Study of the ^40Ca(^3He, t)^40Sc Reaction at 26.0 MeV.

In explosive hydrogen burning nucleosynthesis, material is processed via the proton capture sequence ^39Ca(p, γ)^40Sc(p, γ)^41Ti.(M. Wiescher and J. Gorres, Astrophysical Journal, 346 (1989) 1041-1044) It has been predicted that the isotope ^39Ca represents a waiting point for a continuous reaction flow, and therefore, the reaction rate of ^39Ca(p, γ)^40Sc is of interest. Three resonances corresponding to the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th excited states of ^40Sc determine the ^39Ca(p, γ)^40S reaction rate.(N. Shulz, W. P. Alford and A. UJamshili, Nuclear Physics A162 (1971) 349-352) A re-evaluation of the nuclear structure of the low-lying levels of ^40Sc will help to reduce uncertainties in this rate. To this end, a measurement of the ^40Sc energy levels from ^40Ca(^3He, t)^40Sc has been made at TUNL. Results from this work will be presented