Scientists derive new reaction rate for rapid proton capture process

Type I X-ray bursts are the most frequent types of thermonuclear stellar explosions in the galaxy. As the key nucleosynthesis process in X-ray bursts, the rapid proton capture process (rp-process) is always the important scientific frontier in nuclear astrophysics. The 26P(p,γ)27S reaction is one of the key nuclear reactions in rp-process, and its accuracy is crucial for comprehensively understanding the reaction path of the rp-process in X-ray bursts.