Measurement of the beta decay of 26P to determine classical nova 26Al production in the Milky Way galaxy

Observation across the Milky Way of a 1809-keV γ-ray characteristic of ²⁶Al decay provides direct evidence for ongoing nucleosynthetic production of ²⁶Al. Although massive stars and supernovae are likely to be the primary sites for ²⁶Al production, classical novae may also contribute a significant portion of the total amount of Galactic ²⁶Al. At peak nova temperatures of approximately 0.4 GK, the rate of the ²⁵Al(p,γ)²⁶Si reaction, which …