Recent progress at the LUNA 400 kV underground accelerator

The experimental study of radiative capture reactions directly at the energies of relevance for astrophysics requires long experiments with low counting rate. This type of study has greatly benefited in recent years from the ultra-low γ-ray background level underground, in the INFN Gran Sasso laboratory, Italy. There, the LUNA 400 kV accelerator has enabled a rich research program. The ²H(α,γ)⁶Li reaction has been studied for the first time in the Big Bang energy region. Very recently, three resonances have been observed for the first time in the ²²Ne(p,γ)²³Na reaction, directly at energies relevant for the hot-bottom burning process in asymptotic giant branch stars. Studies on other hydrogen burning reactions on ^17,18O and ²³Na are ongoing, with promising preliminary results. The group report will show an overview of recent progress and discuss future perspectives, in particular on the future LUNA experiment on the Big Bang ²H(p,γ)³He reaction.