  We have devised a technique for measuring some of the most important nuclear
reactions in stars which we expect to provide considerable improvement over
previous experiments. Adapting ideas from dark matter search experiments with
bubble chambers, we have found that a superheated liquid is sensitive to
recoils produced from \gamma-rays photodisintegrating the nuclei of the liquid.
The main advantage of the new target-detector system is a gain in yield of six
orders of magnitude over conventional gas targets due to the higher mass
density of liquids. Also, the detector is practically insensitive to the
\gamma-ray beam itself, thus allowing it to detect only the products of the
nuclear reaction of interest. The first set of tests of a superheated target
with a narrow bandwidth \gamma-ray beam was completed and the results
demonstrate the feasibility of the scheme. The new data are successfully
described by an R-matrix model using published resonance parameters. With the
increase in luminosity of the next generation \gamma-ray beam facilities, the
measurement of thermonuclear rates in the stellar Gamow window would become
possible.
