Experimental techniques to use the (d,n) reaction for spectroscopy of low-lying proton-resonances

Studies of rp-process nucleosynthesis in stellar explosions show that establishing the lowest $l=0$ and $l=1$ resonances is the most important step to determine reaction rates in the astrophysical $rp$--process path. At the RESOLUT facility, we have used the $(d,n)$ reaction to populate the lowest $p$-- resonances in $^{26}$Si, and demonstrated the usefulness of this approach to populate the resonances of astrophysical interest [1]. In order to establish the $(d,n)$ reaction as a standard technique for the spectroscopy of astrophysical resonances, we have developed a compact setup of low-energy Neutron-detectors, ResoNEUT and tested it with the stable beam reaction $\mathrm{^{12}C(d,n)^{13}N}$ in inverse kinematics. Most recently, the detectors were included in a study of the radioactive beam reaction $\mathrm{^{17}F(d,n)^{18}Ne}$ in inverse kinematics. Performance data from these experiments will be presented. \\[4pt]{[1]} P.N. Peplowski {\it et al.} Phys.Rev.{\bf C 79}, 032801 (2009)