Commissioning of the St. George Recoil Separator

Measurement of alpha­capture reactions at energies of astrophysical interest is hindered by low cross sections and relatively high gamma­backgrounds. The precision of these measurements, using traditional techniques, is limited by the ability to reduce this gamma­background. Using a recoil separator enables the direct detection of the heavy reaction products. These recoils are separated from the primary beam using a Wien­filter and a series of magnetic dipoles, and then identified using a total energy loss plus time- of­flight detection system. A series of commissioning experiments to measure the energy acceptance of the St. George recoil separator are currently underway at Notre Dame. The progress of these measurements will presented, along with plans for upcoming angular acceptance measurements.