Nuclear-level densities around Z = 50 from neutron evaporation spectra in (p, n) reactions

Neutron excitation functions, spectra, and angular distributions in the (p, n) reactions on the isotopes ¹¹⁶Sn, ¹¹⁸Sn, ¹²²Sn, and ¹²⁴Sn were measured in the proton-energy range 7–11 MeV. The measurements were performed by the time-of-flight method with the aid of a fast-neutron spectrometer at the EGP-15 pulsed tandem accelerator of the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (Obninsk). A high resolution (about 0.6 ns/m) and a high stability of the time-of-flight spectrometer made it possible to identify reliably low-lying levels along with the continuous section of the neutron spectra. The data obtained in this way were analyzed on the basis of the statistical equilibrium and preequilibrium models of nuclear reactions. The respective calculations were performed with the aid of the precise Hauser-Feshbach formalism of statistical theory. The nuclear-level densities in the isotopes ¹¹⁶Sb, ¹¹⁸Sb, ¹²²Sb, and ¹²⁴Sb were determined, along with their energy dependences and model parameters. In the excitation-energy range 0–2 MeV, the energy dependence of the nuclear-level densities exhibits a structure that is associated with the shell inhomogeneities of the spectrum of single-particle states near filled shells. The isotopic dependence of the nuclear-level density is discovered and explained. It is also shown that the data obtained here for the nuclear-level density differ markedly from the predictions of model systematics of nuclear-level densities.