Total Cross Section and Stellar Reaction Rates for the 58Ni(p,γ)59Cu Reaction

Abstract

Measurements have been made of the total cross section for the radiative capture of protons by 58Ni for proton energies from 1.4 to 4.8 MeV using activation techniques. The 1.301 MeV γ rays emitted in the decay of 59Ni* following the β+ decay of 59Cu were observed. This reaction is important in the later stages of stellar nucleosynthesis through its role in the particle rich e process, where it is believed to affect the final abundances of 58Ni, 59Cu, and 59Co produced in some supernovae explosions. From these, and renormalized earlier resonant strength measurements, stellar reaction rates are calculated for temperatures from 2 to 6 × 109 K and found to be lower by about a factor of two than those currently used in model calculations.