Progress in breakup reaction theories, like the distorted wave Born approximation, the continuum discretized coupled channels method and the dynamical eikonal approximation, is brought into focus. The need to calculate exclusive reaction observables and the utility of benchmark tests as arbitrators of theoretical models are discussed.

We calculate the Coulomb dissociation of ¹⁵C on a Pb target at 68 MeV/u incident beam energy within the fully quantum mechanical distorted wave Born approximation formalism of breakup reactions. The capture cross-section and the subsequent rate of the ¹⁴C($n, \gamma$)¹⁵C reaction are calculated from the photodisintegration of ¹⁵C, using the principle of detailed balance. Our theoretical model is free from the uncertainties associated with the multipole strength distributions of the projectile.