Resonance neutron-capture cross sections of stable magnesium isotopes and their astrophysical implications
We have measured the neutron capture cross sections of the stable magnesium isotopes {sup 24,25,26}Mg in the energy range of interest to the s process using the neutron time-of-flight facility n{_}TOF at CERN. Capture events from a natural metal sample and from samples enriched in {sup 25}Mg and {sup 26}Mg were recorded using the total energy method based on C{sub 6}{sup 2}H{sub 6} detectors. Neutron resonance parameters were extracted by a simultaneous resonance shape analysis of the present capture data and existing transmission data on a natural isotopic sample. Maxwellian-averaged capture cross sections for the three isotopes were calculated up to thermal energies of 100 keV and their impact on s-process analyses was investigated. At 30 keV the new values of the stellar cross section for {sup 24}Mg, {sup 25}Mg, and {sup 26}Mg are 3.8 {+-} 0.2 mb, 4.1 {+-} 0.6 mb, and 0.14 {+-} 0.01 mb, respectively.