Investigation of the 6Li(d, α)4He reaction between 1.5 and 11.5 MeV

The differential cross section σ₀(θ) and the analysing powers T₁₁(θ), T₂₀(θ), T₂₁(θ) and T₂₂(θ) of the reaction ⁶Li(d, α)⁴He have been measured for twelve energies between 1.5 and 11.5 MeV at c.m. angles between 3.5° and 90°. The results were fitted with Legendre polynomials. The energy dependence of the resulting coefficients indicates resonance-like behaviour at several energies corresponding to excitation between 22 and 32 MeV in ⁸Be. The reaction ⁶Li(d, α)⁴He shows excellent features as an analyser for deuteron vector and tensor polarization over the whole energy range investigated.     

Investigation of backward α-particle scattering in 24Mg and 28Si through α-γ angular correlations

Alpha-gamma angular correlations have been measured for the reaction ²⁴Mg(α, α'γ) in the energy range 15.50 to 17.00 MeV in steps of 300 keV and for ²⁸Si(α, α'γ) from 15.00 to 16.20 MeV in steps of 200 keV to provide energy averaged results. The scattered α-particles were detected for lab angles θ_α = 115°–178° in a multidetector arrangement. The coincident γ-rays were observed with a Ge(Li) detector placed at 90° in the reaction plane. Data were obtained for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd excited states of ²⁴Mg and for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th excited states of ²⁸Si. The absolute doubledifferential cross sections were analysed with Hauser-Feshbach calculations. The analyses show that compound nuclear processes are responsible for the rise of backward α-scattering in ²⁴Mg(α, α'γ)²⁴Mg and ²⁸Si(α, α'γ)²⁸Si at the energy studied.     

A study of the 90Zr(6Li, 6He)90Nb reaction at E6Li = 93 MeV

The energy spectra of ⁶He nuclei from the ⁹⁰Zr(⁶Li, ⁶He) reaction at E_{⁶Li = 93 MeV} have been measured over the angular range of 7 ° ? θ_lab ? 20 °. The theoretical DWBA analysis of these spectra and angular distributions was performed employing transition densities of bound and resonance states obtained on the basis of the theory of finite Fermi systems. It is shown that up to excitation energies of E_x ≈ 10 MeV in ⁹⁰Nb a direct charge-exchange mechanism dominates in this reaction, while at higher E_x the contribution made by multistep processes increases significantly. It is also shown that the quasi-elastic cross section is determined by a sum of partial contributions of spin-isospin-flip transitions with multipolarities L=0 through L=6.     

Search for intermediate structure in 36Ar via the 24Mg(12C, α)32S reaction

The ²⁴Mg(¹²C,α)³²S reaction was investigated in the energy range E_c.m. = 11.9–19.4 MeV by measuring excitation functions of the α₀ and α₁ groups. Angular distributions (θ_c.m. = 12–97°) were also measured at a number of energies. The excitation functions were subjected to a statistical analysis by means of evaluating correlation and deviation functions; no statistically significant anomalies were found. The α₀ angular distributions display fairly high angular-momentum selectivity as pairs of Legendre polynomials provide acceptable fits to most of them: however, only one, at E_c.m. = 18.1 MeV, is strongly dominated by a single partial wave, l = 11. Excitation functions as well as angular distributions of both α₀ and α₁ cross sections were found to be in good qualitative agreement with Hauser-Feshbach calculations throughout the energy range studied. Thus, the analysis of the data shows that intermediate resonant structures, if present, are weak and interfere strongly with the statistical compound-nucleus background, which effectively prevents their clear observation and identification in the present study.     

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.     

Reactions of 40Ar with 159Tb, 142Nd and 144Sm; New α-activities from 189Bi, 173Pt and 177Au

Reactions of ⁴⁰Ar ions with targets of ¹⁵⁹Tb, ¹⁴²Nd, and ¹⁴⁴Sm have been studied at energies below 300 MeV with a helium gas-jet system. Excitation functions for (Ar, xn) reactions, where x = 5–10, were obtained for the radioactive products that decay by α-emission. Based on the characteristics of these excitation functions and on the systematics of α-decay, evidence is presented for the existence of the nuclides ¹⁸⁹Bi with α-particle energy E_α = 6.67±0.01 MeV and half-life < 1.5 sec, and ¹⁷³Pt with E_α = 6.19±0.01 MeV; and for the emission from ¹⁷⁷Au of an α-particle with E_α = 6.15±0.01 MeV.     

A study of the 14C(6Li, 6He)14N reaction at 93 MeV

The reaction ¹⁴C(⁶Li, ⁶He)¹⁴N was investigated with 93 MeV ⁶Li ions in an angular interval of 7–26°. Angular distributions were analysed for the four most intense groups of ⁶He nuclei, corresponding to transitions to the ground (1₁⁺) and the excited (1₂⁺, 2₁^?, 4₁^?) states of ¹⁴N. In the theoretical analysis a mechanism of the spin-isospin excitation was suggested in the DWBA frame with the finite range of interaction and recoil in the light system (⁶Li⁶He) taken into account. In the calculations both shell-model wave functions and transition densities obtained in the theory of finite Fermi systems (FFS) were used. From the comparison between theory and experiment the Landau-Migdal force constant g′ is estimated in order to obtain some information on the degree of nuclear proximity to the threshold of pion condensation.     

Spin and parity assignments for 23Na levels from the 19F(α, p)22Ne reaction

Resonances were found in the 120° and 160° excitation functions for the ¹⁹F(α, p_o)²²Ne reaction between E = 2.5 and 5.0 MeV corresponding to ²³Na levels at excitation energies between 12.56 and 14.51 MeV. Twenty-one on-resonance angular distributions were analysed with single-level and two-level theory to extract ²³Na spin and parity information. The results of an earlier experiment were analysed by the same procedure, extending the diagnostics down to a ²³Na excitation energy of 11.55 MeV. The analysis incorporated an optical potential for the α-particle consistent with previous channel-spin-$\text{1}\text{2}$ reaction studies and α-induced reaction data.     

The (d, 6Li) reaction on 12C, 16O, 24Mg, 40Ca and 58Ni at 54.25 MeV

The (d, ⁶Li) reaction was studied at E_d = 54.25 MeV on the target nuclei ¹²C, ¹⁶O, ²⁴Mg, ⁴⁰Ca and ⁵⁸Ni. The data were analyzed with finite-range DWBA calculations. The absolute values of the α-cluster spectroscopic factors and the target mass dependence of the relative S_α were in agreement with those in the (p, pα) reaction at E_p = 100 and 157 MeV. The theoretical calculations of the relative S_α were in better agreement with the experimental data at higher energy than at the lower energies.     

The α-transfer reactions 27Al(6Li,d)31P, 29Si(6Li,d)33S and 31P(6Li,d)35Cl at 36 MeV

The α-transfer reactions ²⁷Al(⁶Li, d)³¹P, ²⁹Si(⁶Li, d)³³S and ³¹P(⁶Li, d)³⁵Cl have been studied at a ⁶Li energy of 36 MeV. Absolute cross sections and angular distributions have been measured and an exact finite-range distorted-wave Born approximation analysis assuming a direct cluster transfer has been used to extract from the data α-particle spectroscopic strengths for levels populated in ³¹P, ³³S and ³⁵Cl in the three reactions respectively. The results show that in the case of most of the low-lying excited states of ³¹P, a single value of L of the transferred α-particle contributes, though a multiplicity of L-values are allowed by angular momentum selection rules. It is also found that the α-particle spectroscopic strength of the ground state of ³¹P is a factor of 2 more than the strengths of the ground states of ³³S and ³⁵Cl. The α-spectroscopic strengths of ground states of these, as well as other odd-A s-d shell nuclei, are compared with the presently available shell model calculations.     

The 24Mg(α, α')24Mg reaction; statistical analysis

The ²⁴Mg(α, α')²⁴Mg reaction to the 1.37 MeV state has been studied over an α-energy range of 9.625–13.825 MeV, in ≈40 keV steps, and over a 25°–160° angular interval. These cross sections have been analysed in terms of statistical theory and a number of deviations from its predictions are found. These deviations point to the importance of non-statistical processes, such as intermediate structure, to the α-scattering. The average compound nuclear width o₁ 62±7 keV is found for ²⁸Si over the 18–22 MeV excitation.     

Spin and parity assignments for 35Cl levels from the 31P(α, p)34S reaction

³⁵Cl states at excitation energies between 9.9 and 11.8 MeV have been identified through sharp resonances in the ³¹P(α, p_o)³⁴S excitation functions at 25°, 105° and 155° for E_α = 3.25–5.50 MeV. Forty-eight on-resonance angular distributions, normalized to an absolute cross section scale, have been subjected to single-level and two-level analyses resulting in spin and parity assignments for each resonance. Approximately half the resonances were of the pure single-state type, having unique angular distribution shapes. Data from 12 resonances of an earlier experiment ¹) were analyzed with the same theory, extending the diagnostics down to a ³⁵Cl excitation energy of 9.1 MeV. A set of optical potentials consistent in all four reactions that this experimental program encompasses has been incorporated in the present analysis. Validity of the optical potential is demonstrated for α-particles elastically scattered by ³¹P.     

Configuration of 3.59 MeV 0+ state in 44Ca

Results obtained with the ⁴⁸Ti(d, ⁶Li) reaction, at E_d = 55 MeV, establish the 3.59 MeV 0⁺ level of ⁴⁴Ca as virtually pure 8 p?4h, with T_h = 0.     

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.     

Unnatural parity levels populated in the 16O(6Li,d)20Ne reaction

The ¹⁶O(⁶Li, d)²⁰Ne reaction to the 2^?, 4.97 MeV, 3^?, 5.63 MeV, and 4^?, 7.01 MeV members of the K^π = 2^? band has been studied. Angular distributions were measured at 32 MeV from 7.5° to 145° (lab). Excitation functions were measured at 15° (lab) and 145° (lab) from 31 to 33 MeV and 31.75 to 32.5 MeV, respectively. Results of multi-step and compound nuclear calculations are compared to the data. At this incident energy, both mechanisms appear to contribute to the population of the unnatural parity levels.     

Study of the 8Be first T = 2 state with 4He + α and 7Li + p initiated excitation functions

In a high resolution study of the ⁴He + α initiated excitation functions in the region of the ⁸Be first T = 2 state, weak resonance excursions have been observed in some reaction channels yielding the total width Γ = 14.7 ± 4.0 keV. No resonance excursion has been observed in the ⁴He + α elastic scattering yielding the branching ratio Γ_α/Γ ≦ 0.003 for the decay of the ⁸Be first T = 2 state into two α-particles. For the decay to the low-lying states of ⁶Li and ⁷Li lower limits of the branching ratio are given. The reinvestigation of the ⁷Li+p initiated excitation functions revealed no resonance anomaly in the region of the ⁸Be first T = 2 state. The upper limit Γ_p/Γ ≦ 0.023 has been derived for the proton decay to the ⁷Li_g.s.. The results are compared with previous measurements and with shell-model calculations.     

Etude du noyau 63Cu par la reaction 60Ni(α, pγ)63Cu

The level structure and the decay properties of low-lying levels in ⁶³Cu have been investigated via the ⁶⁰Ni(α, pγ)⁶³Cu reaction at E_α = 11.7MeV. Using a Ge(Li) detector, the correlations of twenty-five primary γ-rays in coincidence with protons, stopped in an annular detector at approximatively 180° with respect to the beam direction, were measured. From these measurements, branching ratios, γ-ray mixing ratios and spin assignments have been obtained for most of the levels up to 2.4 MeV excitation.     

(6Li,d) reactions on 24Mg and 26Mg at 73 MeV

The ^{24, 26}Mg(⁶Li, d)^{28, 30}Si reactions have been studied at 73 MeV bombarding energy. The angular distributions were analyzed with exact finite-range distorted wave Born approximation calculations assuming a direct α-cluster transfer. Extracted spectroscopic strengths leading to low-lying levels of ²⁸Si and relative spectroscopic strengths between transitions to ²⁸Si and ³⁰Si ground states are consistent with those previously obtained by several α-transfer reactions. Many strongly populated levels have been observed at E_x ? 10 MeV for ²⁸Si. A marked similarity was found between the deuteron spectrum and the ²⁴Mg(α, α)²⁴Mg excitation function in this excitation energy region. A brief comparison of the present α-transfer results with previous two-nucleon transfer data leading to ^28,30Si is also presented.     

Neutron-induced charged-particle reactions in 6Li and 9Be

Angular distributions of tritons from the ⁶Li(n, t)⁴He reaction were measured at E_n = 7.25, 6.77, 6.57, 5.24 and 4.71 MeV. Angular distributions of douterons from respectively, the ⁶Li(n, d)⁵He two-body breakup reaction were measured at E_n = 6.77 and 6.57 MeV, and of protons from the ⁶Li(n, p)⁶He reaction at E_n = 6.77, 5.24 and 4.71 MeV. All these reactions in ⁶Li were analyzed as direct interaction in the formalism of the distorted wave Born approximation. The optical model for the nuclear interaction was found to apply reasonably well to nuclei as light as ⁴He, ⁵He, ⁶He and ⁶Li. In addition, ⁶Li as an alpha-deuteron cluster gives the best bound-state wave function to describe the experimental angular distribution of tritons. The excitation functions at forward angles of the ⁶Li(n, t)⁴He, ⁶Li(n, d)⁵He and ⁶Li(n, p)⁶He reactions were measured for incident neutron energies between 4.4 and 7.3 MeV. It is found that the ⁶Li(n, d)⁵He two-body breakup reaction has a threshold at about E_n = 5.3 MeV. Angular distributions at E_n = 18.3 MeV for tritons and protons from the ⁹Be(n, t)⁷Li and ⁹Be(n, p)⁹Li, respectively, were also measured.