Structure of 22Mg and its implications for explosive nucleosynthesis

The locations of ¹⁸Ne+α resonances have been measured as excited states in ²²Mg using the ¹²C(¹⁶O,⁶He)²²Mg reaction. Eighteen new levels were discovered in the range 0≤Ec.m.≤3 MeV above the ¹⁸Ne+α threshold. The ¹⁸Ne(α,p)²¹Na reaction rate in the temperature range 0.2≤T≤1.0 GK has been calculated using the results from the present measurements, and the implications for nuclear burning in explosive stellar scenarios are discussed. This study also yielded energy-level information on low-lying ²¹Na + p resonances of importance to the ²¹Na(p, γ)²²Mg reaction, one of the key links in the NeNa cycles in novae.