Study of the Ne-22(alpha, gamma)Mg-26 reaction at LUNA

The Ne-22(alpha, gamma)Mg-26 reaction competes with the Ne-22(alpha, n)Mg-25 reaction which is the main source of neutrons for the s-process in low-mass Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) and massive stars. The Ne-22(alpha, gamma)Mg-26 reaction rate is affected by a high uncertainty mainly due to the poorly constrained 395 keV resonance which has been studied only indirectly leading to a wide range of possible values for its resonance strength (10(-14) - 10(-9) eV). The present study represents the direct measurement of the 395 keV resonance of the Ne-22(alpha, gamma)Mg-26 reaction at LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics), located at Gran Sasso National Laboratory. Here, the experimental campaigns, setup and some very preliminary results are presented.