Studying the ($\alpha $,p) process in X-ray bursts using rare isotope ion beams*

Type I X-Ray bursts are the most frequent thermonuclear explosions observed in the galaxy with about 100 sources known so far. It is thought that XRBs occur in binary star systems where a neutron star accretes matter from its companion, a main sequence star. As the accreted hydrogen-and helium-rich matter builds up on the surface of the neutron star the temperature and the pressure increase and a thermonuclear runaway occurs reaching peak temperatures of T $=$ 1-2 GK, which is observed as an X-ray burst. The fact that the bursts do not destroy the binary star system makes X-ray binaries useful to study matter under extreme temperature and density conditions. Current sensitivity studies on XRB nucleosynthesis have identified the nuclear reaction, $^{22}$Mg($\alpha $,p)$^{25}$Al, among the influential reactions affecting the XRB total energy output. This reaction implies the interaction of the radioactive $^{22}$Mg isotope with a~$^{4}$He nucleus (aka $\alpha $ particle) to produce the radioactive $^{25}$Al isotope and a proton. In fall last year, a feasibility test for the experimental investigation of the probability of this nuclear reaction to occur was performed at Texas A{\&}M University (TAMU) Cyclotron Institute. Measurements were performed in reversed time and inverse-kinematics for the reaction, $^{\mathrm{25}}$Al $+$ p $\to$ $^{22}$Mg $+ \alpha $. Data analysis results will be reported.