P process overview: (p,γ) and (α,γ) reactions in regular and inverse kinematics

The astrophysical p process is responsible for the production of neutron-deficient nuclei that are not accessible by the s and r processes. Many scenarios have been proposed for the production of these so-called p nuclei but to date the nucleosynthesis mechanism is still not well understood. In order to understand the synthesis of these rare isotopes and to identify the environment in which they are produced it is critical to have accurate nuclear physics input in the astrophysical models. This includes masses, beta-decay properties and most importantly nuclear reaction rates. Here we present a brief overview of the p process with a focus on the experimental efforts to study the relevant reactions in regular and inverse kinematics. We report on the recent results on (p,γ) and (α,γ) reactions, using the NSCL SuN detector at the University of Notre Dame and present future plans for measurements at the ReA3 facility at Michigan State University.