Measurement of the neutron capture rate of the (C-12)(n,gamma)(C-13) reaction at stellar energy

Abstract

The reaction (C-12)(u,gamma)(C-13) at stellar energy plays important roles in the nucleosynthesis of intermediate-mass nuclei in inhomogeneous big bang models and in that of heavy elements during stellar evolution. In the present study, the reaction rate was measured by detecting gamma-rays emitted from a captured state; 16.8 + or - 2.1 microbarn was obtained, about 5 times larger than the estimated value from the thermal-neutron capture cross section. The present result favors the nucleosynthesis of intermediate-mass nuclei in inhomogeneous big bang models and also of heavy elements in exploding supernovae.