Novel technique for Constraining r -Process (n , γ ) Reaction Rates

A novel technique has been developed, which will open exciting new opportunities for studying the very neutron-rich nuclei involved in the r process. As a proof of principle, the γ spectra from the β decay of ⁷⁶Ga have been measured with the SuN detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The nuclear level density and γ -ray strength function are extracted and used as input to Hauser-Feshbach calculations. The present technique is shown to strongly constrain the ⁷⁵Ge (n ,γ )⁷⁶Ge cross section and reaction rate.