On Properties of the Isoscalar Giant Dipole Resonance

Main properties (strength function, energy-dependent transition density, branching ratios for direct nucleon decay) of the isoscalar giant dipole resonance in several medium-heavy mass spherical nuclei are described within a continuum-RPA approach, taking into account the smearing effect. All model parameters used in the calculations are taken from independent data. Calculation results are compared with available experimental data.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Isoscalar dipole coherence at low energies and forbidden E1 strength

In 16O and 40Ca an isoscalar, low-energy dipole transition (IS-LED) exhausting approximately 4% of the isoscalar dipole (ISD) energy-weighted sum rule is experimentally known, but conspicuously absent from recent theoretical investigations of ISD strength. The IS-LED mode coincides with the so-called isospin-forbidden E1 transition. We report that for N=Z nuclei up to 100Sn the fully self-consistent Random-Phase-Approximation with finite-range forces, phenomenological and realistic, yields a collective IS-LED mode, typically overestimating its excitation energy, but correctly describing its IS strength and electroexcitation form factor. The presence of E1 strength is solely due to the Coulomb interaction between the protons and the resulting isospin-symmetry breaking. The smallness of its value is related to the form of the transition density, due to translational invariance. The calculated values of E1 and ISD strength carried by the IS-LED depend on the effective interaction used. Attention is drawn to the possibility that in N-not-equal-Z nuclei this distinct mode of IS surface vibration can develop as such or mix strongly with skin modes and thus influence the pygmy dipole strength as well as the ISD strength function. In general, theoretical models currently in use may be unfit to predict its precise position and strength, if at all its existence.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, EPJA submitte

Saturation of the width of the giant dipole resonance at high excitation energies

Gamma-ray energy spectra have been measured for the O-16 + Sn-118 reaction at incident beam energies of 200 and 280 MeV. Comparing the experimentally obtained spectra with statistical-model calculations shows that the width of the isovector giant dipole resonance saturates beyond excitation energies of 165 MeV in the compound nucleus

Systematic assessment of coronary calcium detectability and quantification on four generations of CT reconstruction techniques: a patient and phantom study

In computed tomography, coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores are influenced by image reconstruction. The effect of a newly introduced deep learning-based reconstruction (DLR) on CAC scoring in relation to other algorithms is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of four generations of image reconstruction techniques (filtered back projection (FBP), hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR), model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR), and DLR) on CAC detectability, quantification, and risk classification. First, CAC detectability was assessed with a dedicated static phantom containing 100 small calcifications varying in size and density. Second, CAC quantification was assessed with a dynamic coronary phantom with velocities equivalent to heart rates of 60-75 bpm. Both phantoms were scanned and reconstructed with four techniques. Last, scans of fifty patients were included and the Agatston calcium score was calculated for all four reconstruction techniques. FBP was used as a reference. In the phantom studies, all reconstruction techniques resulted in less detected small calcifications, up to 22%. No clinically relevant quantification changes occurred with different reconstruction techniques (less than 10%). In the patient study, the cardiovascular risk classification resulted, for all reconstruction techniques, in excellent agreement with the reference (kappa = 0.96-0.97). However, MBIR resulted in significantly higher Agatston scores (61 (5.5-435.0) vs. 81.5 (9.25-435.0); p < 0.001) and 6% reclassification rate. In conclusion, HIR and DLR reconstructed scans resulted in similar Agatston scores with excellent agreement and low-risk reclassification rate compared with routine reconstructed scans (FBP). However, caution should be taken with low Agatston scores, as based on phantom study, detectability of small calcifications varies with the used reconstruction algorithm, especially with MBIR and DLR