Low-Energy resonances in the 22Ne(p,γ)23Na reaction directly observed at LUNA

The neon-sodium cycle of hydrogen burning influences the synthesis of the elements between 20Ne and 27Al in AGB stars and classical novae explosions. The 22Ne(p,γ)23Na reaction rate is very uncertain because of a large number of unobserved resonances lying in the Gamow window. A new direct study of the 22Ne(p,γ)23Na reaction has been performed at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) using a windowless gas target and two HPGe detectors. Several resonances have been observed for the first time in a direct experiment.