Measurement of the 70Ge(n,γ) cross section up to 300 keV at the CERN n_TOF facility

Neutron capture data on intermediate mass nuclei are of key importance to nucleosynthesis in the weak component of the slow neutron capture processes, which occurs in massive stars. The (n,γ) cross section on 70Ge, which is mainly produced in the s process, was measured at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN. Resonance capture kernels were determined up to 40 keV neutron energy and average cross sections up to 300 keV. Stellar cross sections were calculated from kT =5 keV tokT =100 keV and are in very good agreement with a previous measurement by Walter and Beer (1985) and recent evaluations. Average cross sectionsareinagreementwithWalterandBeer(1985)overmostoftheneutronenergyrangecovered,whilethey aresystematicallysmallerforneutronenergiesabove150keV.Wehavecalculatedisotopicabundancesproduced in s-process environments in a 25 solar mass star for two initial metallicities (below solar and close to solar). While the low metallicity model reproduces best the solar system germanium isotopic abundances, the close to solar model shows a good global match to solar system abundances in the range of mass numbers A=60–80.Austrian Science Fund J3503Adolf Messer Foundation ST/M006085/1European Research Council ERC2015-StGCroatian Science Foundation IP-2018-01-857

Thermal (n, γ) cross section and resonance integral of 171Tm

Background: About 50% of the heavy elements are produced in stars during the slow neutron capture process. The analysis of branching points allows us to set constraints on the temperature and the neutron density in the interior of stars. Purpose: The temperature dependence of the branch point 171Tm is weak. Hence, the 171Tm neutron capture cross section can be used to constrain the neutron density during the main component of the s process in thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars. Methods: A 171Tm sample produced at the ILL was activated with thermal and epithermal neutrons at the TRIGA research reactor at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. Results: The thermal neutron capture cross section and the resonance integral have been measured for the first time to be σth = 9.9 ± 0.9 b and σRI = 193 ± 14 b. Conclusions: Based on our results, new estimations of the direct capture components’ impact on the Maxwellian-nAveraged cross sections (MACS) are possible.European Unions’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013

Neutron Capture on the s -Process Branching Point Tm 171 via Time-of-Flight and Activation

The neutron capture cross sections of several unstable nuclides acting as branching points in the s process are crucial for stellar nucleosynthesis studies. The unstable Tm 171 (t1 /2=1.92 yr ) is part of the branching around mass A ∼170 but its neutron capture cross section as a function of the neutron energy is not known to date. In this work, following the production for the first time of more than 5 mg of Tm 171 at the high-flux reactor Institut Laue-Langevin in France, a sample was produced at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. Two complementary experiments were carried out at the neutron time-of-flight facility (n _TOF ) at CERN in Switzerland and at the SARAF liquid lithium target facility at Soreq Nuclear Research Center in Israel by time of flight and activation, respectively. The result of the time-of-flight experiment consists of the first ever set of resonance parameters and the corresponding average resonance parameters, allowing us to make an estimation of the Maxwellian-averaged cross sections (MACS) by extrapolation. The activation measurement provides a direct and more precise measurement of the MACS at 30 keV: 384(40) mb, with which the estimation from the n _TOF data agree at the limit of 1 standard deviation. This value is 2.6 times lower than the JEFF-3.3 and ENDF/B-VIII evaluations, 25% lower than that of the Bao et al. compilation, and 1.6 times larger than the value recommended in the KADoNiS (v1) database, based on the only previous experiment. Our result affects the nucleosynthesis at the A ∼170 branching, namely, the Yb 171 abundance increases in the material lost by asymptotic giant branch stars, providing a better match to the available pre-solar SiC grain measurements compared to the calculations based on the current JEFF-3.3 model-based evaluation

Exotic clustering investigation in 13B and 14C using RIBs

This contribution reports on the investigation about the existence of molecular and/or exotic cluster configurations in boron and carbon n-rich isotopes. To this aim two experiments were performed: the first experimental study of exotic 9Li + 4He cluster states in 13B using the resonance scattering method at TRIUMF, and, with the same technique, the measurement of 10Be + 4He scattering at LNS in Catania, where a 10Be radioactive beam was produced for the first time. In the case of 13B, the elastic excitation function shows the presence of various peaks in an excitation energy region never explored before. In the case of 14C, our exclusive measurement of elastic scattering data with a high intensity beam, sheds some light on previously published results which seemed to be in contradiction

Comparative effect of high pressure processing and traditional thermal treatment on the physicochemical, microbiology, and sensory analysis of olive jam

In the present work the effect of the processing by high hydrostatic pressures (HPP) was assessed as an alternative to the thermal treatment of pasteurization in olive jam. The effects of both treatments on the product after processing were compared and stability during storage under refrigeration was assessed through the characterization of physicochemical, microbiological and sensory aspects. To assess the effect of processing, two HPP treatments (450 and 600MPa) and thermal pasteurization (80 °C for 20 min) were applied, comparing them with the unprocessed product. HPP 600MPa versus the rest of treatments showed a reduction in microorganisms, greater clarity and less browning, and sensory acceptance. The shelf-life of the refrigerated product would indicate the feasibility of the application of the HPP technology for food with similar shelf-life to that obtained with the traditional treatment of pasteurization, but with a better sensory quality.<br><br>En el presente trabajo se valoró el efecto del procesado por altas presiones hidrostáticas (HPP) como método alternativo al tratamiento térmico de pasteurización en la mermelada de aceitunas. Para ello se comparó el efecto de ambos tratamientos sobre el producto procesado y se evaluó su estabilidad durante el almacenamiento en refrigeración, mediante la caracterización de los aspectos físico-químicos, microbiológicos, y sensoriales. Para evaluar el efecto del procesado, se aplicaron dos tratamientos de HPP (450 y 600MPa) y otro de pasteurización térmica (80 °C durante 20 min), comparándose con el producto no procesado. Las muestras tratadas con HPP 600MPa presentaron, frente al resto de tratamientos una reducción en la presencia de microorganismos, mayor claridad y menor pardeamiento, y una mayor aceptación sensorial. El estudio de la vida útil del producto en refrigeración, indicaría la viabilidad de la aplicación de la tecnología de HPP para obtener alimentos con vida útil similar a la obtenida con el tratamiento tradicional de pasteurización, pero con mejor calidad sensorial

Salmonella Serovars from Humans and Other Sources in Thailand, 1993–2002

We serotyped 44,087 Salmonella isolates from humans and 26,148 from other sources from 1993 through 2002. The most common serovar causing human salmonellosis in Thailand was Salmonella enterica Weltevreden. Serovars causing human infections in Thailand differ from those in other countries and seem to be related to Salmonella serovars in different food products and reservoirs

Measurement of the 72 Ge ( n , γ ) cross section over a wide neutron energy range at the CERN n_TOF facility

The 72 Ge ( n , γ ) cross section was measured for neutron energies up to 300 keV at the neutron time-of-flight facility n _ TOF (CERN), Geneva, for the first time covering energies relevant to heavy-element synthesis in stars. The measurement was performed at the high-resolution beamline EAR-1, using an isotopically enriched 72 Ge O 2 sample. The prompt capture γ rays were detected with four liquid scintillation detectors, optimized for low neutron sensitivity. We determined resonance capture kernels up to a neutron energy of 43 keV , and averaged cross sections from 43 to 300 keV . Maxwellian-averaged cross section values were calculated from k T = 5 to 100 keV , with uncertainties between 3.2 % and 7.1 % . The new results significantly reduce uncertainties of abundances produced in the slow neutron capture process in massive stars.Austrian Science Fund (FWF) J3503Science and Technology Facilities Council UK. ST/M006085/1European Research Council (ERC) 2015-STG No.677497Croatian Science Foundation. 8570Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic (MSMT) y the Charles University. UNCE/SCI/01

Measurement of the 12C(n,p)12B cross section at n-TOF at CERN by in-beam activation analysis

The integral cross section of the 12C(n,p)12B reaction has been determined for the first time in the neutron energy range from threshold to several GeV at the n-TOF facility at CERN. The measurement relies on the activation technique with the β decay of 12B measured over a period of four half-lives within the same neutron bunch in which the reaction occurs. The results indicate that model predictions, used in a variety of applications, are mostly inadequate. The value of the integral cross section reported here can be used as a benchmark for verifying or tuning model calculations.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Measurement of 73 Ge(n,γ) cross sections and implications for stellar nucleosynthesis

© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.73 Ge(n,γ) cross sections were measured at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN up to neutron energies of 300 keV, providing for the first time experimental data above 8 keV. Results indicate that the stellar cross section at kT=30 keV is 1.5 to 1.7 times higher than most theoretical predictions. The new cross sections result in a substantial decrease of 73 Ge produced in stars, which would explain the low isotopic abundance of 73 Ge in the solar system.Peer reviewe