Elastic scattering on p-nuclei for the improvement of the optical model potential.

P-nuclei are thought to form through photodisintegration reactions on seed r- or s- nuclei of mainly the ($\gamma $,n) ($\gamma $,$\alpha )$ and ($\gamma $,p) types. This requires high temperatures of T$_{9}$ = 2-3. A possible production site may include Type II supernovae. Abundance calculations for the p-nuclei involve an extended network of about 20,000 nuclear reactions of almost 2000 nuclei. These rates are calculated with the statistical Hauser Feshbach Model (HF-Model). Elastic scattering experimental data provides a test for the global parameterizations that are used in these statistical model calculations. Recent experiments suggest inconsistencies between the predicted and measured ($\gamma $,$\alpha )$ rates which may be due to problems with the $\alpha $-potential parameters. To explore these parameters the alpha scattering cross sections on $^{120, 124, 126, 130}$Te have been measured at energies both close below and above the Coulomb barrier at the FN tandem accelerator of the University of Notre Dame. First results are presented and discussed.