Measurement of cosmogenic radionuclides in meteorites with a sensitive gamma-ray spectrometer

Summary A large-volume HPGe gamma-ray spectrometer in a NaI(Tl) well has been set up underground at 70 m.w.e. depth for whole body counting of cosmogenic radionuclides in meteorites. The detectors are housed in a 20 cm thick lead shield with a lining of cadmium and OFHC copper. The scintillator is simultaneously operated in anticoincidence as well as in coincidence in selected energy channels to achieve low background levels (in the range of counts per day) and high specificity. In this way a large number of radionuclides such as²⁶Al,⁴⁴Ti,⁶⁰Co,²²Na,⁵⁴Mn, and shorter-lived nuclides produced in extraterrestrial materials like meteorites and lunar rocks can be analysed. Results on Bouvante and Bereba achondrites and Dhajala and Torino chondrites are presented. Due to the relevance of its scientific content, this paper has been given priority by the Journal Direction.     

Statistical model analysis of the 12C(14N, α) reaction and coherence widths in 26Al

The ¹²C(¹⁴N, α)²²Na reaction was studied at bombarding energies between 22 and 39.2 MeV (lab) and a lab angle of 7°. Average coherence widths of states in the compound nucleus ²⁶Al populated in the reaction were obtained from excitation functions of twenty states or unresolved multiplets measured for states in ²²Na. From these data and Hauser-Feshbach predictions, values were determined for the level density parameters and for the effective moment of inertia of ²⁶Al. The critical angular momentum for the reaction was determined by comparing ratios of cross sections for excited states of ²²Na with Hauser-Feshbach predictions.     

26Al in the interstellar medium

Several different lines of physical reasoning have converged on the importance of the radioactive nucleus ²⁶Al. The sciences of meteoritics, nucleosynthesis, gamma-ray astronomy, galactic chemical evolution, solar system formation, and interstellar chemistry all place this nucleus in a central position with possible profound implications. Perhaps more importantly the study of this radioactivity can unite these diverse fields in a complicated framework which will benefit all of them. This review traces the evolution of ideas concerning ²⁶Al in the context of these disciplines.²⁶Al was first discussed for the possibility that its decay energy could melt meteorite parent bodies, and its daughter, ²⁶Mg, was later found in meteorites with enhanced abundance. It was also among the first radioactivities expected to be synthesized in interestingly large quantities in nucleosynthetic events. The first definitive detection of gamma-rays from an interstellar radioactivity is that of 1.809 MeV gamma-rays from ²⁶Al. This discovery has many implications, some of which are outlined here. The whole problem of isotopic anomalies in meteorites is greatly influenced by the specific issues surrounding excess ²⁶Mg, whether it represents in situ decay of ²⁶Al or memory of conditions of the ISM. The relationships among these ideas and their implications are examined.     

26g,mAl production cross sections from the 23Na(α, n)26Al reaction

Cross sections have been determined for the production of ^{26g, m}Al from the ²³Na(α, n) reaction. Total ²⁶Al production cross sections were obtained from measurements of the thick-target neutron yield. ^26mAl cross sections were measured using an activation technique. ^26gAl cross sections were deduced by subtracting the ^26mAl cross sections from the total (α, n) cross sections. The principle of detailed balance has been applied to the low-energy data to obtain cross sections for the astrophysically interesting ^26gAl(n, α₀)²³Na reaction. These results are compared with the results of Hauser-Feshbach calculations.     

Al production cross sections from the Na(α, n)Al reaction

Cross sections have been determined for the production of ^{26g, m}Al from the ²³Na(α, n) reaction. Total ²⁶Al production cross sections were obtained from measurements of the thick-target neutron yield. ^26mAl cross sections were measured using an activation technique. ^26gAl cross sections were deduced by subtracting the ^26mAl cross sections from the total (α, n) cross sections. The principle of detailed balance has been applied to the low-energy data to obtain cross sections for the astrophysically interesting ^26gAl(n, α₀)²³Na reaction. These results are compared with the results of Hauser-Feshbach calculations.     

A systematic comparison of two different models of cosmogenic nuclide production in meteorites

Summary A systematic comparison of a variable cosmogenic-production rate model (proposed in a previous paper) with the conventional constant-production rate model is carried out. Attention is focussed on the time-integrated concentrations in meteorites. A graphical method for the estimate of the exposure and terrestrial ages is applied with reference to the ten pairs of the five long-lived cosmogenic nuclides³⁶Cl,²⁶Al,¹⁰Be,⁵³Mn and¹²⁹I of interest in the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. To speed up publication, the proofs were not sent to the authors and were supervised by the Scientific Committee.     

Recoil distance lifetime measurements in 26Mg and 26Al

Levels in ²⁶Mg and ²⁶Al were excited with the ²³Na + α reaction, and the recoil-distance method was used to determine the mean lives of the following levels: ²⁶Mg, 3.59 MeV (9.6 ± 1.2ps) and 3.94 MeV (1.38 ± 0.11 ps); ²⁶Al, 1.76 MeV (6.4 ± 0.4 ps) and 2.072 MeV (1.00 ± 0.10ps). The deduced values are compared to previous measurements by the Doppler-shift attenuation method.     

Validation of CASCADE code using the monitor reactions

Production cross-sections of monitor reaction ²⁷Al(x, y)²⁴Na for proton, neutron and deuteron projectiles have been estimated from the CASCADE code from tens of MeV/n to tens of GeV/n energy and compared them with the available experimental data. It has also been shown that using the CASCADE code production cross-section of ²⁷Al(d, y₂)²⁴Na reaction can be obtained from the proton and neutron projectiles. Implicitly, this provides an alternative way of knowing production cross-section of ²⁷Al(n, y ₁)²⁴Na reaction which may be used to monitor the neutron flux in a wide range of energy. However, in the paper need of experimental determination of cross-sections for neutron projectile has been stressed. Similarly, cross-section of other monitor reactions like ²⁷Al(p, y ^′)²²Na and ²⁷Al(n, y ^′ ₁)²²Na are also calibrated as function of energy up to several GeV.     

Hyperfine splitting and isotope shift in the atomic D2 line of 22,23Na and the quadrupole moment of 22Na

The hyperfine structure of the D₂ optical line in ²²Na and ²³Na has been investigated using high resolution laser spectroscopy of a well-collimated atomic beam. The hyperfine splitting constants A and B for the excited 3p ²P_3/2 level for both investigated sodium isotopes have been obtained. They are as follows: A(22) = 7.31(4) MHz, B(22) = 4.71(28) MHz, A(23) = 18.572(24) MHz, B(23) = 2.723(55) MHz. With this data, using the high precision MCHF calculations for the electric field gradient at the nucleus, the electric quadrupole moment of ²²Na has been deduced: Q_s(22) =+0.185(11) b. The sign of Q_s(22), determined for the first time, indicates a prolate nuclear deformation. A precise value of the isotope shift ^22,23Na in the D₂ line has also been obtained. Received: 26 February 1998 / Revised version: 25 June 1998     

Cross sections for monitor reactions 27Al((p, x)24Na, 27Al(p, x)22Na, and 27Al(p, x)7Be at proton energies in the range 0.04–2.6 GeV

The cross sections for the monitor reactions ²⁷Al(p, x)²⁴Na, ²⁷Al(p, x)²²Na, and ²⁷Al(p, x)⁷Be at 12 proton energies, 2605, 1598, 1199, 799, 600, 400, 249, 147.6, 97.2, 66.0, 44.6, and 40.8 MeV, have been determined with 72 × 72-mm square and 10.5-mm-diameter round aluminum foils. The rates of the reactions of the production of ²⁴Na, ²²Na, and ⁷Be in the foils in each irradiation run have been determined by γ spectrometry, whereas the number of protons transmitted through these foils has been determined using calibrated fast current transformers. The cross sections have been determined as the ratios of the corresponding reaction to the average proton fluence.     

Measurements on diproton emission from the break-up channels of 23Al and 22Mg

Two-proton relative momentum distributions from the break-up channels ²³Al→p+p+²¹Na and ²²Mg→p+p+²⁰Ne at an energy of 60–70 A MeV have been measured together with two-proton opening angles at the projectile fragment separator beamline (RIPS) in the RIKEN Ring Cyclotron Facility. The results demonstrate the existence of diproton emission component from single-step ²He for highly excited ²³Al and ²²Mg.     

Beta decays of 25Na, 25Al and 29Al

The radioactivities ²⁵Na, ²⁵Al, and ²⁹Al were produced in the ²³Na(t, p)²⁵Na, ²⁴Mg(d, n)²⁵Al, and ²⁷Al(t, p)²⁹Al reactions using a 3.5 MV Van de Graaff. γ-radiations were measured by means of a target-transfer system and a Ge(Li) detector with or without Compton suppression. Decay schemes derived for ²⁵Na and ²⁹Al are in general agreement with earlier results, but with improved accuracy of branching ratios and much sharper limits on the intensities of certain unobserved β- and γ-ray transitions. Precision measurements of the energies of principal γ-rays gave results in keV for the listed decaying bodies as follows: ²⁵Na ? 1611.716(11); ²⁵Al ? 1611.708(11); and ²⁹Al ? 1273.361(9). The energy determinations of the ²⁵Mg 1612 keV γ-transition measured in the decays of ²⁵Na and ²⁵Al differ by 8 ± 9 eV.     

Isolation of22Na for intense positron sources

A method of removing²²Na from Al via distillation is investigated. Distillation is rapid (≈10 minutes) and nearly quantitative. When the distilled vapor is directed by a flow of He gas the deposit may be localized fairly well and easily recovered with water.     

On the cosmogenic radionuclides in meteorites

Summary Different fluxes and spectra of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar cosmic rays result in a wide variety of radioactive and stable-nuclides production rates. The records of cosmic-ray interactions, have been studied in terrestrial archives, in meteorites, cosmic dust and lunar samples. We present here some results obtained in our laboratory on the study of cosmogenic radionuclides produced in meteorites which fell in the last century. The laboratory is situated in the underground station of Monte dei Cappuccini, Torino, at a depth of 70 m water equivalent to reduce the cosmic-ray background level. To measure γ-activity in meteorites we have set up a highly efficient and selective Ge−NaI(Tl) γ-ray spectrometer surrounded by a passive shield. The solar modulation affects the intensity of GCR and therefore the isotopes production rates in meteorites. The 11 y solar cycle is well reproduced by the variations of²²Na (T _1/2=2.6 y) in meteorites which fell during the past three solar cycles. The⁴⁴Ti (T _1/2=66.6 y) activity measured in eight chondrites which fell in the last 110 y is qualitatively consistent with the century-scale solar-activity variation, called the Gleissberg cycle. The increase is roughly four times higher, than expected (about 5%) for a GCR flux calculated by a model in which the solar-activity modulation is determined solely by the sunspot number indexR. This result suggests a much weakened modulation of GCR during the prolonged Gleissberg minimum during which highly ordered magnetic fields set up in the heliosphere.     

Production of7Be,22Na,24Na and28Mg by irradiation of27Al with 52 MeV deuterons and 104 MeV alpha particles

Excitation functions for the production of⁷Be,²²Na,²⁴Na and²⁸Mg by irradiation of²⁷Al with deuterons and alpha particles were measured for the energy range available with the Karlsruhe Isochronous Cyclotron. The error in the absolute cross section scale is estimated to be 2.5%. The error in the energy scale is about 1 MeV in the threshold region and 0.5 MeV at the maximum energy.     

<Superscript>23</Superscript>Na and <Superscript>27</Superscript>Al NMR Study of Structure and Dynamics in Mordenite

Temperature dependencies of ²⁷Al and ²³Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and spin–lattice relaxations in mordenite have been studied in static and magic angle spinning regimes. Our data show that the spin–lattice relaxations of the ²³Na and ²⁷Al nuclei are mainly governed by interaction of nuclear quadrupole moments with electric field gradients of the crystal, modulated by translational motion of water molecules in the mordenite channels. At temperatures below 200 K, the dipolar interaction of nuclear spins with paramagnetic impurities becomes an important relaxation mechanism of the ²³Na and ²⁷Al nuclei.     

Monte Carlo simulations of the Lewis effect

Recent experiments measuring the thick-target yield curve of narrow resonances in (p, γ) reactions on²³Na,²⁶Mg and²⁷Al nuclei clearly show the Lewis effect. We have studied this effect theoretically on the basis of a Monte Carlo simulation of the nuclear and electronic energy loss curve in the target. We are able to reproduce the experimental data qualitatively. We discuss possible implications of precision measurements of the Lewis effect.     

Study of the excitation functions of27Al(n, α)24Na,27Al(n,p)27Mg and28Si(n,p)28Al reactions

Cross sections for the reactions²⁷Al(n, p)²⁷Mg and²⁸Si(n,p)²⁸Al were measured by activation method between 13.40 and 14.83 MeV neutron energy. An accuracy of about 4% was achieved using the²⁷Al(n, α)²⁴Na reaction as a reference at 14.1 MeV where the relative excitation function has also been measured. Results obtained were compared to a recent compilation and that calculated by the Hauser-Feshbach model. Using the back-shifted level density formula and taking into account the contribution of the separated levels, the calculations were extended to the energy range from the threshold to 18 MeV. A structure was observed in the²⁷Al(n, α)²⁴Na reaction cross section curve around 14 MeV neutron energy.     

The (d,p) Reactions below 3.0 MeV

Excitation functions for a number of proton groups for the reactions ²³Na(d, p)²⁴Na and ²⁷Al(d, p)²⁸Al were measured in the energy range E_d = 1.5 to 3.0 MeV. The angular distributions for a number of proton groups were measured at a number of deuteron energies below 3.0 MeV for the three reactions ¹²C(d, p)¹³C, ²³Na(d, p)²⁴Na and ²⁷Al(d, p)²⁸Al. The theory of deuteron stripping reactions at incident energies below the Coulomb barrier has been considered. A closed analytical form for the differential cross-section has been obtained considering three cases according to the incident deuteron and outgoing proton energies. An attempt has been made to fit the angular distribution measurements at a number of deuterons bombarding energies accordingly.     

Proton transitions in22Na(n,p)22Ne reaction

The nuclear reactions induced by thermal and 2 keV neutrons on²²Na radioactive nucleus were studied. For the thermal neutrons a more accurate value of²²Na (n,p)²²Ne reaction cross section was obtained. A weak proton transition to the²²Ne ground state was observed. The upper limits of cross sections for thermal neutron induced (n,∞) reaction and (n, p) reaction with 2 keV neut·rons are given.