[Formula Presented] cross section measurements from 3 eV to 500 keV: Implications for explosive nucleosynthesis reaction rates

We have measured the [Formula Presented] cross section from 3 eV to 500 keV. These data were used to test nuclear statistical models which must be relied on to calculate the rates for as yet unmeasurable reactions occurring in explosive nucleosynthesis scenarios. It was found that our data are in reasonably good agreement with the reaction rate predicted by an older model but that the rates predicted by two very recent models are roughly a factor of 3 different from the data (in opposite directions). A detailed analysis indicates the strong dependence on the employed optical [Formula Presented] potentials. These results, together with counting rate estimates for future experiments indicate that [Formula Presented] measurements will be useful for improving reaction rate predictions across the global range of masses needed for explosive nucleosynthesis calculations.