New high accuracy measurement of the O-17(p,alpha)N-14 reaction rate at astrophysical temperatures

The O-17(p,alpha)N-14 reaction is of fundamental relevance in several astrophysical scenarios, such as novae, asymptotic giant branch nucleosynthesis, and.-ray astronomy. We report on the indirect measurement of the O-17(p,alpha)N-14 reaction bare-nucleus cross section in the low-energy region. In particular, the two resonances at E-R(c.m.) = 65 keV and E-R(c.m.) = 183 keV, which dominate the reaction rate inside the Gamow window, have been observed, and the strength of the 65 keV resonance has been deduced. The reaction rate determination and the comparison with the results of the previous measurements are also discussed.