Study of nuclear correlation effects via 12C(p,n)12N(g.s.,1+) at 296 MeV

We report measurements of the cross section and a complete set of polarization observables for the Gamow--Teller ${}^{12}{\rm C}(\vec{p},\vec{n}){}^{12}{\rm N}({\rm g.s.},1^+)$ reaction at a bombarding energy of 296 MeV. The data are compared with distorted wave impulse approximation calculations employing transition form factors normalized to reproduce the observed beta-decay $ft$ value. The cross section is significantly under-predicted by the calculations at momentum transfers $q \gtrsim$ 0.5 ${\rm fm^{-1}}$. The discrepancy is partly resolved by considering the non-locality of the nuclear mean field. However, the calculations still under-predict the cross section at large momentum transfers of $q$ $\simeq$ 1.6 ${\rm fm^{-1}}$. We also performed calculations employing random phase approximation response functions and found that the observed enhancement can be attributed in part to pionic correlations in nuclei.Comment: 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.

Complete set of polarization transfer coefficients for the 3He(p,n){}^{3}{\rm He}(p,n) reaction at 346 MeV and 0 degrees

We report measurements of the cross-section and a complete set of polarization transfer coefficients for the ${}^{3}{\rm He}(p,n)$ reaction at a bombarding energy $T_p$ = 346 MeV and a reaction angle $\theta_{\rm lab}$ = $0^{\circ}$. The data are compared with the corresponding free nucleon-nucleon values on the basis of the predominance of quasi-elastic scattering processes. Significant discrepancies have been observed in the polarization transfer $D_{LL}(0^{\circ})$, which are presumably the result of the three-proton $T$ = 3/2 resonance. The spin--parity of the resonance is estimated to be $1/2^-$, and the distribution is consistent with previous results obtained for the same reaction at $T_p$ = 48.8 MeV.Comment: 4 figures, Accepted for publication in Physical Review

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

Performance of the neutron polarimeter NPOL3 for high resolution measurements

We describe the neutron polarimeter NPOL3 for the measurement of polarization transfer observables $D_{ij}$ with a typical high resolution of $\sim$300 keV at $T_n$ $\simeq$ 200 MeV. The NPOL3 system consists of three planes of neutron detectors. The first two planes for neutron polarization analysis are made of 20 sets of one-dimensional position-sensitive plastic scintillation counters with a size of 100 cm $\times$ 10 cm $\times$ 5 cm, and they cover the area of 100 $\times$ 100 $\mathrm{cm}^2$. The last plane for detecting doubly scattered neutrons or recoiled protons is made of the two-dimensional position-sensitive liquid scintillation counter with a size of 100 cm $\times$ 100 cm $\times$ 10 cm. The effective analyzing powers $A_{y;\mathrm{eff}}$ and double scattering efficiencies $\epsilon_{\mathrm{D.S.}}$ were measured by using the three kinds of polarized neutrons from the ${}^{2}{\rm H}(\vec{p},\vec{n})pp$, ${}^{6}{\rm Li}(\vec{p},\vec{n}){}^{6}{\rm Be}(\mathrm{g.s.})$, and ${}^{12}{\rm C}(\vec{p},\vec{n}){}^{12}{\rm N}(\mathrm{g.s.})$ reactions at $T_p$ = 198 MeV. The performance of NPOL3 defined as $\epsilon_{\mathrm{D.S.}}(A_{y;\mathrm{eff}})^2$ are similar to that of the Indiana Neutron POLarimeter (INPOL) by taking into account for the counter configuration difference between these two neutron polarimeters.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res.

Isovector effective NN interaction in 28Si(p,n)28P(6-) at 198 MeV

We report measurements of the cross section and a complete set of polarization observables for the View the MathML source reaction at a bombarding energy of 198 MeV. The data are compared with distorted wave impulse approximation calculations employing response functions normalized to inelastic electron scattering. The spin-longitudinal polarized cross section IDq is slightly over-predicted by the calculations, while the normal spin-transverse polarized cross section IDn is significantly under-predicted. The calculated in-plane spin-transverse IDp and spin-scalar ID0 polarized cross sections agree well with the experimental data. These results are consistent with those for View the MathML source scattering at the same energy, and thus it is concluded that isospin-mixing effects are not responsible for the discrepancy between theory and experiment in the View the MathML source case. Energy half-off-shell effects as medium effects on the effective nucleon?nucleon interaction are also investigated and found to be too small to be responsible for the discrepancy

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

Isospin symmetry of T_z =±3/2 →±1/2 Gamow-Teller transitions in A=41 nucllei

Under the assumption that isospin I is a good quantum number, isobaric analog states and various analogous transitions are expected in isobars with mass number A. The strengths of T_z=+3/2→+1/2 analogous Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions and analogous M1 transitions within the A=41 isobar quartet are compared in detail. The T_z= +3/2+1/2 GT transitions from the J^π=3/2+ ground state of ^K leading to excited J^π = 1/2^+, 3/2^+, and 5/2^+ states in ^Ca were measured using the (^3He,t) charge-exchange reaction. With a high energy resolution of 35 keV, many fragmented states were observed, and the GT strength distribution was determined up to 10 MeV excitation energy (E_x). The main part of the strength was concentrated in the E_x =4-6 MeV region. A shell-model calculation could reproduce the concentration, but not so well details of the strength distribution. The obtained distribution was further compared with two results of ^Ti βdecay studying the analogous T^z=-3/2→-1/2 GT strengths. They reported contradicting distributions. One-to-one correspondences of analogous transitions and analog states were assigned up to E_x=6 MeV in the comparison with one of these ^Ti β-decay results. Combining the spectroscopic information of the analog states in ^Ca and ^ Sc, the most probable J^π values were deduced for each pair of analog states. It was found that 5/2^+ states carry the main part of the observed GT strength, while much less GT strength was carried by 1/2^+ and 3/2^+ states. The gross features of the GT strength distributions for each J were similar for the isospin analogous T_z=±3/ 2→±1/2 transitions, but the details were somewhat different. From the difference of the distributions, isospin-asymmetry matrix elements of ≈8 keV were deduced. The Coulomb displacement energy, which is sensitive to the configuration of states, showed a sudden increase of about 50 keV at the excitation energy of 3.8 MeV. The strengths of several Ml transitions to the IAS in ^Ca were compared with the strengths of analogous GT transitions. It was found that ratios of the M1 and GT transition strengths were similar, suggesting that the contributions of the lτ term in M1 transitions are small

On the extraction of weak transition strengths via the (3He,t) reaction at 420 MeV

Differential cross sections for transitions of known weak strength were measured with the (3He,t) reaction at 420 MeV on targets of 12C, 13C, 18O, 26Mg, 58Ni, 60Ni, 90Zr, 118Sn, 120Sn and 208Pb. Using this data, it is shown the proportionalities between strengths and cross sections for this probe follow simple trends as a function of mass number. These trends can be used to confidently determine Gamow-Teller strength distributions in nuclei for which the proportionality cannot be calibrated via beta-decay strengths. Although theoretical calculations in distorted-wave Born approximation overestimate the data, they allow one to understand the main experimental features and to predict deviations from the simple trends observed in some of the transitions.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure