Low-Energy Direct Capture in the 12C(α, γ)16O Reaction

The spectra of light nuclei provide the first test of nuclear interaction models. The reaction amount determines the relative abundance of most elements in red giant stars, neutron stars, and black holes. Due to the fact that this reaction occurs at low energies, the experimental measurement is very difficult and perhaps impossible. In this work, the radiative capture of the C-12(alpha, gamma)O-16 reaction at very low-energies is taken as a case study. Using the M3Y. potential we calculate the astrophysical factor for transition E-1 and E-2. In comparison with other theoretical methods and available recent experimental data, excellent agreement is achieved for the astrophysical S-factor of this process.