The 22 Ne(p,γ) 23 Na reaction is one of the most uncertain reactions in the NeNa cycle and plays a crucial role in the creation of 23 Na, the only stable Na isotope. Uncertainties in the low-energy rates of this and other reactions in the NeNa cycle lead to ambiguities in the nucleosynthesis predicted from models of thermally pulsing AGB stars. This in turn complicates the interpretation of anomalous Na-O trends in globular cluster evolutionary scenarios. (2015) and is attributed to the interplay between the 23 Na(p,α) 20 Ne and 20 Ne(p,γ) 21 Na reactions, both of which remain fairly uncertain at the relevant temperature range.

Abundance anomalies in globular clusters provide strong evidence for multiple stellar populations within each cluster. These populations are usually interpreted as distinct generations, with the currently observed second-generation stars having formed in part from the ejecta of massive, firstgeneration "polluter" stars, giving rise to the anomalous abundance patterns. The precise nature of the polluters and their enrichment mechanism are still unclear. Even so, the chemical abundances measured in second-generation stars within the globular cluster NGC 2419 provide insight into this puzzling process. Previous work used Monte Carlo nuclear reaction network calculations to constrain the temperature-density conditions that could reproduce the observed abundances, thereby placing robust limits on the origins of the polluter material. The effect of individual reaction rates on these conditions has not been studied, however. Thus, we perform an exhaustive sensitivity study on the nuclear physics input to determine which reactions have the greatest impact on these predictions. We find that the 30 Si(p,γ) 31 P, 37 Ar(p,γ) 38 K, 38 Ar(p,γ) 39 K, and 39 K(p,γ) 40 Ca reactions are all critical in determining the temperature-density conditions, and ultimately, the origin of the polluter material. We conclude with recommendations for future experiments.