Novel technique for Constraining r-Process (n, gamma) Reaction Rates

A novel technique has been developed, which will open exciting new opportunities for studying the very neutron-rich nuclei involved in the r process. As a proof of principle, the gamma spectra from the beta decay of Ga-76 have been measured with the SuN detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The nuclear level density and gamma-ray strength function are extracted and used as input to Hauser-Feshbach calculations. The present technique is shown to strongly constrain the Ge-75(n, gamma) Ge-76 cross section and reaction rate.