Cross Section Measurement of the $^{12}$C($^{6}$Li, d)$^{16}$O Reaction and the $^{12}$C($\alpha $, $\gamma )^{16}$O Reaction

The $^{12}$C($\alpha $, $\gamma)^{16}$O reaction is a very important reaction for the understanding of the helium burning in massive stars. However, despite many experimental studies, the low-energy cross-section of the $^{12}$C($\alpha $, $\gamma )^{16}$O reaction remains highly uncertain. In view of the importance of $^{12}$C($\alpha $, $\gamma )^{16}$O reaction, a new determination of the $^{12}$C($\alpha $, $\gamma )^{16}$O reaction cross-section has been performed via a measurement of the transfer reaction $^{12}$C($^{6}$Li, d)$^{16}$O at the Edwards Accelerator Laboratory at Ohio University. The differential cross-section of the $^{12}$C($^{6}$Li, d)$^{16}$O reaction has been measured to the 0$^{+}$ (6.05 MeV), 3$^{-}$ (6.13 MeV), 2$^{+}$ (6.92 MeV), and 1$^{-}$ (7.12 MeV) states of $^{16}$O with $^{6}$Li beams of 3-, 4-, and 5-MeV. The cross-section measurements were done by detecting the deuterons. The time of flight method was used to separate the different particles.