216 research outputs found
Probing astrophysically important states in the ²⁶Mg nucleus to study neutron sources for the s process
Background: The ²²Ne(α,n) ²⁵Mg reaction is the dominant neutron source for the slow neutron capture process (s process) in massive stars, and contributes, together with C¹³(α,n)O¹⁶, to the production of neutrons for the s process in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. However, the reaction is endothermic and competes directly with ²²Ne(α,γ)²⁶Mg radiative capture. The uncertainties for both reactions are large owing to the uncertainty in the level structure of ²⁶Mg near the α and neutron separation energies. These uncertainties affect the s-process nucleosynthesis calculations in theoretical stellar models. Purpose: Indirect studies in the past have been successful in determining the energies and the γ-ray and neutron widths of the Mg26 states in the energy region of interest. But, the high Coulomb barrier hinders a direct measurement of the resonance strengths, which are determined by the α widths for these states. The goal of the present experiments is to identify the critical resonance states and to precisely measure the α widths by α-transfer techniques. Methods: The α-inelastic scattering and α-transfer measurements were performed on a solid ²⁶Mg target and a ²²Ne gas target, respectively, using the Grand Raiden Spectrometer at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics in Osaka, Japan. The (α,α′) measurements were performed at 0.45°, 4.1°, 8.6°, and 11.1° and the (⁶Li,d) measurements at 0° and 10°. The scattered α particles and deuterons were detected by the focal plane detection system consisting of multiwire drift chambers and plastic scintillators. The focal plane energy calibration allowed the study of ²⁶Mg levels from Eₓ = 7.69–12.06 MeV in the (α,α′) measurement and Eₓ = 7.36–11.32 MeV in the (⁶Li,d) measurement. Results: Six levels (Eₓ = 10717, 10822, 10951, 11085, 11167, and 11317 keV) were observed above the α threshold in the region of interest (10.61–11.32 MeV). The α widths were calculated for these states from the experimental data. The results were used to determine the α-capture induced reaction rates. Conclusion: The energy range above the α threshold in ²⁶Mg was investigated using a high resolution spectrometer. A number of states were observed for the first time in α-scattering and α-transfer reactions. The excitation energies and spin-parities were determined. Good agreement is observed for previously known levels in ²⁶Mg. From the observed resonance levels the Eₓ = 10717 keV state has a negligible contribution to the α-induced reaction rates. The rates are dominated in both reaction channels by the resonance contributions of the states at Ex = 10951, 11167, and 11317 keV. The Eₓ = 11167 keV state has the most appreciable impact on the (α,γ) rate and therefore plays an important role in the prediction of the neutron production in s-process environments
Spectroscopy of 13B via the 13C(t,3He) reaction at 115 AMeV
Gamow-Teller and dipole transitions to final states in 13B were studied via
the 13C(t,3He) reaction at Et = 115 AMeV. Besides the strong Gamow-Teller
transition to the 13B ground state, a weaker Gamow-Teller transition to a state
at 3.6 MeV was found. This state was assigned a spin-parity of 3/2- by
comparison with shell-model calculations using the WBP and WBT interactions
which were modified to allow for mixing between nhw and (n+2)hw configurations.
This assignment agrees with a recent result from a lifetime measurement of
excited states in 13B. The shell-model calculations also explained the
relatively large spectroscopic strength measured for a low-lying 1/2+ state at
4.83 MeV in 13B. The cross sections for dipole transitions up to Ex(13B)= 20
MeV excited via the 13C(t,3He) reaction were also compared with the shell-model
calculations. The theoretical cross sections exceeded the data by a factor of
about 1.8, which might indicate that the dipole excitations are "quenched".
Uncertainties in the reaction calculations complicate that interpretation.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Shape and structure of N=Z 64Ge; Electromagnetic transition rates from the application of the Recoil Distance Method to knock-out reaction
Transition rate measurements are reported for the first and the second 2+
states in N=Z 64Ge. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with
large-scale Shell Model calculations applying the recently developed GXPF1A
interactions. Theoretical analysis suggests that 64Ge is a collective
gamma-soft anharmonic vibrator. The measurement was done using the Recoil
Distance Method (RDM) and a unique combination of state-of-the-art instruments
at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). States of interest
were populated via an intermediate-energy single-neutron knock-out reaction.
RDM studies of knock-out and fragmentation reaction products hold the promise
of reaching far from stability and providing lifetime information for excited
states in a wide range of nuclei
Spectroscopy of 24Al and extraction of Gamow-Teller strengths with the 24Mg(3He,t) reaction at 420 MeV
The 24Mg(3He,t)24Al reaction has been studied at E(3He)=420 MeV. An energy
resolution of 35 keV was achieved. Gamow-Teller strengths to discrete levels in
24Al are extracted by using a recently developed empirical relationship for the
proportionality between Gamow-Teller strengths and differential cross sections
at zero momentum transfer. Except for small discrepancies for a few weak
excitations, good agreement with previous 24Mg(p,n) data and nuclear-structure
calculations using the USDA/B interactions in the sd shell-model space is
found. The excitation energy of several levels in 24Al of significance for
determination of the 23Mg(p,gamma)24Al thermonuclear reaction rate were
measured. Results are consistent with two of the three previous (3He,t)
measurements, performed at much lower beam energies. However, a new state at
Ex(24Al)=2.605(10) MeV was found and is the third state above the proton
separation energy.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Differential cross section and analyzing power of the p p -> pp pi0 reaction at a beam energy of 390 MeV
The differential cross section and analyzing power A(y) of the (p) over right arrowp -> pp pi(0) reaction have been measured at RCNP in coplanar geometry at a beam energy of 390 MeV and the dependence on both the pion emission angle and the relative momentum of the final protons has been extracted. The angular variation of A(y) for the large values of the relative momentum studied here shows that this is primarily an effect of the interference of pion s and p waves and this interference can also explain the momentum dependence. Within the framework of a very simple model, these results would suggest that the pion-production operator has a significant long-range component
Low-energy electric dipole response in 120Sn
The electric dipole strength in 120Sn has been extracted from proton
inelastic scattering experiments at E_p = 295 MeV and at forward angles
including 0 degree. Below neutron threshoild it differs from the results of a
120Sn(gamma,gamma') experiment and peaks at an excitation energy of 8.3 MeV.
The total strength corresponds to 2.3(2)% of the energy-weighted sum rule and
is more than three times larger than what is observed with the (gamma,gamma')
reaction. This implies a strong fragmentation of the E1 strength and/or small
ground state branching ratios of the excited 1- states.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure
Dipole polarizability of 120Sn and nuclear energy density functionals
The electric dipole strength distribution in 120Sn between 5 and 22 MeV has
been determined at RCNP Osaka from a polarization transfer analysis of proton
inelastic scattering at E_0 = 295 MeV and forward angles including 0{\deg}.
Combined with photoabsorption data an electric dipole polarizability
\alpha_D(120Sn) = 8.93(36) fm^3 is extracted. The dipole polarizability as
isovector observable par excellence carries direct information on the nuclear
symmetry energy and its density dependence. The correlation of the new value
with the well established \alpha_D(208Pb) serves as a test of its prediction by
nuclear energy density functionals (EDFs). Models based on modern Skyrme
interactions describe the data fairly well while most calculations based on
relativistic Hamiltonians cannot.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Pygmy dipole resonance in 208Pb
Scattering of protons of several hundred MeV is a promising new spectroscopic
tool for the study of electric dipole strength in nuclei. A case study of 208Pb
shows that at very forward angles J^pi = 1- states are strongly populated via
Coulomb excitation. A separation from nuclear excitation of other modes is
achieved by a multipole decomposition analysis of the experimental cross
sections based on theoretical angular distributions calculated within the
quasiparticle-phonon model. The B(E1) transition strength distribution is
extracted for excitation energies up to 9 MeV, i.e., in the region of the
so-called pygmy dipole resonance (PDR). The Coulomb-nuclear interference shows
sensitivity to the underlying structure of the E1 transitions, which allows for
the first time an experimental extraction of the electromagnetic transition
strength and the energy centroid of the PDR.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
Complete electric dipole response and the neutron skin in 208Pb
A benchmark experiment on 208Pb shows that polarized proton inelastic
scattering at very forward angles including 0{\deg} is a powerful tool for
high-resolution studies of electric dipole (E1) and spin magnetic dipole (M1)
modes in nuclei over a broad excitation energy range to test up-to-date nuclear
models. The extracted E1 polarizability leads to a neutron skin thickness
r_skin = 0.156+0.025-0.021 fm in 208Pb derived within a mean-field model [Phys.
Rev. C 81, 051303 (2010)], thereby constraining the symmetry energy and its
density dependence, relevant to the description of neutron stars.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, revised mansucrip
- …