Strong-Pinning Effects in Low-Temperature Creep: Charge-Density Waves in TaS_3

Nonlinear conduction in the quasi-one dimensional conductor o-TaS_3 has been studied in the low-temperature region down to 30 mK. It was found that at temperatures below a few Kelvins the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics consist of several branches. The temperature evolution of the I-V curve proceeds through sequential freezing-out of the branches. The origin of each branch is attributed to a particular strong pinning impurity type. Similar behavior is expected for other physical systems with collective transport (spin-density waves, Wigner crystals, vortex lattices in type-II superconductors etc.) in the presence of strong pinning centers.Comment: 11 pages, 3 ps figures, Revtex, To be published in Phys. Rev. Letters (1997

Fusion-fission and quasifission of superheavy systems with Z = 110 – 116 formed in Ca 48 -induced reactions

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Experimental evidence for the separability of compound-nucleus and fragment properties in fission

The large body of experimental data on nuclear fission is analyzed with a semi-empirical ordering scheme based on the macro-microscopic approach and the separability of compound-nucleus and fragment properties on the fission path. We apply the statistical model to the non-equilibrium descent from saddle to scission, taking the influence of dynamics into account by an early freeze out. The present approach reveals a large portion of common features behind the variety of the complex observations made for the different systems. General implications for out-of-equilibrium processes are mentioned.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Angular anisotropy of the fusion-fission and quasifission fragments

The anisotropy in the angular distribution of the fusion-fission and quasifission fragments for the $^{16}$O+$^{238}$U, $^{19}$F+$^{208}$Pb and $^{32}$S+$^{208}$Pb reactions is studied by analyzing the angular momentum distributions of the dinuclear system and compound nucleus which are formed after capture and complete fusion, respectively. The orientation angles of axial symmetry axes of colliding nuclei to the beam direction are taken into account for the calculation of the variance of the projection of the total spin onto the fission axis. It is shown that the deviation of the experimental angular anisotropy from the statistical model picture is connected with the contribution of the quasifission fragments which is dominant in the $^{32}$S+$^{208}$Pb reaction. Enhancement of anisotropy at low energies in the $^{16}$O+$^{238}$U reaction is connected with quasifission of the dinuclear system having low temperature and effective moment of inertia.Comment: 17 pages 8 figures. Submitted to Euro. Phys. Jour.

Temporally ordered collective creep and dynamic transition in the charge-density-wave conductor NbSe3

We have observed an unusual form of creep at low temperatures in the charge-density-wave (CDW) conductor NbSe$_3$. This creep develops when CDW motion becomes limited by thermally-activated phase advance past individual impurities, demonstrating the importance of local pinning and related short-length-scale dynamics. Unlike in vortex lattices, elastic collective dynamics on longer length scales results in temporally ordered motion and a finite threshold field. A first-order dynamic phase transition from creep to high-velocity sliding produces "switching" in the velocity-field characteristic.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps figures; minor clarifications To be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Fission of 180,182,183Hg and 178Pt nuclei at intermediate excitation energies

Purpose: The study of asymmetric and symmetric fission of 180,182,183Hg and 178Pt nuclei as a function of their excitation energy and isospin. Methods: Mass-energy distributions of fission fragments of 180Hg, 178Pt (two protons less than 180Hg), and 182Hg (two neutrons more than 180Hg) formed in the 36Ar+144Sm,142Nd, and 40Ca+142Nd reactions were measured at energies near and above the Coulomb barrier. Fission of 183Hg obtained in the reaction of 40Ca with 143Nd was also investigated to see if one extra neutron could lead to dramatic changes in the fission process due to the shape-staggering effect in radii, known in 183Hg. The measurements were performed with the double-arm time-of-flight spectrometer CORSET. Results: The observed peculiarities in the fission fragment mass-energy distributions for all studied nuclei may be explained by the presence of a symmetric fission mode and three asymmetric fission modes, manifested by the different total kinetic energies and fragment mass splits. The yield of symmetric mode grows with increasing excitation energy of compound nucleus. Conclusions: The investigated properties of asymmetric fission of 180,182,183Hg and 178Pt nuclei point out the existence of well-deformed proton shell at Z≈36 and a less deformed proton shell at Z ≈ 46.peerReviewe

Asymmetric and symmetric fission of excited nuclei of 180,190Hg and 184,192,202Pb formed in the reactions with 36Ar and 40,48Ca ions

Background: Observation of asymmetric fission of 180Hg has led to intensive theoretical and experimental studies of fission of neutron-deficient nuclei in the lead region. Purpose: The study of asymmetric and symmetric fission modes of 180,190Hg and 184,192,202Pb nuclei. Methods: Mass-energy distributions of fission fragments of 180,190Hg and 184Pb formed in the 36Ar+144,154Sm and 40Ca+144Sm reactions, respectively, at energies near the Coulomb barrier have been measured using the double-arm time-of-flight spectrometer CORSET and compared with previously measured 192,202Pb isotopes produced in the 48Ca+144,154Sm reactions. The mass distributions for 180,190Hg and 184,192,202Pb together with old data for 187Ir, 195Au, 198Hg, 201Tl, 205,207Bi, 210Po, and 213At [J. Nucl. Phys. 53, 1225 (1991)] have been decomposed into symmetric and asymmetric fission modes. The total kinetic-energy distributions for different fission fragment mass regions have been analyzed for 180,190Hg and 184Pb. Results: The stabilization role of proton numbers at Z≈36, 38, Z≈45, 46, and Z=28/50 in asymmetric fission of excited preactinide nuclei has been observed. The high (≈145−MeV) and the low (≈128−MeV) energy components have been found in the total kinetic-energy distributions of 180,190Hg fission fragments corresponding to the fragments with proton numbers near Z≈46 and Z≈36, respectively. In the case of fission of 184Pb only the low-energy component (≈135MeV) for the fragments with masses corresponding to the proton numbers Z≈36 and 46 has been found. Conclusions: The studied properties of asymmetric fission of 180,190Hg and 184,192,202Pb nuclei point out the existence of well deformed proton shell at Z≈36 and less deformed proton shell at Z≈46.peerReviewe