Measurement and analysis of nuclear γ -ray production cross sections in proton interactions with Mg, Si, and Fe nuclei abundant in astrophysical sites over the incident energy range E=30-66 MeV

The modeling of nuclear γ-ray line emission induced by highly accelerated particles in astrophysical sites (e.g., solar flares, the gas and dust in the inner galaxy) and the comparison with observed emissions from these sites needs a comprehensive database of related production cross sections. The most important reactions of protons and α particles are those with abundant target elements like C, O, N, Ne, Mg, Si, and Fe at projectile energies extending from the reaction threshold to a few hundred MeV per nucleon. In this work, we have measured γ-ray production cross section excitation functions for 30, 42, 54, and 66 MeV proton beams accelerated onto Cnat, C+O (Mylar), Mgnat, Sinat, and Fe56 targets of astrophysical interest at the Separated Sector Cyclotron (SSC) of iThemba LABS (near Cape Town, South Africa). The AFRODITE array equipped with eight Compton suppressed high-purity (HPGe) clover detectors was used to record γ-ray line energy spectra. For known, intense lines previously reported experimental data measured up to Ep≃25 MeV at the Washington and Orsay tandem accelerators were thus extended to higher proton energies. Our experimental data for the last three targets are reported here and discussed with respect to previous data and to the Murphy et al. compilation [Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 183, 142 (2009)APJSA20067-004910.1088/0067-0049/183/1/142], as well as to the predictions of the nuclear reaction code talys. The overall agreement between theory and experiment obtained in first-approach calculations using default input parameters of talys has been appreciably improved by using modified optical model potential (OMP), level deformation, and level density parameters. The OMP parameters have been extracted from theoretical fits to available experimental elastic and inelastic nucleon scattering angular distribution data by means of the coupled-channels reaction code optman. Experimental data for several new γ-ray lines are also reported and discussed. The astrophysical implications of our results are emphasised.