The (p, t) and (p, τ) reactions on O at 39.8 MeV

Differential cross sections have been measured at forward angles for (p, t) and (p, τ) transitions from ¹⁷O to the ⁻ ground states and lowest-energy ⁻ states in the ¹⁵O and ¹⁵N mirror nuclei. The data are compared with DWBA calculations using simple single-particle and single-hole wave functions. When the (p, t) and (p, τ) transitions are considered separately, the calculated and experimental ratios of the ⁻ integrated cross sections to the ⁻ integrated cross sections agree to within 30 %; however, the ratios of (p, τ) cross sections to the mirror state (p, t) cross sections are calculated to be about twice as large as actually measured. This experimentally observed reduction of the (p, τ) cross section relative to the (p, t) cross section can possibly be attributed to interference between the S = 0 and S = 1 components of the (p, τ) transitions.     

Hydrogen burning of O in the CNO cycle

The direct capture process in the ¹⁷O(p, γ)¹⁸F reaction has been used to determine the reduced proton widths of the states in ¹⁸F near the proton threshold. The observed upper limits on these widths are up to factors of 60 smaller than the previously assumed values implying a corresponding reduction of the stellar reaction rate for the ¹⁷O(p, )¹⁴N reaction. These results together with results from previous work lead to the conclusion that the CNO cycle is tricycling with the reactions ¹⁷O(p,γ)¹⁸F(β⁺ν)¹⁸O(p, )¹⁵N as the third cycle. The implications of these results on the equilibrium abundances of the elements synthesized in this cycle are discussed.     

Electro-pion production on O to bou nd states of the residual nuclei

Differential cross sections for the reactions 16O(γ, π−π+−)16F16F to the sum of the four lowest lying states in 16F and 16N have been measured as a function of angle for pions with a kinetic energy of 30 MeV. The extracted ratios R = σ(γ, π−)/σ(γ, π+), the first ones to discrete final states as a function of angle, are in fair agreement with results obtained for the nucleon. For positive pions the energy dependence of the cross section has been measured at the angles of 45° and 90°. Distorted wave impulse approximation calculations fail to describe the energy dependence.     

The two-neutron transfer reactions (O, O) with O, C and Mg targets

Excitation functions, angular distributions and differential ranges were measured for the ²⁶Mg(¹⁸O, ¹⁶O)²⁸Mg reaction at ¹⁸O beam energies of 20–45 MeV. Excitation functions only were measured for the reactions ¹⁴C(¹⁸O, ¹⁹O)¹³C, ¹⁴C(¹⁸O, ¹⁶O)¹⁶C, ¹⁴C(¹⁸O, ²⁰O)¹²C, ¹⁴C(¹⁸O, ¹⁵N)¹⁷N and ¹⁸O(¹⁸O, ¹⁹O)¹⁷O, ¹⁸O(¹⁸O, ¹⁶O)²⁰O, ¹⁸O(¹⁸O, ¹⁵N)²¹F at ¹⁸O beam energies of 13–41 MeV. We have identified these as direct reactions in which a single neutron, a two-neutron cluster, a deuteron and a triton are transferred between projectile and target.

The cross sections for two-neutron transfer reactions were found to be relatively high and those for the ¹⁸O+¹⁸O and the ¹⁴C+¹⁸O reactions were higher than the ones of single-neutron transfers over most of the energy range.

Attempts were made to apply the theory of Buttle and Goldfarb for single-neutron transfer to the case of two-neutron transfer in the ²⁶Mg(¹⁸O, ¹⁶O)²⁸Mg reaction below the Coulomb barrier. It is shown that for those reactions for which the assumptions, implicit in the model, are valid, good agreement is obtained with experiment. We also tried to apply the diffraction model of Dar and Kozlovsky to the calculation of the angular distribution of these reactions. A good fit to the experimental results could be obtained if quite different sets of parameters were used in the calculations for the two bombarding energies.     

The C(Li, t)O reaction at 20 MeV

States in ¹⁶O op to an excitation energy of 16.9 MeV were observed from the ¹³C(⁶Li, t)¹⁶O reaction at 20 MeV. Differential cross sections were obtained from θ_lab = 15° to 105° for the triton groups corresponding to the states in ¹⁶O at 6.13, 6.92, 7.12, 8.87, 9.85, 10.35 and 11.09 MeV.     

Simultaneous measurements of the p+d→(A=3)+π reactions

A stack of annular detectors made of high-purity germanium was used to measure simultaneously pd → ³H π⁺ and pd → ³He π⁰ differential cross sections at beam momenta of 750 MeV/c, 800 MeV/c, and 850 MeV/c over a large angular range. The extracted total cross sections for the pd → ³He π⁰ reactions bridge a gap between near threshold data and those in the resonance region. The ratio of the cross sections for the two reaction channels taken at the same η=p^cm_π/m_π yields 2.11±0.08 indicating that a deviation from isospin symmetry is very small.     

Track etch rates along the trajectories of nitrogen and oxygen ions in CR-39

Experimental studies on track etch rates in CR-39 performed with protons, deuterons and alpha particles as well as ⁷Li, ¹¹B and ¹²C ions were extended to ¹⁴N and ¹⁶O ions. The results are compatible with the general systematics found for the dependence on the kind of ion and its initial energy. Analysing the etch rate ratios as function of the restricted energy loss (REL), the non-existence of a unique relationship has been confirmed. However, assuming a dependence of the etch rate ratio not only on REL, but also on the depth within the detector where a given REL value occurs, all experimental data could be adjusted. The experiments with ¹⁴N and ¹⁶O ions allow extension of the REL range studied up to about 14 000 MeV/cm. The whole area relevant to neutron-induced charged particles generated within the CR-39 detectors is covered thereby. Having added the data for ¹⁴N and ¹⁶O ions, the array of curves for the etch rate ratio could be expanded up to 14 000 MeV/cm without inconsistencies, demonstrating the compatibility of the new data set also quantitatively.     

A high resolution search for the tensor glueball candidate ξ(2230)

We report results of a high resolution search for the tensor glueball candidate ξ(2230) in a formation experiment. π⁰π⁰ and ηη decay channels were measured in a scan of the mass region 2220 MeV to 2240 MeV. No evidence for the existence of ξ(2230) was found. 95% confidence upper limits for the possible existence of ξ are presented.     

The g-factor of the 3/2 153 keV state in V

The g-factor of the 3/2⁻ state at 153 keV in ⁴⁹V was measured with the ⁴⁸Ti(p, γ)⁴⁹V reaction and the differential spin-precession method. The g value and the remeasured mean life are g = 1.58 ± 0.08 and τ = 28.7 ± 0.5 ns. The result is compared with some theoretical predictions.     

Search for narrow NNπ resonances in exclusive pp→ppππ measurements

Narrow structures in the range of a few MeV have been searched for in ppπ⁺ and ppπ⁻ invariant mass spectra (M_ppπ⁺ and M_ppπ⁻) obtained from exclusive measurements of the pp→ppπ⁺π⁻ reaction at T_p=725,750 and 775 MeV using the PROMICE/WASA detector at CELSIUS. The selected reaction is particularly well suited for the search for dibaryon resonances decoupled from NN and/or NΔ. In the mass range 2020 MeV/c²<m_dibaryon<2085 MeV/c² no narrow structures could be identified on the 3σ level of statistical significance neither in M_ppπ⁻ nor in M_ppπ⁺ giving an upper limit (95% C.L.) for dibaryon production in this reaction of σ<20 nb.     

Reaction filters. Charged-particle multiplicity and linear momentum transfer

The relation between charged-particle multiplicity and linear momentum transfer to heavy reaction residues has been investigated with a 4π charged-particle detector for the reactions ³⁶Ar+²³⁸U at E/A=35 MeV and ¹⁴N+²³⁸U at E/A=50 MeV. The multiplicity of charged particles at backward angles (θ > 35°) incrreases linear momentum transfer while the multiplicity of charged particles in the forward direction is almost independent of the linear momentum transfer.     

Stopping powers of CR-39 nuclear track material for Z=1−14 ions with 0.25–2.8 MeV/u

Experimental studies of the slowing down of ¹H, ⁴He, ⁷Li, ¹¹B, ¹²C, ¹⁴N, ¹⁶O, ²³Na, ²⁷Al and ²⁸Si ions in CR-39 nuclear track etch material in the ion energy range 0.25–2.8 MeV/u are presented. The ion stopping powers obtained are compared to the predictions of two recent semiempirical models for calculating ion stopping powers. The predictions are found to clearly underestimate the observed stopping powers for ⁷Li, ¹¹B, ¹²C, ²³Na, ²⁷Al and ²⁸Si ions.     

The relativistic stripping model of (p, π) reactions in the Δ resonance region

The relativistic stripping model is presented for the (p, π⁺) reaction in the Δ-resonance region. The Dirac impulse approximation and a Dirac-Hartree calculation are used for the proton nucleus interaction and neutron bound state wave function respectively. The Δ-hole model is employed for the pion-nucleus interaction. This model is applied to the reaction ¹⁶O(p, π⁺)¹⁷O(g.s.).     

Isomerism in Ag and non-yrast levels in Pd and Rh, studied in β decay

The β decay of ⁹⁶Ag (Z=47,N=49) was investigated by measuring positrons, X rays as well as β-delayed protons and γ rays. The γ radiation was studied by means of germanium detectors and a NaI total-absorption spectrometer. Two β-decaying isomers in ⁹⁶Ag were established with half-lives of 4.40(6) and 6.9(6) s and tentative spin–parity assignments of (8⁺) and (2⁺), respectively. For both isomers, the intensities of β transitions to low-lying levels of ⁹⁶Pd (Z=46,N=50) and β-delayed proton decays to levels in ⁹⁵Rh (Z=45,N=50) were measured. Several new ⁹⁶Pd levels were firmly established. The level energies, their γ decays and the Gamow–Teller decay of ⁹⁶Ag are compared to shell-model predictions. A new low-lying level in ⁹⁵Rh was found at 680 keV excitation energy. Through a comparison with low-lying states of N=50 isotones, this level is interpreted as the first excited 7/2⁺ state built on the proton 9/2⁺ ground state. The assignments of further excited states in ⁹⁵Rh are discussed.     

Energy spectra of neutrons emitted following muon capture in O and C

The energy spectra of neutrons emitted following muon capture in ¹⁶O and ¹²C are investigated using the continuum shell model. Nuclear wave functions, which have been shown by Ohtsubo and the author to describe the radiative pion capture reaction in the above nuclei well, are adopted. The calculated neutron energy spectra explain well the observed main peaks, at 5 MeV for ¹⁶O and 4 MeV for ¹²C, which are considered to be the giant resonances excited in the muon capture reaction. These peaks are interpreted as the 2⁻ state at 20.3 MeV for ¹⁶O and the 1⁻ state at 22.5 MeV for ¹²C. Comparisons with photon spectra in radiative pion capture reactions are also made. The calculated total capture rates exceed the experimental values by a factor of 2.5 for ¹⁶O and by 30–40% for ¹²C.     

The Fermi matrix elements inferred from β-γ(CP) correlation measurements in Fe decay

Measurements have been made of the β-γ circular-polarization correlation paramter A for the 273 keV β-branch in the decay of ⁵⁹Fe. It has recently been established that each of the principal β-branches of ⁵⁹Fe involves ΔJ=0 and thus has a possible non-zero Fermi matrix element M_F which can be determined from the ƒt value and A. Previous β-γ (_CP) measurements on this nucleide have all employed the usual γ-ray scattering technique. This method is suitable for the 475 keV β-branch but does not produce an accurate measurement of the lower energy branch because of energy discrimination difficulties. A transmission polarimeter with γ-discrimination has been used in the present work to obtain clean data on the 273 keV β-1.29 MeV γ-cascade. Calibration with ⁶⁰Co (1.33 MeV) and ²⁸Al (1.79 MeV) yielded A = −0.154±0.023. This gives for the isospin impurity coefficient and the effective Coulomb matrix element of the 1.29 MeV state (1.1±1.4) × 10⁻³ and 9±11 keV, respectively.     

Electroproduction of π from C leading to low-lying residual states in B

Energy distributions of π⁺ produced from ¹²C by electrons of total energy 195 MeV were measured at various angles. The results show large contributions from transitions leaving the residual nucleus in the ground (1⁺), first (2⁺) excited state and states at around 4.5 MeV. The angular distributions of ¹²C(γ, π⁺)¹²B leading to these residual states are deduced from the energy distributions by the unfolding method with the virtual photon theory. Theoretical results with the Helm model and the shell model are compared with the experimental results. Their relative shapes are in good agreement. A better agreement in the absolute value is found for the theoretical results which include the final-state interaction estimated with a pion optical potential. The surface production model shows better agreement with the experimental (γ, π⁺) cross sections than the volume production model.     

Photoparticle production in solid state detectors used for neutron dosimetry in the presence of photons

Photon-induced neutron, proton and alpha particle production in polyethylene and CR-39 has been estimated for the photon energy range of 2–30 MeV, using our previously established methods and photonuclear cross-section data for hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. The rarer isotopes of the constituents of CR-39 and polyethylene, namely ²H, ¹³C, ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O, have been taken into account. Neutrons and protons are produced in polyethylene and CR-39 for photon energies above 2.2 MeV, the (γ, np) threshold for ²H. Photoparticles produced in these materials may need to be taken into consideration when using them for neutron dosimetry in the presence of photons in this energy range, especially when the neutron flux is several orders of magnitude less than that of the photons.     

Spin-dependent reaction mechanism in Ti(d, p)Ti from proton-γ correlation

The γ-decays of the states in ⁴⁷Ti at 157 keV and 1547 keV have been studied following the ⁴⁶Ti(d, p)⁴⁷Ti reaction at 5.0 MeV incident energy. Protons were detected at 0° with a semiconductor detector. The angular correlations of the γ-rays with the reaction protons were measured. The E2/M1 mixing ratios of the γ-decays and the population ratios of the to the substates were deduced. From the non-zero population of the substate it was concluded that a spin-flip mechanism exists in the ⁴⁶Ti(d, p)⁴⁷Ti stripping reaction.