Direct spectroscopic measurement of the 26gAl(a,p) reaction for x-ray burst nucleosynthesis*

The 26Al(a,p) reaction impacts final abundances in models of lower-temperature X-ray bursts, and in massive-star nucleosynthesis.  To constrain this reaction rate, a direct, spectroscopic, thin-target measurement of this reaction has been performed for the first time. A batch-mode beam of 10^6 26gAl ions/s from the ReA3 accelerator was impinged on the JENSA gas-jet target, at several energies approaching the Gamow window. The ORRUBA silicon detector array was used to measure target-like ejectiles, while coincident recoils were identified using the GODDESS position-sensitive fast ionization chamber. This approach enables determination of partial and total reaction cross sections, to provide stringent constraints on Hauser-Feshbach predictions in this light mass region.  An overview of the experiment and some preliminary results will be presented, along with plans to address the reaction rate on the 26Al isomer in a future experiment at FRIB.