Measurements with $^7$Be beams at the HRIBF

A $^7$Be beam has been used at the HRIBF to study important reactions in stellar burning. Precise knowledge of the $^7$Be($p,\gamma$)$^8$B rate is important for interpreting solar neutrino flux observations. A direct measurement of the $^7$Be($p,\gamma$)$^8$B cross section is being made by bombarding a H$_2$ gas target with a $^7$Be beam and counting $^8$B recoils at the focal plane of the DRS mass spectrometer. The $^3$He($^3$He,2$p$)$^4$He reaction also occurs in stellar burning, but interpretation of low energy measurements have been hindered by a surprisingly strong low-energy rise in the cross section. This rise could, in part, be due to broad $^6$Be resonances. We have studied $^2$H($^7$Be,$t$)$^6$Be to search for any such broad $^6$Be levels. Initial results from these measurements will be presented.