of near-threshold states in ${}^{19}\mathrm{Ne}.$ Populating these states using the $(p,t)$ reaction in inverse kinematics, we detected the recoils and their decay products with 100% geometric efficiency using a magnetic spectrometer. Combining our branching ratio measurements with independent determinations of the radiative widths of these states, we calculate the astrophysical rate of ${}^{15}\mathrm{O}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma}{)}^{19}\mathrm{Ne}.$ Using this reaction rate, we perform hydrodynamic calculations of nova outbursts and conclude that no significant breakout from the hot CNO cycles into the $\mathrm{rp}$ process occurs in novae via ${}^{15}\mathrm{O}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma}{)}^{19}\mathrm{Ne}.$

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