Experimental Facilities at iThemba LABS and Measurements to Constrain Astrophysical Processes

Abstract

iThemba LABS has embarked on an extensive renewal program with the ultimate goal to provide users with competitive and state-of-the-art research facilities for nuclear physics experiments. In particular, significant developments on the high-energy neutron beam facility, the K600 spectrometer, the ALBA and AFRODITE γ-ray arrays are taking place. These are anticipated to significantly improve and make possible new measurements of nuclear properties which are of relevance to nucleosynthesis such as the photon strength functions, nuclear level densities, and detailed studies of resonances. An overview of the experimental capabilities at iThemba LABS is provided, in particular in the context of ongoing and future measurements to obtain photon strength functions, nuclear level density, and nuclear structure information on resonances. Examples are provided to demonstrate how these properties can be used to constrain reaction rates at p- and s-process temperatures in ¹⁸⁰Ta and ¹³⁸La.