Examining the $E_x$=7262 and 7249 keV States of Fluorine-19 with the $^{15}$N($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{19}$F Reaction

Properties of important neon-19 levels affect the production of the radioisotope fluorine-18 in novae and can be constrained from studies of the mirror nucleus fluorine-19. The $^{15}$N($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{19}$F reaction has been used to study the astrophysically important but under-examined region of $^{19}$F between $E_x$=7.0-7.3 MeV ($E_\alpha$=3.9-4.2 MeV). A previously known $^{19}$F state at $E_x$=7.262 MeV was studied and a new higher spin state was discovered near 7.249 MeV. Measured information for these states include branching ratios and resonance strengths from which the gamma decay widths were extracted. Preliminary results will be presented.