Studying the aluminium produced in massive stars:
As reported in Physical Review Letters (2015), TUDA performed a direct measurement of the α (23Na ,p)26Mg reaction, whose strength influences the amount of aluminum-26 (26Al) produced in convective burning in giant stars. Considerable disagreement existed in the literature as to its strength of this reaction, leading to large uncertainties in the predictions of the synthesis of 26Al by massive stars. The TUDA measurement resolved the discrepancy, showcasing TUDA’s ability to directly measure a reaction of astrophysical interest at the energies inside the stars.