The astrophysical oxygen-15 alpha capture reaction [1] is a key breakout route from the Hot CNO cycle leading to explosive nucleosynthesis via the rp-process on the surface of neutron stars in binary systems. Determining an accurate cross section for the relevant states is critical for a better understanding of the X-ray burst energy production and light-curves [2], as well as other novel binary stellar systems involving neutron stars and their potential impact on nucleosynthesis [3].

An indirect alpha transfer reaction in inverse kinematics has been performed, populating the relevant states at temperatures up to 1GK. In this, we take advantage of the 15O Radioactive Ion Beam provided at GANIL and the state-of-the art detection system VAMOS + AGATA + MUGAST coupled together for the first time [4], allowing us an unrivalled selectivity for detecting triple coincidences in this reaction. We will present the experimental set-up and analysis, as well as preliminary results for the strongest populated resonances in 19Ne.

[1] M. R. Hall et al. Phys. Rev. C 99, 035805 (2019)
[2] R. H. Cyburt et al. Astrophys. J. 830, 55 (2016)
[3] J. Keegans et al. MNRAS, V. 485, Issue 1, Pages 620–639 (2019)
[4] M. Assié et al. Accepted for publication in NIMA (2021)