Speaker
Description
The nuclear structure of $^{24}$Mg in the excitation energy region relevant to the $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C fusion reaction is crucial for constraining carbon-burning processes in massive stars. Although this reaction has been extensively studied over the past decades, significant uncertainties persist, particularly at center of mass energies below 2.5 MeV, where direct measurements are hindered by extremely low cross sections. In this context, indirect approaches providing detailed spectroscopic information on the compound nucleus $^{24}$Mg are essential.
In this contribution, we present a new dedicated experiment to be performed at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory (OCL) to investigate the excited states of $^{24}$Mg in the energy range 14-17 MeV via $\alpha$ inelastic scattering. Reaction products will be detected in coincidence using the Oslo Scintillator Array (OSCAR), the SiRi particle telescope, and the INFN OSCAR silicon hodoscope. The combined use of charged-particle and $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy will enable a reliable determination of the spin and parity of the populated states in $^{24}$Mg, as well as an estimate of the branching ratios of its decay channels.