Astrophysical Reaction Rates From Statistical Model Calculations

Theoretical reaction rates in the temperature range 0.01*10^9<=T[K]<=10.*10^9 are calculated in the statistical model (Hauser-Feshbach formalism) for targets with 10<=Z<=83 (Ne to Bi) and for a mass range reaching the neutron and proton driplines. Reactions considered are (n,gamma), (n,p), (n,alpha), (p,gamma), (p,alpha),(alpha,gamma), and their inverse reactions. Reaction rates as a function of temperature for thermally populated targets are given by analytic seven parameter fits. To facilitate comparison with experimental rates, the stellar enhancement factors are also tabulated. Two complete sets of rates have been calculated, one of which includes a phenomenological treatment of shell quenching for neutron-rich nuclei. These extensive datasets are provided on-line as electronic files, while a selected subset from one calculation is given as printed tables. A summary of the theoretical inputs and advice on the use of the provided tabulations is included.Comment: 22 pages of text and 1 table; accepted by Atomic Data Nuclear Data Tables; a preprint is also available from http://quasar.physik.unibas.ch/~tommy/adndt.htm

Pairing correlation in nuclear matter from Skyrme force

The properties of pairing correlation in nuclear matter are investigated by using various versions of Skyrme forces. Truncation of states involving pairing correlation, necessary due to zero range nature of the Skyrme force, is discussed in detail. A plateau appears in pairing gap versus cutoff for each force. We propose to choose the cutoff parameter in the middle of the plateau so that the parameterization is independent of nuclides.Comment: Latex, Submitted to Phys. Lett. B, 8 pages, 1 table and 3 uuencoded postscript figures (modified) included, UT-Komaba 94-

Deformed Hartree-Fock Calculation of Proton-Rich Nuclei

We perform Hartree-Fock+BCS calculations for even-even nuclei with 2 <= Z <= 82 and N ranging from outside the proton drip line to the experimental frontier on the neutron-rich side. The ground state solutions are obtained for 737 nuclei, together with shape-coexistence solutions for 480 nuclei. Our method features the Cartesian-mesh representation of single-particle wavefunctions, which is advantageous in treating nucleon skins and exotic shapes. The results are compared with those of the finite-range droplet model of Moller et al. as well as the experimental values.Comment: 7 pages Latex, 5 postscript figures appended as uufil

Isospin dependence of nuclear matter symmetry energy coefficients

Generalized symmetry energy coefficients of asymmetric nuclear matter are obtained as screening functions. The dependence of the isospin symmetry energy coefficient on the neutron proton (n-p) asymmetry may be determined unless by a constant (exponent) $Z$ which depend on microscopic properties. The dependence of the generalized symmetry energy coefficients with Skyrme forces on the n-p asymmetry and on the density, only from .5 up to 1.5 $\rho_0$, are investigated in the isospin and scalar channels. The use of Skyrme-type effective forces allows us to obtain analytical expressions for these parameters as well as their dependences on the neutron-proton (n-p) asymmetry, density and even temperature. Whereas the density dependence of these coefficients obtained with Skyrme forces is not necessarily realistic the dependence on the n-p asymmetry exhibit a more consistent behaviour. The isospin symmetry energy coefficient (s.e.c.) increases as the n-p asymmetry acquires higher values whereas the isoscalar s.e.c. decreases. Some consequences for the Supernovae mechanism are discussed.Comment: 17 pages (latex) plus four figures in two eps files. To be published in Nucl. Phys.

Competition Between T=0 and T=1 Pairing in Proton-Rich Nuclei

A cranked mean-field model with two-body T=1 and T=0 pairing interactions is presented. Approximate projection onto good particle-number is enforced via an extended Lipkin-Nogami scheme. Our calculations suggest the simultaneous presence of both T=0 and T=1 pairing modes in N=Z nuclei. The transitions between different pairing phases are discussed as a function of neutron/proton excess, T$_z$, and rotational frequency, $\hbar\omega$. The additional binding energy due to the T=0 $np$-pairing correlations, is suggested as a possible microscopic explanation of the Wigner energy term in even-even nuclei.Comment: 8 RevTeX pages, 3 uuencoded POSTSCRIPT figures include

The puzzle of the synthesis of the rare nuclide 138La

The calculations of the p-process in the O/Ne layers of Type II supernovae are quite successful in reproducung the solar system content of p-nuclides. They predict, however, a significant underproduction of the rare odd-odd nuclide 138La. A model for the explosion of a 25 Mo star with solar metallicity is used to suggest that electron neutrino captures on 138Ba may well be its most efficient production mechanism. The responsibility of an inadequate prediction of the 138La and 139La photodisintegration rates in the too low production of 138La is also examined quantitatively. A detailed discussion of the theoretical uncertainties in these rates suggest that the required rate changes are probably too high to be fully plausible. Their measurement would be most welcome. They would help disentangling the relative contributions of thermonuclear and neutrino processes to the 138La production.Comment: 4 pages to be published by A&A Letter

Effect of nuclear periphery on nucleon transfer in peripheral collisions

A comparison of experimental heavy residue cross sections from the reactions 86Kr+64Ni,112,124Sn with the model of deep-inelastic transfer (DIT) is carried out. A modified expression for nucleon transfer probabilities is used at non-overlapping projectile-target configurations, introducing a dependence on isospin asymmetry at the nuclear periphery. The experimental yields of neutron-rich nuclei close to the projectile are reproduced better and the trend deviating from the bulk isospin equilibration is explained. For the neutron-rich products further from the projectile, originating from hot quasiprojectiles, the statistical multifragmentation model reproduces the mass distributions better than the model of sequential binary decay. In the reaction with proton-rich target 112Sn the nucleon exchange appears to depend on isospin asymmetry of nuclear periphery only when surface separation is larger than 0.8 fm due to the stronger Coulomb interaction at more compact di-nuclear configuration.Comment: LaTeX, 13 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Nuclear Physics

Study of Superdeformation in Non-rotating States using the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock Method

The superdeformation (SD) in non-rotating states is studied with the HF+BCS method using the Skyrme interaction. In applying the BCS theory, the seniority pairing force is employed, of which strengths are determined in order to reproduce the empirical pairing gap formula, $\bar{\Delta} = 12 A^{-1/2}$ MeV, through a smooth level density obtained in the Thomas-Fermi approximation. Properties of superdeformation are investigated by calculating potential energy surfaces (PES) for various sets of the pairing force strengths and the Skyrme force parameter for 194Hg and 236,238U. The best results are obtained using both the SkM* force and the pairing force strength determined in this paper. By making use of this set of forces, a systematic calculation of SD states is carried out extensively for even-even nuclei for 20 <= Z <= 82. From our calculation, the barriers preventing the decay into the normally deformed states are about twice as high as those predicted by Krieger et al., who used the same Skyrme interaction but a pairing force stronger than ours. The differences of the present results from the Nilsson-Strutinsky calculation are analyzed.Comment: 19 pages in LaTex, 11 Postscript figure

Extensive Hartree-Fock + BCS calculation with Skyrme SIII force

We have performed deformed Hartree-Fock+BCS calculations with the Skyrme SIII force for the ground states of even-even nuclei with 2 <= Z <= 114 and N ranging from outside the proton drip line to beyond the experimental frontier in the neutron-rich side. We obtained spatially localized solutions for 1029 nuclei, together with the second minima for 758 nuclei. The single-particle wavefunctions are expressed in a three-dimensional Cartesian-mesh representation, which is suitable to describe nucleon skins, halos, and exotic shapes as well as properties of ordinary stable nuclei. After explaining some of the practical procedures of the calculations, we compare the resulting nuclear masses with experimental data and the predictions of other models. We also discuss the quadrupole (m=0, 2) and hexadecapole (m=0, 2, 4) deformations, the skin thicknesses, the halo radii, and the energy difference between the oblate and the prolate solutions. Our results can be obtained via computer network.Comment: 20 pages in Latex, 11 Postscript figures, uuencode-gzip-tar file, to appear in Nuclear Physics A. Data tables available at ftp://nt1.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/hfs3

Computer program for the relativistic mean field description of the ground state properties of even-even axially deformed nuclei

A Fortran program for the calculation of the ground state properties of axially deformed even-even nuclei in the relativistic framework is presented. In this relativistic mean field (RMF) approach a set of coupled differential equations namely the Dirac equation with potential terms for the nucleons and the Glein-Gordon type equations with sources for the meson and the electromagnetic fields are to be solved self-consistently. The well tested basis expansion method is used for this purpose. Accordingly a set of harmonic oscillator basis generated by an axially deformed potential are used in the expansion. The solution gives the nucleon spinors, the fields and level occupancies, which are used in the calculation of the ground state properties.Comment: 18 pages, LaTex, 6 p.s figures, To appear in Comput. Phys. Commu