Direct measurement of 13N(alpha,p)16O using MUSIC

The $^{13}$N($\alpha$,p)$^{16}$O reaction has been recently found to have a significant impact in the estimated yields of $^{13}$C during the ingestion of hydrogen into the helium shell of massive stars during the shock propagation of a core-collapse supernovae. The rate of this reaction determines the amount of $^{13}$N that can $\beta$-decay, producing $^{13}$C. The reaction rate of the inverse reaction $^{16}$O(p,$\alpha$)$^{13}$N also plays a role in the creation of $^{12}$C by oxygen burning at high proton abundances via $^{16}$O(p,$\alpha$)$^{13}$N($\gamma$,p)$^{12}$C, which in turn affects the abundances of argon and calcium in type Ia supernovae nucleosynthesis. There are only very few experimental data available for the $^{13}$N($\alpha$,p)$^{16}$O reaction and the rate of this reaction is not well-constrained. A direct measurement of the $^{13}$N($\alpha$,p)$^{16}$O reaction was performed using a 30 MeV secondary beam of $^{13}$N beam from the Argonne In-Flight Radioactive Ion Separator (RAISOR) and the active-target detector MUSIC at Argonne National Laboratory.