Limits for the 3α branching ratio of the decay of the 7.65 MeV, 02+ state in C12

A study of the C12(12C, 3α)12C reaction has been performed in order to determine the magnitude of the process by which the 7.65 MeV, 02+, state in C12 breaks up directly into three alpha particles, in contrast to the sequential decay through Be8. The strength of this decay channel has important implications for the production rate of C12 in stellar nucleosynthesis. The present measurement indicates that the contribution of this decay process to the alpha width, Γα, of this state is less than 4%.