Comparative analysis of anodized, implanted and sputtered tantalum oxide targets for the study of 16O+16O fusion reaction

Measuring the total cross section of a fusion reaction in the region of astrophysical interest, such as the 16O+16O fusion reaction, is a real challenge due the very small cross sections involved and the large number of possible exit channels. Taking into account these difficulties, the use of targets with known thickness, stoichiometry and minimal contamination that can withstand high beam currents is required. In this study, we report the comparison between three different types of targets for the study of this fusion reaction, such as anodized, implanted and sputtered tantalum oxide targets and the results show that the anodized and sputtered targets are more suitable for this study due to their higher oxygen density and to the formation of a stable oxide compound, tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5).