386 research outputs found
A study of nuclei of astrophysical interest in the continuum shell model
We present here the first application of realistic shell model (SM) including
coupling between many-particle (quasi-)bound states and the continuum of
one-particle scattering states to the spectroscopy of 8B and to the calculation
of astrophysical factors in the reaction 7Be(p,gamma)8B.Comment: 9 pages incl. 3 figures, LaTeX with iopart class and epsf. Invited
talk at the Int. Workshop on Physics with Radioactive Nuclear Beams, Jan.
12-17, 1998, Puri, India. Shortened version will be published in proceedings
to apear as a separate J. Phys. G volum
Spectroscopy of Ne for the thermonuclear O()Ne and F()O reaction rates
Uncertainties in the thermonuclear rates of the
O()Ne and F()O reactions
affect model predictions of light curves from type I X-ray bursts and the
amount of the observable radioisotope F produced in classical novae,
respectively. To address these uncertainties, we have studied the nuclear
structure of Ne over MeV and MeV using
the F(He,t)Ne reaction. We find the values of the
4.14 and 4.20 MeV levels to be consistent with and
respectively, in contrast to previous assumptions. We confirm the recently
observed triplet of states around 6.4 MeV, and find evidence that the state at
6.29 MeV, just below the proton threshold, is either broad or a doublet. Our
data also suggest that predicted but yet unobserved levels may exist near the
6.86 MeV state. Higher resolution experiments are urgently needed to further
clarify the structure of Ne around the proton threshold before a
reliable F()O rate for nova models can be determined.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Phys. Rev. C (in press
Low Energy States of : Elements on the Doubly-Magic Nature of Ni
Excited levels were attributed to Ga for the first time
which were fed in the -decay of its mother nucleus Zn produced in
the fission of U using the ISOL technique. We show that the structure
of this nucleus is consistent with that of the less exotic proton-deficient
N=50 isotones within the assumption of strong proton Z=28 and neutron N=50
effective shell effects.Comment: 4 pages, REVTeX 4, 5 figures (eps format
Status of the Standard Solar Model Prediction of Solar Neutrino Fluxes
The Standard Solar Model (BP04) predicts a total 8B neutrino flux that is
17.2% larger than measured in the salt phase of the SNO detector (and if it
were significant it will indicate oscillation to sterile neutrinos). Hence it
is important to examine in details uncertainties (and values) of inputs to the
SSM. Currently, the largest fractional uncertainty is due to the new evaluation
of the surface composition of the sun. We examine the nuclear input on the
formation of solar 8B [S17(0)] and demonstrate that it is still quite uncertain
due to ill known slope of the measured astrophysical cross section factor and
thus ill defined extrapolation to zero energy. This yields an additional
reasonably estimated uncertainty due to extrapolation of +0.0 -3.0 eV-b (+0%
-14%). Since a large discrepancy exists among measured as well as among
predicted slopes, the value of S17(0) is dependent on the choice of data and
theory used to extrapolate S17(0). This situation must be alleviated by new
measurement(s). The "world average" is driven by the Seattle result due to the
very small quoted uncertainty, which we however demonstrate it to be an
over-estimated accuracy. We propose more realistic error bars for the Seattle
results based on the published Seattle data.Comment: Fifth International Conferenceon Non-Accelerator New Physics, Dubna,
June 20-25, 2005. Work Supported by USDOE Grant No. DE-FG02-94ER4087
Low energy measurement of the 7Be(p,gamma)8B cross section
We have measured the cross section of the 7Be(p,gamma)8B reaction for E_cm =
185.8 keV, 134.7 keV and 111.7 keV using a radioactive 7Be target (132 mCi).
Single and coincidence spectra of beta^+ and alpha particles from 8B and 8Be^*
decay, respectively, were measured using a large acceptance spectrometer. The
zero energy S factor inferred from these data is 18.5 +/- 2.4 eV b and a
weighted mean value of 18.8 +/- 1.7 eV b (theoretical uncertainty included) is
deduced when combining this value with our previous results at higher energies.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Indirect techniques for astrophysical reaction rates determinations
Direct measurements of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest can be challenging. Alternative experimental techniques such as transfer reactions and inelastic scattering reactions offer the possibility to study these reactions by using stable beams. In this context, I will present recent results that were obtained in Orsay using indirect techniques. The examples will concern various astrophysical sites, from the Big-Bang nucleo synthesis to the production of radioisotopes in massive stars
Fast-neutron induced background in LaBr3:Ce detectors
The response of a scintillation detector with a cylindrical 1.5-inch LaBr3:Ce
crystal to incident neutrons has been measured in the energy range En = 2-12
MeV. Neutrons were produced by proton irradiation of a Li target at Ep = 5-14.6
MeV with pulsed proton beams. Using the time-of-flight information between
target and detector, energy spectra of the LaBr3:Ce detector resulting from
fast neutron interactions have been obtained at 4 different neutron energies.
Neutron-induced gamma rays emitted by the LaBr3:Ce crystal were also measured
in a nearby Ge detector at the lowest proton beam energy. In addition, we
obtained data for neutron irradiation of a large-volume high-purity Ge detector
and of a NE-213 liquid scintillator detector, both serving as monitor detectors
in the experiment. Monte-Carlo type simulations for neutron interactions in the
liquid scintillator, the Ge and LaBr3:Ce crystals have been performed and
compared with measured data. Good agreement being obtained with the data, we
present the results of simulations to predict the response of LaBr3:Ce
detectors for a range of crystal sizes to neutron irradiation in the energy
range En = 0.5-10 MeVComment: 28 pages, 10 figures, 4 Table
Low-energy cross section of the 7Be(p,g)8B solar fusion reaction from Coulomb dissociation of 8B
Final results from an exclusive measurement of the Coulomb breakup of 8B into
7Be+p at 254 A MeV are reported. Energy-differential Coulomb-breakup cross
sections are analyzed using a potential model of 8B and first-order
perturbation theory. The deduced astrophysical S_17 factors are in good
agreement with the most recent direct 7Be(p,gamma)8B measurements and follow
closely the energy dependence predicted by the cluster-model description of 8B
by Descouvemont. We extract a zero-energy S_17 factor of 20.6 +- 0.8 (stat) +-
1.2 (syst) eV b.Comment: 14 pages including 16 figures, LaTeX, accepted for publication in
Physical Review C. Minor changes in text and layou
First application of the Trojan Horse Method with a Radioactive Ion Beam: study of the F()O}} reaction at astrophysical energies
Measurement of nuclear cross sections at astrophysical energies involving
unstable species is one of the most challenging tasks in experimental nuclear
physics. The use of indirect methods is often unavoidable in this scenario. In
this paper the Trojan Horse Method is applied for the first time to a
radioactive ion beam induced reaction studying the
F()O process at low energies relevant to astrophysics
via the three body reaction H(F,O)n. The knowledge
of the F()O reaction rate is crucial to understand
the nova explosion phenomena. The cross section of this reaction is
characterized by the presence of several resonances in Ne and possibly
interference effects among them. The results reported in Literature are not
satisfactory and new investigations of the F()O
reaction cross section will be useful. In the present work the spin-parity
assignments of relevant levels have been discussed and the astrophysical
S-factor has been extracted considering also interference effectsComment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Asymptotic normalization coefficient of ^{8}B from breakup reactions and the S_{17} astrophysical factor
We show that asymptotic normalization coefficients (ANC) can be extracted
from one nucleon breakup reactions of loosely bound nuclei at 30-300 MeV/u. In
particular, the breakup of ^{8}B is described in terms of an extended Glauber
model. The 8B ANC extracted for the ground state of this nucleus from breakup
data at several energies and on different targets, C^2 = 0.450+/-0.039} fm^-1,
leads to the astrophysical factor S_{17}(0)= 17.4+/-1.5 eVb for the key
reaction for solar neutrino production 7Be(p,gamma)8B. The procedure described
here is more general, providing an indirect method to determine reaction rates
of astrophysical interest with beams of loosely bound radioactive nuclei.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 3 figures revised version to appear in Phys Rev Let
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