6533b7d2fe1ef96bd125e900

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Reevaluation of theP30(p,γ)S31astrophysical reaction rate from a study of theT=1/2mirror nuclei,S31andP31

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The $^{30}\mathrm{P}$($p,\ensuremath{\gamma}$)$^{31}\mathrm{S}$ reaction rate is expected to be the principal determinant for the endpoint of nucleosynthesis in classical novae. To date, the reaction rate has only been estimated through Hauser-Feschbach calculations and is unmeasured experimentally. This paper aims to remedy this situation. Excited states in $^{31}\mathrm{S}$ and $^{31}\mathrm{P}$ were populated in the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$($^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$,$n$) and $^{12}\mathrm{C}$($^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$,$p$) reactions, respectively, at a beam energy of 32 MeV, and their resulting $\ensuremath{\gamma}$decay was detected with the Gammasphere array. Around half the relevant proton unbound states in $^{31}\mathrm{S}$ corresponding to the Gamow window for the $^{30}\mathrm{P}$($p,\ensuremath{\gamma}$)$^{31}\mathrm{S}$ reaction were identified. The properties of the unobserved states were inferred from mirror symmetry using our extended data on $^{31}\mathrm{P}$. The implications of this new spectroscopic information for the $^{30}\mathrm{P}$($p,\ensuremath{\gamma}$)$^{31}\mathrm{S}$ reaction rate are considered and recommendations for future work with radioactive beams are discussed.