Comprehensive Theoretical Study of the 17O (p, γ) 18F Radiative Capture Reaction at Astrophysical Energies

Abstract

The ¹⁷O (p, γ)¹⁸F radiative capture reaction, a key driver of stellar nucleosynthesis, is comprehensively investigated at astrophysically relevant energies using a sophisticated theoretical approach. The Woods-Saxon potential model is employed to accurately deduce the cross-section for this reaction, which is essential for modeling hydrogen burning and isotope synthesis in stars. The calculated astrophysical S factor, a critical parameter for analyzing such reactions, exhibits excellent agreement with available experimental data and predictions from other models. Moreover, the electric dipole (E1) transition strength, governing the astrophysical S factor, is computed within the 0-500 keV energy range. Extrapolation of the S factor to zero center-of-mass energy yields a value of 4.807keV.b for the dominant E1 transition through the ¹⁸F (1 excited state to the ground state (1⁺), consistent with previous studies. To investigate correlated transitions, calculations of S (0) values have been performed for excited state transitions, specifically from the (1⁻) state to the (2⁺) state, the 1⁻state to the 3⁺ state, and the (1⁻) state to the 1⁺ state. Additionally, S factor for E2 transitions have also been calculated. These results provide invaluable nuclear data inputs for modeling stellar nucleosynthesis processes.