Direct and compound-nucleus reaction mechanisms in the Be-7+Ni-58 system at near-barrier energies

The energy and angular distributions of He-3 and He-4 ions produced in the Be-7 + Ni-58 reaction at a bombarding energy of 22 MeV have been measured for the first time. The yield of the heavier helium isotope was four to five times more abundant than that of its lighter counterpart, ruling out the possibility that in this energy range the Be-7 reaction dynamics is dominated by the exclusive breakup process Be-7 -> He-3 + He-4 (S-alpha = 1.586 MeV). Extensive kinematic and theoretical calculations suggest that the He-3 ions mostly originate from the He-4-stripping process and the He-4 production is mainly triggered by the fusion-evaporation channel. The role played by the breakup, He-3-stripping, 1n-stripping, and 1n-pickup processes is also discussed

Reaction dynamics studies for the system Be-7+Ni-58

The study of reactions induced by exotic weakly bound nuclei at energies around the Coulomb barrier had attracted a large interest in the last decade, since the features of these nuclei can deeply affect the reaction dynamics. The discrimination between different reaction mechanisms is, in general, a rather difficult task. It can be achieved by using detector arrays covering high solid angle and with high granularity that allow to measure the reaction products and, possibly, coincidences between them, as, for example, recently done for stable weakly bound nuclei [1, 2]. We investigated the collision of the weakly bound nucleus Be-7 on a Ni-58 target at the beam energy of 1.1 times the Coulomb barrier, measuring the elastic scattering angular distribution and the energy and angular distributions of He-3 and He-4. The Be-7 radioactive ion beam was produced by the facility EXOTIC at INFN-LNL with an energy of 22 MeV and an intensity of similar to 3x10(5) pps. Results showed that the He-4 yeld is about 4 times larger than He-3 yield, suggesting that reaction mechanisms other than the break-up mostly produce the He isotopes. Theoretical calculations for transfer channels and compound nucleus reactions suggest that complete fusion accounts for (41 +/- 5%) of the total reaction cross section extracted from optical model analysis of the elastic scattering data, and that He-3 and He-4 stripping are the most populated reaction channels among direct processes. Eventually estimation of incomplete fusion contributions to the He-3,He-4 production cross sections was performed through semi-classical calculations with the code PLATYPUS [3]

Transfer vs. Breakup in the interaction of the Be-7 Radioactive Ion Beam with a Ni-58 target at Coulomb barrier energies

We measured for the first time Be-7 elastically scattered nuclei as well as He-3,He-4 reaction products from a Ni-58 target at 22.3 MeV beam energy. The data were analyzed within the optical model formalism to extract the total reaction cross section. Extensive kinematical, Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA) and Continuum Discretized Coupled Channel (CDCC) calculations were performed to investigate the He-3,He-4 originating mechanisms and the interplay between different reaction channels

The first coronal mass ejection observed in both visible-light and UV H I Ly-alpha channels of the Metis coronagraph on board Solar Orbiter

Context. The Metis coronagraph on board Solar Orbiter offers a new view of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), observing them for the first time with simultaneous images acquired with a broad-band filter in the visible-light interval and with a narrow-band filter around the H I Ly-alpha line at 121.567 nm, the so-called Metis UV channel. Aims. We show the first Metis observations of a CME, obtained on 16 and 17 January 2021. The event was also observed by the EUI/FSI imager on board Solar Orbiter, as well as by other space-based coronagraphs, such as STEREO-A/COR2 and SOHO/LASCO/C2, whose images are combined here with Metis data. Methods. Different images are analysed here to reconstruct the 3D orientation of the expanding CME flux rope using the graduated cylindrical shell model. This also allows us to identify the possible location of the source region. Measurements of the CME kinematics allow us to quantify the expected Doppler dimming in the Ly-alpha channel. Results. Observations show that most CME features seen in the visible-light images are also seen in the Ly-alpha images, although some features in the latter channel appear more structured than their visible-light counterparts. We estimated the expansion velocity of this event to be below 140 km s(-1). Hence, these observations can be understood by assuming that Doppler dimming effects do not strongly reduce the Ly-alpha emission from the CME. These velocities are comparable with or smaller than the radial velocities inferred from the same data in a similar coronal structure on the east side of the Sun. Conclusions. The first observations by Metis of a CME demonstrate the capability of the instrument to provide valuable and novel information on the structure and dynamics of these coronal events. Considering also its diagnostics capabilities regarding the conditions of the ambient corona, Metis promises to significantly advance our knowledge of such phenomena

First light observations of the solar wind in the outer corona with the Metis coronagraph

In this work, we present an investigation of the wind in the solar corona that has been initiated by observations of the resonantly scattered ultraviolet emission of the coronal plasma obtained with UVCS-SOHO, designed to measure the wind outflow speed by applying Doppler dimming diagnostics. Metis on Solar Orbiter complements the UVCS spectroscopic observations that were performed during solar activity cycle 23 by simultaneously imaging the polarized visible light and the H I Lyman-alpha corona in order to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution maps of the outward velocity of the continuously expanding solar atmosphere. The Metis observations, taken on May 15, 2020, provide the first H I Lyman-alpha images of the extended corona and the first instantaneous map of the speed of the coronal plasma outflows during the minimum of solar activity and allow us to identify the layer where the slow wind flow is observed. The polarized visible light (580-640 nm) and the ultraviolet H I Ly alpha (121.6 nm) coronal emissions, obtained with the two Metis channels, were combined in order to measure the dimming of the UV emission relative to a static corona. This effect is caused by the outward motion of the coronal plasma along the direction of incidence of the chromospheric photons on the coronal neutral hydrogen. The plasma outflow velocity was then derived as a function of the measured Doppler dimming. The static corona UV emission was simulated on the basis of the plasma electron density inferred from the polarized visible light. This study leads to the identification, in the velocity maps of the solar corona, of the high-density layer about +/- 10 degrees wide, centered on the extension of a quiet equatorial streamer present at the east limb - the coronal origin of the heliospheric current sheet - where the slowest wind flows at about 160 +/- 18 km s(-1) from 4 R-circle dot to 6 R-circle dot. Beyond the boundaries of the high-density layer, the wind velocity rapidly increases, marking the transition between slow and fast wind in the corona

Relationship between method of anastomosis and anastomotic failure after right hemicolectomy and ileo-caecal resection: an international snapshot audit

Aim The anastomosis technique used following right-sided colonic resection is widely variable and may affect patient outcome. This study aimed to assess the association between leak and anastomosis technique (stapled vs handsewn). Method This was a prospective, multicentre, international audit including patients undergoing elective or emergency right hemicolectomy or ileo-caecal resection operations over a 2-month period in early 2015. The primary outcome measure was the presence of anastomotic leak within 30 days of surgery, determined using a prespecified definition. Mixed effects logistic regression models were used to assess the association between leak and anastomosis method, adjusting for patient, disease and operative cofactors, with centre included as a random-effect variable. Results This study included 3208 patients, of whom 78.4\% (n = 2515) underwent surgery for malignancy and 11.7\% (n = 375) underwent surgery for Crohn's disease. An anastomosis was performed in 94.8\% (n = 3041) of patients, which was handsewn in 38.9\% (n = 1183) and stapled in 61.1\% (n = 1858). Patients undergoing hand-sewn anastomosis were more likely to be emergency admissions (20.5\% handsewn vs 12.9\% stapled) and to undergo open surgery (54.7\% handsewn vs 36.6\% stapled). The overall anastomotic leak rate was 8.1\% (245/3041), which was similar following handsewn (7.4\%) and stapled (8.5\%) techniques (P = 0.3). After adjustment for cofactors, the odds of a leak were higher for stapled anastomosis (adjusted OR = 1.43; 95\% CI: 1.04-1.95; P = 0.03). Conclusion Despite being used in lower-risk patients, stapled anastomosis was associated with an increased anastomotic leak rate in this observational study. Further research is needed to define patient groups in whom a stapled anastomosis is safe

Beta decay of 101Sn

\u3b2 decay of the very neutron-deficient isotope 101Sn was studied at the GSI on-line mass separator using silicon detectors for recording charged particles and germanium detectors for \u3b3-ray spectroscopy. Based on the \u3b2-delayed proton data the production cross-section of 101Sn in the 50Cr + 58Ni fusion-evaporation reaction was determined to be about 60nb. The half-life of 101Sn was measured to be 1.9(3)s. For the first time \u3b2-delayed \u3b3-rays of 101Sn were tentatively identified, yielding weak evidence for a cascade of 352 and 1065keV transitions in 101In. The results for the 101Sn decay as well as those from previous work on the 103Sn decay are discussed by comparing them to predictions obtained from shell model calculations employing a new interaction in the 88Sr to 132Sn model space

Coupling a CLOVER detector array with the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer

Following the commissioning of the PRISMA large-acceptance spectrometer, installed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL), an international nuclear-structure collaboration has started to develop a large $\gamma$-ray setup to be installed in the target position of the spectrometer. The array is based on the EUROBALL composite CLOVER detectors. In this contribution the CLOVER detector array is described and its expected performance figures discussed. This new setup, by using the high-intensity heavy-ion beams provided by the LNL ALPI linac, will push the study of nuclear structure towards moderately neutron-rich nuclei by means of quasi-elastic and deep inelastic reactions