Investigation of the reaction 74Ge(p,gamma)75As using the in-beam method to improve reaction network predictions for p nuclei

TL;DR

This study measures the 74Ge(p,gamma)75As reaction at astrophysically relevant energies using in-beam methods, providing data to improve reaction rate predictions for p nuclei and testing nuclear models.

Contribution

It presents new experimental cross section data for 74Ge(p,gamma)75As within the astrophysical energy window and compares results to Hauser-Feshbach calculations, refining nuclear reaction models.

Findings

Good agreement between measured and calculated cross sections after renormalization.

Identified the need for double states to explain certain gamma-ray transitions.

Tested and refined nuclear level assignments and gamma widths.

Abstract

A measurement of 74Ge(p,gamma)75As at low proton energies, inside the astrophysically relevant energy region, is important in several respects. The reaction is directly important as it is a bottleneck in the reaction flow which produces the lightest p nucleus 74Se. It is also an important addition to the data set required to test reaction-rate predictions and to allow an improvement in the global p+nucleus optical potential required in such calculations. An in-beam experiment was performed, making it possible to measure in the energy range between 2.1 and 3.7 MeV, which is for the most part inside the astrophysically relevant energy window. Angular distributions of the gamma-ray transitions were measured with high-purity germanium detectors at eight angles relative to the beam axis. In addition to the total cross sections, partial cross sections for the direct population of twelve levels were determined. The resulting cross sections were compared to Hauser-Feshbach calculations using the code SMARAGD. Only a constant renormalization factor of the calculated proton widths allowed a good reproduction of both total and partial cross sections. The accuracy of the calculation made it possible to check the spin assignment of some states in 75As. In the case of the 1075 keV state, a double state with spins and parities of 3/2- and 5/2- is needed to explain the experimental partial cross sections. A change in parity from 5/2+ to 5/2- is required for the state at 401 keV. Furthermore, in the case of 74Ge, studying the combination of total and partial cross sections made it possible to test the gamma width, which is essential in the calculation of the astrophysical 74$As(n,gamma)75As rate.