Introduction aux incertitudes de mesures

Les incertitudes évaluées en utilisant les normes internationales sont entrées dans les programmes de terminales scientifiques. Les livres de physique, destinés aux élèves, sont un peu justes pour les enseignants. Cet article a pour objectif de présenter les notions nécessaires à une bonne application des formules utiles

200 ans après Laplace, l’essor des méthodes bayésiennes d’analyse des données

International audienceInitiée par Pierre-Simon de Laplace il y a deux cents ans, l’analyse bayésienne des données expérimentales est en plein essor. Elle a fait son entrée dans certaines normes internationales de métrologie. Le but de cet article est d’introduire simplement le changement philosophique sous-jacent.Des applications à différents types de mesurages sont présentées

What can we learn from the fission of super-heavy elements?

The conference proceedings will be published by World Scientific PublishingNuclear shell model calculations predict the existence of super-heavy elements (SHE) that are tentatively synthesized through heavy-ion collisions. A complete description of the reaction to synthesize super-heavy elements is necessary to bridge these predictions with the experimental results on the fission time and residue cross sections. In this contribution, we will present the constraints that can be given on the shell correction energy from experimental data and the developments that are needed for the dynamical models. We will especially focus on the fission time of heavy elements and on the role of the isomeric potential pockets

Synthesis of superheavy elements: Uncertainty analysis to improve the predictive power of reaction models

13 pages, 13 figures, submitted for publication in PRCInternational audienceBackground: Synthesis of super-heavy elements is performed by heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reactions. However , fusion is known to be hindered with respect to what can be observed with lighter ions. Thus some delicate ambiguities remain on the fusion mechanism that eventually lead to severe discrepancies in the calculated formation probabilities coming from different fusion models. Purpose: In the present work, we propose a general framework based upon uncertainty analysis in the hope of constraining fusion models. Method: To quantify uncertainty associated with the formation probability, we propose to propagate uncertainties in data and parameters using the Monte-Carlo method in combination with a cascade code called KEWPIE2, with the aim of determining the associated uncertainty, namely the 95% confidence interval. We also investigate the impact of different models or options, which cannot be modeled by continuous probability distributions, on the final results. An illustrative example is presented in detail and then a systematic study is carried out for a selected set of cold-fusion reactions. Results: It has been rigorously shown that, at the 95% confidence level, the total uncertainty of the empirical formation probability appears comparable to the discrepancy between calculated values. Conclusions: The results obtained from the present study provide a direct evidence for predictive limitations of the existing fusion-evaporation models. It is thus necessary to find other ways to assess such models for the purpose of establishing a more reliable reaction theory, which is expected to guide future experiments on the production of super-heavy elements

KEWPIE2: A cascade code for the study of dynamical decay of excited nuclei

Submitted to Computer Physics CommunicationsInternational audienceKEWPIE — a cascade code devoted to investigating the dynamical decay of excited nuclei, specially designed for treating very low probability events related to the synthesis of super-heavy nuclei formed in fusion-evaporation reactions — has been improved and rewritten in C++ programing language to become KEWPIE2. The current version of the code comprises various nuclear models concerning the light-particle emission, fission process and statistical properties of excited nuclei. General features of the code, such as the numerical scheme and the main physical ingredients, are described in detail. Some typical calculations having been performed in the present paper clearly show that theoretical predictions are generally in accordance with experimental data. Furthermore, since the values of some input parameters cannot be determined neither theoretically nor experimentally, a sensibility analysis is presented. To this end, we systematically investigate the effects of using different parameter values and reaction models on the final results. As expected, in the case of heavy nuclei, the fission process has the most crucial role to play in theoretical predictions. This work would be essential for numerical modeling of fusion-evaporation reactions

Fusion hindrance of heavy ions: role of the neck

International audienceFusion of heavy ions is largely hindered because of the appearance of an inner barrier between the contact point of the two colliding nuclei and the compound nucleus. But there are still quantitative ambiguities on the size of the barrier and on the role of the dissipation. In this paper we stress the importance of the neck of the composite system on the hindrance of the fusion of heavy nuclei. We show that the \denecking" process is very quick compared to the other collective degrees of freedom as the relative distance. This behavior of the neck will change the potential seen by the relative distance on the way to fusion and its e ective initial value through a dynamical coupling. Both e ects contribute to the hindrance of fusion

Di-nucleus dynamics towards fusion of heavy nuclei

This work has been first presented at : First Workshop on State of the Art in Nuclear Cluster Physics, 13/16-05-2008 Strasbourg (France)International audienceThe Two-Step Model for fusion of massive systems is briefly recapitulated, which clar- ifies the mechanism of so-called fusion hindrance. Since the neck changes the potential landscape, especially the height of the conditional saddle point, time evolution of the neck degree of freedom plays a crucial role in fusion. We analytically solve time-evolution of nuclear shape of the composite system from di-nucleus to mono-nucleus. The time- dependent distribution function of the neck is obtained, which elucidates dynamics of fusion processes in general, and thus, is useful for theoretical predictions on synthesis of the superheavy elements with various combinations of incident heavy ions

Dynamics of massive systems and synthesis of superheavy elements

International audienceFor the synthesis of superheavy elements, it is indisensable to divide process into two steps : overcoming the Coulomb barrier and passing over the conditional saddle or the ridgeline. To facilitate the understanding of the mechanism which explains the fusion hindrance, we first emply an analytic model with an inverted parabola for the saddle. Then, results by realistic calculations are given for the cold fusion. Ambiguities of the model are also discussed for future investigations. Since the model is general, it is applied to incident channels with neutron-rich projectile and/or targets. These are necessary for synthesis of nuclides on so-called superheavy island around Z=114 and N=18

Memory effects on descent from nuclear fission barrier

Non-Markovian transport equations for nuclear large amplitude motion are derived from the collisional kinetic equation. The memory effects are caused by the Fermi surface distortions and depend on the relaxation time. It is shown that the nuclear collective motion and the nuclear fission are influenced strongly by the memory effects at the relaxation time $\tau \geq 5\cdot 10^{-23}{\rm s}$. In particular, the descent of the nucleus from the fission barrier is accompanied by characteristic shape oscillations. The eigenfrequency and the damping of the shape oscillations depend on the contribution of the memory integral in the equations of motion. The shape oscillations disappear at the short relaxation time regime at $\tau \to 0$, which corresponds to the usual Markovian motion in the presence of friction forces. We show that the elastic forces produced by the memory integral lead to a significant delay for the descent of the nucleus from the barrier. Numerical calculations for the nucleus $^{236}$U shows that due to the memory effect the saddle-to-scission time grows by a factor of about 3 with respect to the corresponding saddle-to-scission time obtained in liquid drop model calculations with friction forces.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Analysis of the Fusion Hindrance in Mass-symmetric Heavy Ion Reactions

The fusion hindrance, which is also denominated by the term extra-push, is studied on mass-symmetric systems by the use of the liquid drop model with the two-center parameterization. Following the idea that the fusion hindrance exists only if the liquid drop barrier (saddle point) is located at the inner side of the contact point after overcoming the outer Coulomb barrier, the reactions in which two barriers are overlapped with each other are determined. It is shown that there are many systems where the fusion hindrance does not exist for the atomic number of projectile or target nucleus $Z\leq43$, while for $Z>43$, all of the mass-symmetric reactions are fusion-hindered.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. to be published in Sci. in China