Sm-147(n,alpha) cross section measurements from 3 eV to 500 keV: Implications for explosive nucleosynthesis reaction rates - art. no. 042801

We have measured the Sm-147(n, alpha) cross section from 3 eV to 500 keV. T hese data were used to test nuclear statistical models which must be relied on to calculate the rates for as yet unmeasurable reactions occurring in e xplosive nucleosynthesis scenarios. It was found that our data are in reaso nably good agreement with the reaction rate predicted by an older model but that the sates predicted by two very recent models are roughly a factor of 3 different from the data (in opposite directions). A detailed analysis in dicates the strong dependence on the employed optical alpha potentials. The se results, together with counting rate estimates for future experiments in dicate that (n, alpha) measurements will be useful for improving reaction r ate predictions across the global range of masses needed for explosive nucl eosynthesis calculations.