Using ²³Na + p Reaction Analysis to Characterize ¹²C + ¹²C

The ¹²C + ¹²C fusion reaction is one of the important reactions in nuclear astrophysics, crucial for understanding the later stages of burning in massive stars. However, direct measurement of this reaction at low energies remains challenging due to its complexity and the weak cross-section. To overcome these challenges, we use an alternative approach using the inverse reaction (²³Na + p), which shares some resonances with the ¹²C + ¹²C reaction in the ²⁴Mg* compound nucleus. The application of the R-Matrix formalism can help us achieve this by accurately modeling narrow, isolated resonances present in low-energy fusion reactions. The results in this poster reveal significant insights into the levels of the ²⁴Mg* nucleus, which are directly linked to the ¹²C + ¹²C fusion reaction. This characterization will contribute to our understanding of nuclear astrophysics in general, as well as the role of the ¹²C + ¹²C reaction specifically.