Determination of the $^{36}$Mg($n,\gamma$)$^{37}$Mg reaction rate from Coulomb dissociation of $^{37}$Mg

Abstract

We use the Coulomb dissociation (CD) method to calculate the rate of the $^{36}$Mg(${n,\gamma}$)$^{37}$Mg radiative capture reaction. The CD cross sections of the $^{37}$Mg nucleus on a $^{208}$Pb target at the beam energy of 244 MeV/nucleon, for which new experimental data have recently become available, were calculated within the framework of a finite range distorted wave Born approximation theory that is extended to include the projectile deformation effects. Invoking the principle of detailed balance, these cross sections are used to determine the excitation function and subsequently the rate of the $^{36}$Mg($n,\gamma$)$^{37}$Mg reaction. We compare these rates to those of the $^{36}$Mg($\alpha,n$)$^{39}$Si reaction calculated within a Hauser-Feshbach model. We find that for $T_9$ as large as up to 1.0 (in units of 10$^9$ K) the $^{36}$Mg($n,\gamma$)$^{37}$Mg reaction is much faster than the $^{36}$Mg($\alpha,n$)$^{39}$Si one. The inclusion of the effects of $^{37}$Mg projectile deformation in the breakup calculations, enhances the ($n,\gamma$) reaction rate even further. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the $(n,\gamma)$ $\beta$-decay $r$-process flow will be broken at the $^{36}$Mg isotope by the $\alpha$-process.