Measurement of the $^{18}$Ne($\alpha$,p)$^{21}$Na reaction with ANASEN between 2 and 4 MeV in the center of mass

The $^{18}$Ne($\alpha$,p)$^{21}$Na reaction is one of the reactions providing a pathway for breakout from the hot CNO cycles to the rp-process in Type I X-ray bursts. The actual conditions under which the breakout occurs depend critically on the thermonuclear reaction rate. This rate has not yet been sufficiently determined under X-ray burst conditions. We study the direct $^{18}$Ne($\alpha$,p)$^{21}$Na reaction with the Array for Nuclear Astrophysics and Structure with Exotic Nuclei (ANASEN), using a helium gas target and an $^{18}$Ne radioactive beam from RESOLUT facility at the FSU accelerator lab. The results are consistent with the time-reverse measurements [1] and provide a total cross section between 2 and 4 MeV in the center of mass. [1] Salter et al., \textit{Measurement of the $^{18}\text{Ne}(\alpha,\text{p}_0)^{21}\text{Na}$ Reaction Cross Section in the Burning Energy Region for X-Ray Bursts}, Phys.Rev.Lett. 108 (242701), 2012