22Ne(α,n)25Mg at the INFN Bellotti Ion Beam Facility

Neutron capture reactions are the main contributors to the synthesis of heavy elements through the s-process. 22Ne(α,n)25Mg is the main neutron source in stars, together with 13C(α,n)16O. At energies Ecm < 700 keV, limited data are available, i.e., reaction cross-section upper limits from direct experiments and highly uncertain estimates from indirect sources exist. The ERC project SHADES is currently performing direct cross-section measurements at these energies. We will present details on the ongoing experiment and discuss target characteristics, experimental backgrounds, and preliminary analyses on the detector efficiency and the 832 keV resonance.