Study of 2H(p, γ)3He reaction cross section over a wide energy range

This paper reports on the measurements of the 2H(p,γ)3He reaction cross section performed at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) facility in the Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) and at the 3 MV Tandetron accelerator at HZDR Dresden Rossendorf. Overall, the cross section has been measured in the energy range relevant for protostars and the Sun (2.5–22 keV), for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) (50–400 keV) and even at much higher energies (400–800 keV). After a general introduction on the astrophysical and cosmological relevance of 2H(p,γ)3He reaction cross section, the experimental setups used for each measurement campaign are described, focusing in particular on the importance of going underground. The results obtained so far and the perspectives of the still on-going measurements are also discussed.