Type I x-ray bursts are astrophysical events that occur in binary star systems where a H and He are accreted onto the surface of a neutron star. To understand the production of nuclei in these explosive environments and their light curves, there have been a number of model calculations that span the parameter space to probe the effects of nuclear physics uncertainties. A list of reactions was identified as having an impact on the x-ray burst energy generation, one of which was the 24 Mg(α,p) 27 Al reaction. The cross sections for this reaction used in the model calculations were based on the inverse reaction 27 Al(p,α) 24 Mg. Experimental data available for the reaction are scarce, and inverse measurements do not probe the cross sections to excited states of 27 Al. In order to more precisely determine the role of the 24 Mg(α,p) 27 Al reaction, we have studied both the 24 Mg(α,pγ) 27 Al and 27 Al(p,αγ) 24 Mg reactions at the University of Notre Dame using the Sta. ANA accelerator and HAGRiD, an array of LaBr 3 gamma-ray detectors to detect secondary γ rays from the excited states of 24 Mg and 27 Al. An R-matrix analysis of the differential cross sections will be presented, and the influence of these cross sections on previously calculated resonance strengths will be discussed.
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