Investigation of the /sup 13/N(/b p/, gamma )/sup 14/O reaction using /sup 13/N radioactive ion beams

Intense /sup 13/N radioactive ion beams have been produced by the two-accelerator method. They have been used to investigate the /sup 13/N(/b p/, gamma )/sup 14/O reaction, in particular to measure directly its cross section in the energy region of interest in nuclear astrophysics. The results of a complete set of experiments thereby carried out on this reaction allowed the determining of the stellar conditions under which the cold and hot CNO cycles, for the nuclear `burning' of hydrogen and its transformation into helium, dominate.