Proton branching ratios in ²² Mg for X-ray bursts

Decay protons from ²² Mg energy levels populated through a previously reported ²⁴ Mg(p, t) ²² Mg transfer reaction (Chae et al. in Phys Rev C 79:055804, 2009) have been analyzed for proton branching ratios as a follow-up analysis. The measurement was performed at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory by utilizing 41-MeV proton beams and ²⁴ Mg solid targets. Decay protons and reaction tritons were simultaneously detected with a silicon detector array. By investigating the ²⁴ Mg(p, t) ²² Mg*(p) ²¹ Na channels, the proton branching ratios of five ²² Mg excited states were obtained. The measured branching ratios provide constraints on the proton partial widths of the populated ²² Mg levels, which have implications for X-ray burst nucleosynthesis.