Tests of Transfer Reaction Determinations of Astrophysical S-Factors

The ${}^{16}O ({}^{3}He,d) {}^{17}F$ reaction has been used to determine asymptotic normalization coefficients for transitions to the ground and first excited states of ${}^{17}F$. The coefficients provide the normalization for the tails of the overlap functions for ${}^{17}F \to{}^{16}O + p$ and allow us to calculate the S-factors for ${}^{16}O (p,\gamma){}^{17}F$ at astrophysical energies. The calculated S-factors are compared to measurements and found to be in very good agreement. This provides the first test of this indirect method to determine astrophysical direct capture rates using transfer reactions. In addition, our results yield S(0) for capture to the ground and first excited states in $^{17}F$, without the uncertainty associated with extrapolation from higher energies.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

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

The long journey from the giant-monopole resonance to the nuclear-matter incompressibility

Differences in the density dependence of the symmetry energy predicted by nonrelativistic and relativistic models are suggested, at least in part, as the culprit for the discrepancy in the values of the compression modulus of symmetric nuclear matter extracted from the energy of the giant monopole resonance in 208Pb. ``Best-fit'' relativistic models, with stiffer symmetry energies than Skyrme interactions, consistently predict higher compression moduli than nonrelativistic approaches. Relativistic models with compression moduli in the physically acceptable range of K=200-300 MeV are used to compute the distribution of isoscalar monopole strength in 208Pb. When the symmetry energy is artificially softened in one of these models, in an attempt to simulate the symmetry energy of Skyrme interactions, a lower value for the compression modulus is indeed obtained. It is concluded that the proposed measurement of the neutron skin in 208Pb, aimed at constraining the density dependence of the symmetry energy and recently correlated to the structure of neutron stars, will also become instrumental in the determination of the compression modulus of nuclear matter.Comment: 9 pages with 2 (eps) figure

Generator Coordinate Method Calculations for Ground and First Excited Collective States in 4^{4}He, 16^{16}O and 40^{40}Ca Nuclei

The main characteristics of the ground and, in particular, the first excited monopole state in the $^{4}$He, $^{16}$O and $^{40}$Ca nuclei are studied within the generator coordinate method using Skyrme-type effective forces and three construction potentials, namely the harmonic-oscillator, the square-well and Woods-Saxon potentials. Calculations of density distributions, radii, nucleon momentum distributions, natural orbitals, occupation numbers and depletions of the Fermi sea, as well as of pair density and momentum distributions are carried out. A comparison of these quantities for both ground and first excited monopole states with the available empirical data and with the results of other theoretical methods are given and discussed in detail.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX, 6 Postscript figures, submitted to EPJ

Effect of the momentum dependence of nuclear symmetry potential on the transverse and elliptic flows

In the framework of the isospin-dependent Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, effect of the momentum dependence of nuclear symmetry potential on nuclear transverse and elliptic flows in the neutron-rich reaction $^{132}$Sn+$^{124}$Sn at a beam energy of 400 MeV/nucleon is studied. We find that the momentum dependence of nuclear symmetry potential affects the rapidity distribution of the free neutron to proton ratio, the neutron and the proton transverse flows as a function of rapidity. The momentum dependence of nuclear symmetry potential affects the neutron-proton differential transverse flow more evidently than the difference of neutron and proton transverse flows as well as the difference of proton and neutron elliptic flows. It is thus better to probe the symmetry energy by using the difference of neutron and proton flows since the momentum dependence of nuclear symmetry potential is still an open question. And it is better to probe the momentum dependence of nuclear symmetry potential by using the neutron-proton differential transverse flow and the rapidity distribution of the free neutron to proton ratio.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, to be published by EPJ

Thermodynamics of Mesoscopic Vortex Systems in 1+1 Dimensions

The thermodynamics of a disordered planar vortex array is studied numerically using a new polynomial algorithm which circumvents slow glassy dynamics. Close to the glass transition, the anomalous vortex displacement is found to agree well with the prediction of the renormalization-group theory. Interesting behaviors such as the universal statistics of magnetic susceptibility variations are observed in both the dense and dilute regimes of this mesoscopic vortex system.Comment: 4 pages, REVTEX, 6 figures included. Comments and suggestions can be sent to [email protected]

Spin-Orbit Splitting in Non-Relativistic and Relativistic Self-Consistent Models

The splitting of single-particle energies between spin-orbit partners in nuclei is examined in the framework of different self-consistent approachs, non-relativistic as well as relativistic. Analytical expressions of spin-orbit potentials are given for various cases. Proton spin-orbit splittings are calculated along some isotopic chains (O, Ca, Sn) and they are compared with existing data. It is found that the isotopic dependence of the relativistic mean field predictions is similar to that of some Skyrme forces while the relativistic Hartree-Fock approach leads to a very different dependence due to the strong non-locality.Comment: 12 pages, RevTeX, 4 new figs.in .zip format, unchanged conclusions, Phys. ReV.

Delivery of steric block morpholino oligomers by (R-X-R)4 peptides: structure–activity studies

Redirecting the splicing machinery through the hybridization of high affinity, RNase H- incompetent oligonucleotide analogs such as phosphoramidate morpholino oligonucleotides (PMO) might lead to important clinical applications. Chemical conjugation of PMO to arginine-rich cell penetrating peptides (CPP) such as (R-Ahx-R)4 (with Ahx standing for 6-aminohexanoic acid) leads to sequence-specific splicing correction in the absence of endosomolytic agents in cell culture at variance with most conventional CPPs. Importantly, (R-Ahx-R)4–PMO conjugates are effective in mouse models of various viral infections and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Unfortunately, active doses in some applications might be close to cytotoxic ones thus presenting challenge for systemic administration of the conjugates in those clinical settings. Structure–activity relationship studies have thus been undertaken to unravel CPP structural features important for the efficient nuclear delivery of the conjugated PMO and limiting steps in their internalization pathway. Affinity for heparin (taken as a model heparan sulfate), hydrophobicity, cellular uptake, intracellular distribution and splicing correction have been monitored. Spacing between the charges, hydrophobicity of the linker between the Arg-groups and Arg-stereochemistry influence splicing correction efficiency. A significant correlation between splicing correction efficiency, affinity for heparin and ability to destabilize model synthetic vesicles has been observed but no correlation with cellular uptake has been found. Efforts will have to focus on endosomal escape since it appears to remain the limiting factor for the delivery of these splice-redirecting ON analogs

Collective excitations in the Unitary Correlation Operator Method and relativistic QRPA studies of exotic nuclei

The collective excitation phenomena in atomic nuclei are studied in two different formulations of the Random Phase Approximation (RPA): (i) RPA based on correlated realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions constructed within the Unitary Correlation Operator Method (UCOM), and (ii) relativistic RPA (RRPA) derived from effective Lagrangians with density-dependent meson-exchange interactions. The former includes the dominant interaction-induced short-range central and tensor correlations by means of an unitary transformation. It is shown that UCOM-RPA correlations induced by collective nuclear vibrations recover a part of the residual long-range correlations that are not explicitly included in the UCOM Hartree-Fock ground state. Both RPA models are employed in studies of the isoscalar monopole resonance (ISGMR) in closed-shell nuclei across the nuclide chart, with an emphasis on the sensitivity of its properties on the constraints for the range of the UCOM correlation functions. Within the Relativistic Quasiparticle RPA (RQRPA) based on Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov model, the occurrence of pronounced low-lying dipole excitations is predicted in nuclei towards the proton drip-line. From the analysis of the transition densities and the structure of the RQRPA amplitudes, it is shown that these states correspond to the proton pygmy dipole resonance.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physics of Atomic Nuclei, conference proceedings, "Frontiers in the Physics of Nucleus", St. Petersburg, 28. June-1. July, 200

A phenomenological equation of state for isospin asymmetric nuclear matter

A phenomenological momentum-independent (MID) model is constructed to describe the equation of state (EOS) for isospin asymmetric nuclear matter, especially the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho)$. This model can reasonably describe the general properties of the EOS for symmetric nuclear matter and the symmetry energy predicted by both the sophisticated isospin and momentum dependent MDI model and the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach. We find that there exists a nicely linear correlation between $K_{\mathrm{sym}}$ and $L$ as well as between $J_{0}/K_{0}$ and $K_{0}$, where $L$ and $K_{\mathrm{sym}}$ represent, respectively, the slope and curvature parameters of the symmetry energy at the normal nuclear density $\rho_{0}$ while $K_{0}$ and $J_{0}$ are, respectively, the incompressibility and the third-order derivative parameter of symmetric nuclear matter at $\rho_{0}$. These correlations together with the empirical constraints on $K_{0}$, $L$ and $E_{\text{\textrm{sym}}}(\rho_{0})$ lead to an estimation of -477 MeV $\leq K_{\mathrm{sat,2}}\leq -241$ MeV for the second-order isospin asymmetry expansion coefficient for the incompressibility of asymmetric nuclear matter at the saturation point.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, contribution to Special Topic on Large-Scale Scientific Facilities (LSSF) in Science in China Series G: Physics, Mechanics & Astronom