Influence of two updated nuclear reaction rates on the evolution of low and intermediate mass stars

Two key reactions of hydrostatic nuclear burning in stars have recently been revised by new experimental data - the 14N(p,gamma)15O and triple alpha reaction rates. We investigate how much the new rates influence the evolution of low-mass, metal-poor and metal-free, stars and of an intermediate-mass star of solar-type composition. We concentrate on phases of helium ignition or thermally unstable helium burning. Our global result is that the new triple alpha rate has no significant influence on such stars, but that there is a noticable, though small, effect of the new 14N(p,gamma)15O rate, in particular on the core helium flash and the blue loop during core helium burning in the intermediate-mass star.