Total width of the 5.17 MeV1−state inO14and the hot-CNO cycle

The reaction ${}_{}{}^{13}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{N}$(p,γ${)\mathrm{}}^{14}$O is important in the hot-CNO cycle. At the energies of astrophysical interest, the rate of this reaction is dominated by capture through an l=0 resonance corresponding to the 5.17 MeV $J^{\pi }$ ${=1\mathrm{}}^{\mathrm{-}}$ excited state in ${}_{}{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$. The contribution of this resonance to the total cross section can be determined from a measurement of the total width, Γ, and the γ-decay branching ratio, ${\Gamma }_{\gamma }$/Γ, for this state. This method does not require the use of radioactive ${}_{}{}^{13}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{N}$ as either a beam or a target, neither of which is at present technically feasible. Using the ${}_{}{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{N}$ ${(}^3$He,t${)}^{14}$O reaction, the total width of this state has been measured to be Γ=38.1±1.8 keV.