Experimental impact of inverse kinematics and preliminary results from the (d,pγ) reaction measurement with ⁹⁵Mo beams and GODDESS

Roughly half of the elements heavier than iron are synthesized through the rapid neutron-capture process (the r process). Unfortunately, the isotopes that lie along the r-process path are too short lived to create a viable target. However, techniques for constraining neutron capture through indirect measurements are being developed and benchmarked. One such technique is the Surrogate Reaction Method (SRM) which has been validated for the (d,pγ) reaction as a surrogate for (n,γ) in normal kinematics. A measurement to benchmark the SRM in inverse kinematics and prepare for studies with rare isotope beams (RIBs) was conducted at the ATLAS facility at Argonne National Laboratory. An 8 MeV/u ⁹⁵Mo beam was impinged upon C₂D₄ targets and the (d,pγ) reaction was measured with GODDESS (Gammasphere ORRUBA: Dual Detectors for Experimental Structure Studies). The techniques needed to transition from normal to inverse kinematics measurements using RIBs will be discussed. In preparation for an SRM analysis, preliminary results for the (d,p) proton angular distributions and deduced ⁹⁶Mo level scheme will be presented.