In-Target Energy Loss Compensation for Nuclear Astrophysical Studies

Abstract Measuring cross sections of nuclear reactions, such as the so-called “Holy Grail” reaction, 12 C( α , γ ) 16 O, is essential for understanding stellar nucleosynthesis but presents significant challenges due to extremely low cross sections. Key challenges include significant energy loss as ions penetrate the target material, limiting measurements to thin target layers. To overcome these obstacles, we propose a novel method, the in-target energy loss compensating (eLOC) method, specifically designed for gas targets, which utilizes a gas-filled magnetic field and accelerating electric fields to compensate for ion energy loss in the target. Simulations show that this approach significantly enhances the effective target thickness by over 140 times in the case of the “Holy Grail” reaction with an inverse-kinematics setup. This eLOC method may provide a powerful new tool for obtaining critical data in nuclear astrophysics, thereby advancing our understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis and the origins of elements in the universe, as well as benefiting other related fields such as isotope production.