Nuclear Reaction to Decode Gamma-Ray Observations from Core Collapse Supernovae (CCSNe)

The gamma-emitting isotopes in core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), can provide plenty of information on the dynamics of stellar explosions. The next generation gamma-ray telescopes can provide unprecedented observational capabilities to detect gamma-rays from these radionuclides, offering new insights into the stellar explosions. However, a recent study has shown that production of some of these radionuclides is sensitive to the uncertainty in some of the nuclear reaction rates. ²⁸Al(p,a)²⁵Mg has been shown to directly impact the production of ⁴³K, a radionuclide which could serve as a probe for CCSNe explosion energy. To experimentally constrain this reaction rate, we performed ²⁸Si(d,p)²⁹Si transfer reaction using the Enge split-pole spectrograph at the University of Notre Dame. Experimental details, new results and their impact on ²⁸Al(p,a)²⁵Mg reaction rate will be presented.