Nuclear multifragmentation induced by electromagnetic fields of ultrarelativistic heavy ions

We study the disintegration of nuclei by strong electromagnetic fields induced by ultrarelativistic heavy ions. The proposed multi-step model includes 1) the absorption of a virtual photon by a nucleus, 2) intranuclear cascades of produced hadrons and 3) statistical decay of the excited residual nucleus. The combined model describes well existing data on projectile fragmentation at energy 200 GeV per nucleon. Electromagnetic multifragmentation of nuclei is predicted to be an important reaction mechanism at RHIC and LHC energies.Comment: 18 LaTeX pages including 4 figures, uses epsf.sty. Submitted to Phys.Rev.

Evaluation of the total photoabsorption cross sections for actinides from photofission data and model calculations

We have calculated the fission probabilities for 237-Np, 233,235,238-U, 232-Th, and nat-Pb following the absorption of photons with energies from 68 MeV to 3.77 GeV using the RELDIS Monte-Carlo code. This code implements the cascade-evaporation-fission model of intermediate-energy photonuclear reactions. It includes multiparticle production in photoreactions on intranuclear nucleons, pre-equilibrium emission, and the statistical decay of excited residual nuclei via competition of evaporation, fission, and multifragmentation processes. The calculations show that in the GeV energy region the fission process is not solely responsible for the entire total photoabsorption cross section, even for the actinides: ~55-70% for 232-Th, \~70-80% for 238-U, and ~80-95% for 233-U, 235-U, and 237-Np. This is because certain residual nuclei that are created by deep photospallation at GeV photon energies have relatively low fission probabilities. Using the recent experimental data on photofission cross sections for 237-Np and 233,235,238-U from the Saskatchewan and Jefferson Laboratories and our calculated fission probabilities, we infer the total photoabsorption cross sections for these four nuclei. The resulting cross sections per nucleon agree in shape and in magnitude with each other. However, disagreement in magnitude with total-photoabsorption cross-section data from previous measurements for nuclei from C to Pb calls into question the concept of a ``Universal Curve'' for the photoabsorption cross section per nucleon for all nuclei.Comment: 39 pages including 11 figure

Binomial level densities

It is shown that nuclear level densities in a finite space are described by a continuous binomial function, determined by the first three moments of the Hamiltonian, and the dimensionality of the underlying vector space. Experimental values for $^{55}$Mn, $^{56}$Fe, and $^{60}$Ni are very well reproduced by the binomial form, which turns out to be almost perfectly approximated by Bethe's formula with backshift. A proof is given that binomial densities reproduce the low moments of Hamiltonians of any rank: A strong form of the famous central limit result of Mon and French. Conditions under which the proof may be extended to the full spectrum are examined.Comment: 4 pages 2 figures Second version (previous not totally superseeded

Photofission of heavy nuclei at energies up to 4 GeV

Total photofission cross sections for 238U, 235U, 233U, 237Np, 232Th, and natPb have been measured simultaneously, using tagged photons in the energy range Egamma=0.17-3.84 GeV. This was the first experiment performed using the Photon Tagging Facility in Hall B at Jefferson Lab. Our results show that the photofission cross section for 238U relative to that for 237Np is about 80%, implying the presence of important processes that compete with fission. We also observe that the relative photofission cross sections do not depend strongly on the incident photon energy over this entire energy range. If we assume that for 237Np the photofission probability is equal to unity, we observe a significant shadowing effect starting below 1.5 GeV.Comment: 4 pages of RevTex, 6 postscript figures, Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Particle emission following Coulomb excitation in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

We study nuclear reactions induced by virtual photons associated with Lorentz-boosted Coulomb fields of ultrarelativistic heavy ions. Evaporation, fission and multifragmentation mechanisms are included in a new RELDIS code, which describes the deexcitation of residual nuclei formed after single and double photon absorption in peripheral heavy-ion collisions. Partial cross sections for different dissociation channels, including the multiple neutron emission ones, are calculated and compared with data when available. Rapidity and transverse momentum distributions of nucleons, nuclear fragments and pions, produced electromagnetically, are also calculated. These results provide important information for designing large-rapidity detectors and zero-degree calorimeters at RHIC and LHC. The electromagnetic dissociation of nuclei imposes some constrains on the investigation of exotic particle production in gamma-gamma fusion reactions.Comment: 26 LaTeX pages including 8 figures, uses epsf.st

Critical temperature for quenching of pair correlations

The level density at low spin in the 161,162-Dy and 171,172-Yb nuclei has been extracted from primary gamma rays. The nuclear heat capacity is deduced within the framework of the canonical ensemble. The heat capacity exhibits an S-formed shape as a function of temperature, which is interpreted as a fingerprint of the phase transition from a strongly correlated to an uncorrelated phase. The critical temperature for the quenching of pair correlations is found at Tc=0.50(4) MeV.Comment: 8 pages including 4 figures, different method to extract Tc, different figures, text partly rewritte

Level density and gamma strength function in 162-Dy from inelastic 3-He scattering

Complementary measurements have been performed for the level density and gamma strength function in 162-Dy using inelastic 3-He scattering. Comparing these results to previous measurements using the 163-Dy(3-He,alpha) reaction, reveals that the measured quantities above 1.5 MeV do not depend significantly on the nuclear reaction chosen.Comment: 15 pages, including 7 figure

Mutual heavy ion dissociation in peripheral collisions at ultrarelativistic energies

We study mutual dissociation of heavy nuclei in peripheral collisions at ultrarelativistic energies. Earlier this process was proposed for beam luminosity monitoring via simultaneous registration of forward and backward neutrons in zero degree calorimeters at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Electromagnetic dissociation of heavy ions is considered in the framework of the Weizsacker-Williams method and simulated by the RELDIS code. Photoneutron cross sections measured in different experiments and calculated by the GNASH code are used as input for the calculations of dissociation cross sections. The difference in results obtained with different inputs provides a realistic estimation for the systematic uncertainty of the luminosity monitoring method. Contribution to simultaneous neutron emission due to grazing nuclear interactions is calculated within the abrasion model. Good description of CERN SPS experimental data on Au and Pb dissociation gives confidence in predictive power of the model for AuAu and PbPb collisions at RHIC and LHC.Comment: 46 pages with 7 tables and 13 figures, numerical integration accuracy improved, next-to-leading-order corrections include

Critical temperature for the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition (from multifragmentation and fission)

Critical temperature Tc for the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition is stimated both from the multifragmentation and fission data. In the first case,the critical temperature is obtained by analysis of the IMF yields in p(8.1 GeV)+Au collisions within the statistical model of multifragmentation (SMM). In the second case, the experimental fission probability for excited 188Os is compared with the calculated one with Tc as a free parameter. It is concluded for both cases that the critical temperature is higher than 16 MeV.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Level density and thermal properties in rare earth nuclei

A convergent method to extract the nuclear level density and the gamma-ray strength function from primary gamma-ray spectra has been established. Thermodynamical quantities have been obtained within the microcanonical and canonical ensemble theory. Structures in the caloric curve and in the heat capacity curve are interpreted as fingerprints of breaking of Cooper pairs and quenching of pairing correlations. The strength function can be described using models and common parameterizations for the E1, M1 and pygmy resonance strength. However, a significant decrease of the pygmy resonance strength at finite temperatures has been observed.Comment: 15 pages including 8 figures. Proceedings article for the conference Nuclear Structure and Related Topics, Dubna, Russia, June 6-10, 200