Background: The rate of energy production in the hot-CNO cycle and breakout to the rapid-proton capture process in Type I X-ray bursts is strongly related to the ${}^{14}\mathrm{O}(\alpha ,p){}^{17}\mathrm{F}$ reaction rate.

Purpose: The properties of states in ${}^{18}\mathrm{Ne}$ near $E_x=6.1–6.3$ MeV are important for understanding the ${}^{14}\mathrm{O}(\alpha ,p){}^{17}\mathrm{F}$ reaction rate.

Methods: In order to study ${}^{18}\mathrm{Ne}$ resonances around this energy region, the RESOLUT radioactive-ion beam facility at Florida State University was used to perform ${}^{17}\mathrm{F}(p,p){}^{17}\mathrm{F}$ elastic scattering on a polypropylene target under inverse kinematics. Scattered protons were detected in a silicon-strip detector array while recoiling ${}^{17}\mathrm{F}$ ions were detected in coincidence in a gas ionization detector. An $R$-matrix analysis of measured cross sections was conducted along with a reanalysis of data from previous ${}^{17}\mathrm{F}+p$ measurements.

Results: All the data analyzed are well described by a consistent set of parameters with a $1^{-}$ assignment for a state at 6.14(1) MeV. A second comparable solution is also found with a $3^{-}$ assignment for the 6.14(1) MeV state.

Conclusions: There is no conclusive evidence supporting one of the two solutions over the other. The rates of the ${}^{14}\mathrm{O}(\alpha ,\mathrm{p}){}^{17}\mathrm{F}$ reaction that are determined from the two solutions differ by up to an order of magnitude.

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• Elastic scattering reactions
• H & He induced nuclear reactions
• Nuclear astrophysics
• X ray bursts
• 6 ≤ A ≤ 19