Nuclear Level Density and Gamma Strength Functions for i-process nuclei, ^103,104Mo

Neutron-capture nucleosynthesis occurs via a variety of processes depending on the astrophysical sites and conditions. Recent observations and stellar evolution models suggest that an intermediate process, known as the i-process, exists between the slow (s-process) and rapid (r-process) neutron-capture processes. The abundance patterns of i-process nuclei are affected by various nuclear inputs such as masses, β-decay probabilities, and neutron-capture cross sections. Direct neutron-capture measurements can only be done on long-lived nuclei, while for short-lived, exotic nuclei, indirect techniques are required. One such technique is the β-Oslo method in which the nuclear level density (NLD) and γ-strength function (γSF) are extracted following the β-decay of a neutron-rich nucleus and are used in a statistical reaction model to constrain the neutron-capture cross section. The neutron-rich region around the Se-Nb isotopes has been shown to impact i-process abundance patterns. In this work, ^103,104Mo were studied at the NSCL via the β-decay of ^103,104Nb and detected using the Summing NaI (SuN) total absorption spectrometer. Preliminary results on the NLD, γSF, and neutron-capture cross sections of ¹⁰²Mo(n,γ)¹⁰³Mo and ¹⁰³Mo(n,γ)¹⁰⁴Mo using the β-Oslo method will be presented.