Spectroscopy of O-16 using alpha+C-12 resonant scattering in inverse kinematics

A measurement of the alpha(C-12, alpha) C-12 reaction has been performed using resonant scattering with a gas target. Beam energies of 46, 52, 56 and 63 MeV were used to populate resonances in the excitation energy range of 11.6-22.9 MeV in O-16. The angular distributions of the elastic scattering were measured at zero degrees, using an array of segmented silicon strip detectors with a minimum range of 0 degrees-30 degrees in the centre-of-mass. The spins of 8 resonances between 14.1 and 18.5 MeV were obtained, confirming spin assignments made using elastic scattering in normal kinematics. An R-matrix analysis of the data was performed which indicates that the present understanding of O-16 in this region is good, but not complete.