Energy levels of 14C

The ⁹Be (⁶Li, p)¹⁴C reaction has been studied using 20 MeV ⁶Li ions and the Penn multiangle spectrograph. Proton groups are reported corresponding to thirty excited states of ¹⁴C with E_x < 18.2 MeV. The total cross section for formation of the six bound excited states, whose J^π are known, is proportional to 2J_f + 1. Possible new spin assignments are suggested for several unbound levels of ¹⁴C, based on the 2J_f + 1 rule and a comparison of the experimental widths and widths predicted from neutron penetration of a centrifugal barrier.     

Circular polarization and γ-γ angular correlation measurements in the 39K(n, γ)40K reaction

Circular polarization measurements of the γ-radiation from polarized neutron capture combined with γ-γ angular correlation measurements in the ³⁹K(n,γ)⁴⁰K reaction lead to J^π = 2^? assignments to the E_x = 0.80, 2.05 and 2.42 MeV states of ⁴⁰K, and to spin restrictions for the states at E_x = 2.10, 3.44 and 4.25 MeV. Multipole mixing ratios for the γ-rays which de-excite these levels have been determined.     

High-spin states in 34CI

High-spin yrast states in ³⁴Cl have been studied with the reactions ³¹P(α, nγ)³⁴Cl at E_α = 11.7?16.3 MeV and ²⁴Mg(¹²C, pnγ)³⁴Cl at E(¹²C) = 32–35 MeV. Ambiguities in the ³⁴Cl level scheme for levels at E_x = 4.82 and 5.32 MeV have been resolved through combination of threshold measurements with the ³¹P + α reaction and gamma-gamma coincidence and E_γ-measurements with the ²⁴Mg + ¹²C reaction. Gamma-gamma coincidence and in-beam γ-γ angular correlation experiments have been performed employing a Compton-suppression spectrometer with a solid angle of 120 msr.Unambiguous spin-parity assignments of J^π = 6^?, 5⁺ and 7⁺ to the ³⁴Cl levels at E_x = 4.74, 4.82 and 5.32 MeV, respectively, are obtained.Previously unreported levels of high spin are found at E_x = 7.25 and 7.80 MeV with J^π = (9⁺) and (8⁺); τ_m = 200 ± 70 fs and 100 ± 70 fs, respectively. Excitation energies, mean lives, branching ratios and multipole mixing ratios are reported. The experimental results are compared with large-scale shell-model calculations. The high-spin yrast levels can be characterized by a rather simple shell-model structure.     

Resonant behaviour of the 16O-12C elastic scattering cross section

Resonances in the elastic scattering of ¹⁶O by ¹²C are reported at E_c.m. = 17.29 and 20.79 MeV, with respective J^π assignments of 11^? and 13^?. A 14⁺ spin assignment is shown to be more probable for the resonance at 22.79 MeV than a previous tentative assignment of 16⁺. A correlation is found between maxima of the total fusion cross section and the position of odd angular momentum resonances.     

Precise excitation energy and γ-ray decay of the lowest T = 2 state in 40K

The excitation energy of the lowest T = 2 state in ⁴⁰K has been determined as E_x = 4384.0 ± 0.3 keV from n-γ and γ-γ coincidence experiments. The state was populated with the ⁴Ar(p,n)⁴⁰K reaction at E_p = 8.30 MeV. Gamma-gamma angular correlation measurements yield unambiguous spin assignments J = 0 and 1 for the 1.64 and 2.290 MeV states, respectively. The excitation energy of the T = 2, J^π = 0⁺ state leads to a calculated mass excess of ?9120 ± 150 keV for ⁴⁰Ti.     

Spins of resonances in the 12C + 12C system

By measuring angular distributions we have assigned J^π = 6⁺ to a resonance at E_c.m. = 7.50 ±0.05 MeV in the ¹²C + ¹²C system.     

Search for resonances in 12C(9Be, α)17O

Excitation functions at 7° (lab) have been measured from E_c.m. = 5.1 to 11.4 MeV in approximately 114 keV steps for 15 groups of final states in ¹⁷O populated by the ¹²C(⁹Be, α) reaction. Statistical tests have been used to locate possible non-statistical structure in the excitation functions. Possible anomalies were found near E_c.m. = 6.3, 7.5, 8.9 and 9.7 MeV. Angular distributions were measured at E_c.m. = 9.20, 9.71 and 10.23 MeV for the three lowest excited states in ¹⁷O. The data have been compared with Hauser-Feshbach calculations in addition to the following reaction mechanisms: compound plus a single resonance, compound plus interfering resonances and compound plus direct reactions.     

The decay of isoscalar giant resonances in 24Mg and 40Ca

In this paper we present data on the charged-particle decay of the isoscalar 2⁺ strength between 10 and 20 MeV excitation energy (E_x) in ²⁴Mg and ⁴⁰Ca. The isoscalar strength was excited by inelastic scattering of 120MeV α-particles at 14° and 12.5° for ²⁴Mg and ⁴⁰Ca, respectively. The charged particles originating from the decay were detected in coincidence with the α′ particles at several angles in the scattering plane. J^π assignments of the decaying states were made on the basis of the angular correlation pattern of the α₀ decay to the ground state of ²⁰Ne and ³⁶Ar, respectively, using a DWBA calculation for the m-state population of the decaying state.For ⁴⁰Ca, about 40% of the E2 EWSR is found to be located in the interval E_x = 13.5 ± 1.5 MeV, which is similar to what has been found from previous inelastic scattering experiments at E_x = 18 ± 2 MeV, but much more than such experiments located in the region E_x = 12–15 MeV. The difference for the region E_x < 16 MeV is due to the fact that from our α₀ angular correlation pattern we conclude that virtually no continuum is excited in the (α, α′) process up to E_x = 16 MeV while all previous inelastic hadron scattering experiments assumed such a continuum to be present. The E2 strength distribution for ⁴⁰Ca thus obtained is very different from what previous theoretical calculations predict. For ²⁴Mg about 30% of the E2 EWSR is present in the interval 12.5 ? E_x ? experiments. 16.5 MeV which again is about twice as much as deduced from previous inelastic scattering The observed branching ratios are compared with calculated ones assuming statistical decay. Reasonable agreement was obtained for ⁴⁰Ca, but for ²⁴Mg especially the α₀-decay branch and to a lesser extent also the p₁ one are much stronger than the statistical calculations predict, indicating that especially the α₀ decay occurs mainly in a non-statistical way.A similar conclusion can be drawn from the behaviour of the forward-backward asymmetry in the angular correlations of the decay particles as a function of the excitation energy FBA(E_x). For ⁴⁰Ca, FBA(E_x) for all decay channels increases smoothly on the average once E_x is above a well-defined threshold, which is due to the onset of knock-out processes. For ²⁴Mg, however, the FBA(E_x) for the α₀ shows a large fluctuation as a function of E_x, indicating an interference process between semi-direct decay and knock-out processes.     

Spectroscopy of 32P (II)

Spins, parities and transition probabilities of levels in ³²P at E_x > 3.5 MeV have been determined with the ²⁹Si(α, pγ)³²P reaction at bombarding energies of E_α = 12.80, 12.93 and 16.30 MeV. Proton-gamma angular correlation experiments and DSA lifetime measurements lead to six unambiguous spin assignments and to many spin limitations. The measured mixing and branching ratios yield many transition strengths for dipole and electric quadrupole transitions. Five, sofar unknown, energy levels are reported. A doublet at 4.03 MeV excitation energy and a high-spin state (E_x = 4.27 MeV; J^π = 5^?) were observed. Shell-model predictions have been compared to the present experimental results.     

16O, 24, 26Mg, 28Si, 32S, 40Ca(α, 12C) and multi-α-cluster transfer reactions

The (α, ¹²C) reaction has been studied on a variety of nuclei, A = 16 to 40, at E_α = 90.3 MeV. The data indicate a rapid fall-off of cross sections with increasing target mass, approximately as A_t^{?5 ± 1}. This and other systematics are used to estimate cross sections for multi-α-cluster transfer reactions in heavy nuclei and suggest σ_T < 10^?34 cm² consistent with present experimental limits. The data for ²⁴Mg(α, ¹²C)¹⁶O has been studied in more detail and indicates a selective population of final states including ¹⁶O g.s., with oscillatory angular distributions in some instances. Finite-range distorted-wave Born approximation calculations for direct ⁸Be pickup have been performed utilizing cluster overlap amplitudes obtained with zero-order SU(3) wave functions. The calculations are in qualitative, and often quantitative, agreement with shapes and absolute magnitudes of the measured angular distributions although the cross sections for certain α-cluster states (2⁺, E_x ≈ 7 MeV; 4⁺, E_x ≈ 10.3 MeV) are greatly overestimated with this model. Other more complicated mechanisms, such as successive α-transfer, cannot be excluded. The systematics of the calculated ⁸Be cluster overlaps and the calculated and measured (α, ¹²C) cross sections are investigated, and implications for multi-α-cluster transfer reactions are discussed.     

Four-nucleon transfer with the 32S(16O, 12C)36Ar reaction

Angular distributions have been measured for the ³²S(¹⁶O,¹²C)³⁶Ar reaction at 45.5 MeV leading to excited states between E_x, = 0 and 8 MeV. Experimental cross sections are compared with exact finite-range DWBA calculations in combination with extensive shell-model calculations, which include sd- and fp-shell configurations. Transitions to low-energy positive-parity states and bound negative-parity states are well reproduced. The calculations, however, fail to describe some high-energy positive-parity states. Calculations with a complete cluster expansion for the four transferred nucleons give about 50% larger cross sections, but can not explain the observed discrepancies. Possible interference of reaction processes other than direct α-transfer and special structure effects are discussed.     

Evidence for assignment of 14.0 MeV state in 11B from 10B(n,n)10B

The differential cross section and polarization for neutrons scattered from ¹⁰B have been measured at E_n = 2.63 MeV (E_x = 13.85 MeV). The results of this experiment and other available neutron scattering data in the range 1 < E_n < 4 MeV are interpreted through a single-level R-matrix calculation over the region 12 < E_x < 15 MeV. Based on this analysis the most probable J^π assignment for the 14.0 MeV level in ¹¹B is $\text{11}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$. The anomaly near E_x = 13.1 MeV can only be explained in terms of two overlapping levels having assignments of ($\text{5}\text{2}$, $\text{7}\text{2}$)^? and ($\text{3}\text{2}$, $\text{5}\text{2}$, $\text{7}\text{2}$)⁺.     

Spin determination of the 12C + 12C resonance at Ec.m. = 6.25 MeV

The J^π value of the ¹²C + ¹²C resonance at E_c.m. = 6.25 MeV has been determined to be 2⁺. This is in contrast to several theoretical predictions which give J^π = 0⁺. In addition, J^π values of several sub-Coulomb resonances of the ¹²C + ¹²C reaction have been determined for the first time.     

The 12C(18O, α)26Mg and 12C(18O, 8Be)22Ne reaction

Excitation functions for α-emission leading to the ground and first excited states of ²⁶Mg and ⁸Be emission leading to the ground and first and second excited states of ²²Ne have been measured at several forward angles for E_c.m. = 15 to 22.4 MeV. There is little evidence for correlated structure. The angular distribution at 16.5 MeV for the α + ²⁶Mg(g.s.) channel is rather structureless while that for the ⁸Be+²²Ne(g.s.) channel appears to be dominated by a J = 13 contribution. Statistical model calculations indicate that much of the yield for both the α and ⁸Be exit channel is compound nuclear in origin, with some indication of a larger direct contribution for the ⁸Be channel at the lower end of the bombarding energy range.     

High-spin states of 39K and 42Ca

High-spin states of ³⁹K and ⁴²Ca have been investigated with the ²⁸Si(¹⁶O, αpγ)³⁹K and ²⁸Si(¹⁶O, 2pγ)⁴²Ca reactions at a beam energy of 45 MeV. Gamma-gamma coincidence, γ-ray angular distribution and linear polarization measurements were performed with a Ge(Li)-NaI(Tl) Compton suppression spectrometer and a three-crystal Ge(Li) Compton polarimeter. High-spin states of ³⁹K at E_x = 7.14,7.78and8.03 and of ⁴²Ca at E_x = 7.75MeV are established. Unambiguous spin-parity assignments of $\text{J}{}^{\mathrm{\pi }}\text{=}\text{11}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{,}\text{13}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{,}\text{15}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{,}\text{15}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{,}\text{17}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{and}\text{19}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ to the ³⁹K levels at E_x = 5.35, 5.72, 6.48, 7.14, 7.78 and 8.03 MeV and of 6^?, 7^?, 8^?, 9^? and(8, 10)^? to the ⁴²Ca levels at E_x = 5.49, 6.15, 6.41, 6.55 and 7.37 MeV, respectively, have been obtained. Further spin-parity restrictions, lifetime limits, excitation energies, branching ratios and multipole mixing ratios are reported. Discrepancies with previous J^π assignments are discussed in detail.     

12C(7Li,t)16O and stellar helium fusion

The reaction ¹²C(⁷Li, t)¹⁶O has been studied at $\text{E(}{}^7\text{Li}\text{) = 34}\text{MeV}$ with the LASL tandem accelerator and QDDD magnetic spectrometer. Angular distributions to levels with E_x < 11 MeV have been obtained from 0° to 90°, including 0°. The results have been analyzed with finite-range distorted-wave Born approximation theory. The α-particle spectroscopic factors and reduced widths obtained are compared with those calculated with group theory (SU(3)) and other models. The analysis of data for the 7.1 and 9.6 MeV J^π = 1^? levels, which are of great importance in stellar helium buring, yields a ratio, R, of dimensionless reduced α-widths $\text{θ}{}^2{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>a</mtext>}}\text{(7.1}\text{MeV}\text{)}\text{θ}{}^2{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>a</mtext>}}\text{(9.6}\text{MeV}\text{)}\text{= 0.35b ± 0.13}$. The observed line width of the 9.6 MeV level (Γ_c.m. = 390 ± 60 keV) is less than the accepted value (Γ_c.m. = 510 ± 60 keV) and implies θ²_a(9.6 MeV) ≈ 0.6. These results as well as data for the 6.92 MeV J^π = 2⁺ and 10.35 MeV J^π = 4⁺ “α-cluster” states indicate 0.09 < θ²_a(7.1 MeV) < 0.33 with a mean value θ²_a(7.1 MeV) = 0.14 ± 0.04. The implication for stellar helium burning is discussed.     

Microscopic study of elastic 12C+16O scattering

The L=0 to 17 phase shifts are calculated microscopically for elastic ¹²C+¹⁶O scattering with a generator coordinate method. The experimental resonances are shown to belong to four different bands. Interpretations and spin assignments are suggested for several recently observed anomalies. A spin J=15 seems likely for the 22.8 MeV resonance. A missing J=13 resonance should be searched for between 17 and 18 MeV.     

Spin-parity combinations in 28Al

The tensor analyzing powers T₂₀ and the cross sections for the reaction ${}^{30}\text{Si}\text{(}\text{d}\text{, α)}{}^{28}\text{Al}$ to levels in ²⁸Al with excitation energies up to 5.3 MeV have been measured at θ_lab = 175° for bombarding energies from 8.0 to 12.0 MeV in steps of 0.5 MeV. Comparison of the measured T₂₀ values with theoretical predictions has led to assignments of natural or unnatural parity to some forty levels in ²⁸Al. In a number of cases unique spin-parity assignments could be deduced by combining the present information with published spectroscopic data. A (probable) assignment of J^π = 0⁺ could be made to three levels in ²⁸Al on the basis of a very low observed cross section. No states with J^π = 0^? have been observed for E_x < 5.3 MeV. The distribution of T₂₀ values measured in cases where the final state has unnatural parity has been found to be in agreement with the prediction of the statistical theory for nuclear reactions. The spectroscopic information is compared with existing shell-model calculations.     

Microscopic study of the 12C + 16O system

An angular momentum projected microscopic calculation is performed for the ¹²C + ¹⁶O system with an effective nuclear force and the exact Coulomb interaction. The ¹²C wave function is projected on a 0⁺ state. Parametrizations of the Coulomb interaction between the nuclei are fitted. The L-projected energy curves present a quite complicated structure especially for the negative parity states. The role played by critical angular momenta is put into evidence. A generator coordinate calculation gives several bands of bound, quasibound and virtual states. Excellent agreement in energy and angular momentum is obtained with the 13.7 MeV (J = 9), 19.7 MeV (J = 14), 22.7 MeV (J = 15) and other resonances.     

Spectroscopy of intermediate 16F states with the reaction 14N(3He,np)15O

Excited states of ¹⁶F have been investigated with the reaction ¹⁴N(³He, np)¹⁵O at E = 10.5 and 12 MeV in kinematically complete experiments. Proton groups corresponding to the decays of intermediate ¹⁶F states were observed at various angles with counter telescopes in time coincidence with the associated neutrons detected at θ_n^lab = 0° with a time-of-flight spectrometer. Excitation energies and decay widths Γ_p0 of these states have been extracted from the proton spectra. Lower limits for the orbital angular momentum in the decay channel and for the spin of the states have been deduced from the obtained angular correlations. By comparison with the reaction ¹⁴N(³He, pp)¹⁵N measured at E = 13 MeV, pairs of $\text{T = 1}{}^{16}\text{F}$ parent/¹⁶O analog states have been identified. J^π assignments and shell-model configurations are discussed on the basis of the selectivity of the reactions measured.