Compound-nuclear reaction cross sections from surrogate measurements

Nuclear reaction cross sections are important for a variety of applications in the areas of astrophysics, nuclear energy, and national security. When these cross sections cannot be measured directly or predicted reliably, it becomes necessary to develop indirect methods for determining the relevant reaction rates. The surrogate nuclear reactions approach is such an indirect method. First used in the 1970s for estimating $(n,f)$ cross sections, the method has recently been recognized as a potentially powerful tool for a wide range of applications that involve compound-nuclear reactions. The method is expected to become an important focus of inverse-kinematics experiments at rare-isotope facilities. The present paper reviews the current status of the surrogate approach. Experimental techniques employed and theoretical descriptions of the reaction mechanisms involved are presented and representative cross section measurements are discussed.