Level structure of 22Mg: implications for the 21Na(p,gamma)22Mg astrophysical reaction rate and for the 22Mg Mass

The level structure of (22)Mg has been studied with high-sensitivity gamma-ray spectroscopy techniques. A complete level scheme is derived incorporating all subthreshold states and all levels in the energy region relevant for novae burning. The excitation energy of the most important astrophysical resonance is measured with improved accuracy and found to differ from previous values. Combining the present result with a recent resonance energy measurement of this state leads to a derived (22)Mg mass excess of -400.5(13) keV.     

The27Al(n,d)26Mg reaction at 22 MeV

Deuteron spectra from the reaction²⁷Al(n, d)²⁶Mg has been measured at reaction angles 0°→60°, with a spectrometer comprising three multiwire proportional counters followed by a curved plastic scintillator. Spectra were obtained with an energy resolution of ～0.7 MeV and an angle resolution of ～5°. Angular distributions for transitions to the ground state and excited states at 1.81, 2.93 and 4.3 MeV in²⁶Mg were obtained. Distorted waves analysis of the angular distributions yield spectroscopic factors of 0.29(8), 0.9(3), 0.18(7) and 1.9(6) for the ground and excited states, respectively. The results are compared with previous (d,³He) and (n, d) measurements, and with theoretical predictions.     

The mass of 20Mg: A test of the isobaric multiplet mass equation in A=20

The reaction ²⁴Mg(⁴He, ⁸He)²⁰Mg has been used to determine the mass of ²⁰Mg. The resulting mass excess of 17.57±0.03 MeV is used to test the isobaric multiplet mass equation in A=20. A small deviation from the quadratic mass equation is found.     

21Na(p,gamma)22Mg reaction and oxygen-neon novae

The 21Na(p,gamma)22Mg reaction is expected to play an important role in the nucleosynthesis of 22Na in oxygen-neon novae. The decay of 22Na leads to the emission of a characteristic 1.275 MeV gamma-ray line. This report provides the first direct measurement of the rate of this reaction using a radioactive 21Na beam, and discusses its astrophysical implications. The energy of the important state was measured to be E(c.m.)=205.7+/-0.5 keV with a resonance strength omegagamma=1.03+/-0.16(stat)+/-0.14(sys) meV.     

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.     

22Na(p,γ)23Mg反应的实验研究

讨论了目前有关22Na(p,γ)23Mg反应的实验研究工作,结合兰州放射性束流线上的放射性束流23Al的β+延发质子衰变实验的测量结果,给出了23Al延发衰变的质子能谱,并比较了近期实验给出的相关能级的自旋、宇称值,正是由于这种自旋、宇称和能级部分宽度的不确定性,导致了反应率计算的不确定性. 计算了同位旋相似态的共振强度. 对于测量到的新的延发衰变能级Ed=8.916MeV,由于没有相应的能级宽度值,实验仅给出其相对共振强度值.     

Measurement of the 24Mg(p, t)22Mg reaction for the states near the 21Na + p threshold

Differential cross-sections of the ²⁴Mg(p, t)²²Mg reaction were measured at 34.68 MeV for the states near the proton threshold at 5.502 MeV in ²²Mg. Among them, the new states at 5.962, 6.046, 6.246 and 6.323 MeV, which were reported previously, have been confirmed. Angular distributions for these states were analyzed by distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations to deduce the spins and parities. The angular distribution for the 5.714 MeV state, which is considered to be most crucial for the stellar reaction ²¹Na(p, γ)²²Mg, has been found to be consistent with J ^π = 2⁺ assignment. The 6.046 MeV state is newly assigned to have J ^π = 0⁺, and the 5.962 MeV state is tentatively assigned to have J ^π = (1^-). These two states will also play an important role for ²²Mg production in novae. Received: 7 March 2002 / Accepted: 7 May 2002     

Relativistic mean-field study of light proton-rich nuclei18Ne,20Mg and22Si

The ground state properties of proton-rich nuclei¹⁸Ne,²⁰Mg and²²Si have been investigated using the nonlinear relativistic mean-field theory with NL1 and NL-SH parameters. Proton halos in these nuclei are predicted. The characteristics of proton halos in nuclei are simply discussed.     

The structure of25Mg

Gamma-decay modes and spin(-parity) assignments of levels in²⁵Mg have been systematically investigated up to 10 MeV excitation energy by particle-γ-ray angularcorrelation measurements with the²⁴Mg(d, pγ) reaction at 6.5 MeV bombarding energy and with the²²Ne(α,nγ) reaction at 11.8, 12.5, 14.4 and 15.5 MeV bombarding energy. A level scheme has been established which is comprehensive up to 8.3 MeV excitation energy forI≦9/2 and up to 10 MeV for 9/2O d _5/2 — 1s _1/2-O d _3/2 shell and the unifieds-d shell Hamiltonian. The agreement is good to excellent. The first intruder states are located near 6.8 MeV excitation energy. The collective properties of²⁵Mg beyond the well established rotational bands are investigated using both the new experimental information and theB(E2)'s obtained from the shell model. The spectrum of²⁵Mg is completely rotational for the first five to six MeV above the yrast line. Shell modelB (M 1)'s reflect the Nilsson model structure of²⁵Mg in great detail. The prospectiveI ^π=9/2^?, 13/2^?, and 15/2^? members of the established negative-parity,K=1/2 band are found in levels atE _x=7801, 9410, and 8896 keV.     

High precision measurement of the superallowed 0+ --> 0+ beta decay of 22Mg

The half-life, 3.8755(12) s, and superallowed branching ratio, 0.5315(12), for 22Mg beta decay have been measured with high precision. The latter depended on gamma-ray intensities being measured with an HPGe detector calibrated for relative efficiencies to an unprecedented 0.15%. Previous precise measurements of 0+ --> 0+ transitions have been restricted to the nine that populate stable daughter nuclei. No more such cases exist, and any improvement in a critical Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity test must depend on precise measurements of more exotic nuclei. With this branching-ratio measurement, we show those to be possible for T(z)=-1 parents. We obtain a corrected Ft value of 3071(9) s, in good agreement with expectations.     

The photoproton reaction of 25Mg

The proton yields from the ²⁵Mg(e, p) reaction have been measured for E_p > 3 MeV, at θ = 90°, using an enriched ²⁵Mg sample in the electron energy range 15–28 MeV. Partial photoproton cross sections to the ground and excited states in ²⁴Na have been deduced and a lower limit is placed on the ²⁵Mg(γ, np) cross section. The derived photoproton cross section combined with existing photoneutron data allows the ²⁵Mg absorption cross section to be estimated. Configuration splitting of the ²⁵Mg GDR is confirmed, and the effects of isospin splitting are considered.     

The γ-decay of25Mg

The reactions²⁴Mg(d,p γ) and²⁷Al(d,α γ) have been used to study the main γ-decay modes of all bound and several unbound levels in²⁵Mg up toE _x=8 574 keV. The relevance of the data with respect to the rotational model is discussed.     

Empirical Coulomb matrix elements and the mass of 22Al

We have attempted to obtain a set of Coulomb matrix elements which fit the known Coulomb energy shifts in the nuclei of mass 18 to 22. The interaction obtained fits the data well with only a few exceptions, one of these being the Coulomb shift of the notorious third 0⁺ state in ¹⁸Ne. These Coulomb matrix elements are used together with the Chung-Wildenthal interaction to obtain a new prediction for the mass excess of ²²Al. The results indicate that ²²A should be bound against proton emission.     

The pair field of rotating 24Mg

The structure of the pair field of rotating ²⁴Mg is investigated for various choices of the parameters of the surface delta interaction, which was adopted as the generating two-body force. With realistic force parameters, yielding a pure T = 0 pairing at all angular momenta, the empirical yrast line up to I = 8 is well reproduced by the calculations.     

The β-decay of 22Al

In an experiment performed at the LISE3 facility of GANIL, we studied the decay of ²²Al produced by the fragmentation of a ³⁶Ar primary beam. A β-decay half-life of T_1/2 = 91.1±0.5ms was measured. The β-delayed one- and two-proton emission as well as β-α and β-delayed γ-decays were measured and allowed us to establish a partial decay scheme for this nucleus. New levels were determined in the daughter nucleus ²²Mg. The comparison with model calculations strongly favours a spin-parity of I^π = 4⁺ for the ground state of ²²Al.     

A new mass measurement of29Mg. Observation of excited states via the13C(18O,2p)29Mg reaction

A direct measurement of the mass of the neutron rich nucleus²⁹Mg has been performed via the¹³C(¹⁸O,2p)²⁹Mg reaction. Excitation energies in²⁹Mg are also deduced from the 2p-particle spectra, and compared with theory.     

22Ne(a,n)25Mg reaction in CONe mantle of massive stars at high temperatures

The effectiveness of²²Ne (a, n)²⁵Mg reaction as a neutron source is examined at high temperatures 0.8?T ₉?3.0 (T ₉ is the temperature in units of 10⁹ K). An assembly consisting of¹²C,¹⁶O, and²²Ne is considered at the end of helium burning in some massive stars. Alpha particles necessary for this neutron producing reaction are assumed to be due to reactions involving¹²C and¹⁶O nuclei. Assuming²²Ne as the only neutron absorber, the number density of neutrons is calculated. The mantles outside the cores of massive stars are possibly the physical sites for these reactions.     

The effect of stoichiometry and Mg doping on the Raman spectra of LiNbO3:Mg crystals

LiNbO₃:Mg crystals doped with 0–8 mol. % Mg with stoichiometric, intermediate and congruent compositions were systematically investigated by Raman spectroscopy in backscattering y(zx)y, y(zz)y and z(xx)z geometries. The damping was found to be a very sensitive parameter for the characterization of the crystal composition. The half-widths of E(TO₃)–E(TO₉) and A ₁(TO₁)–A ₁(TO₄) bands having significant composition dependence for the undoped LiNbO₃ crystals show only a weak Mg concentration dependence below the photorefractive threshold, which is a consequence of the counteracting effect of the decreasing Nb_Li and increasing Mg_Li contents. The half-widths of the bands, however, increase linearly with growing Mg content for samples above the threshold, irrespective of the Li/Nb ratio. The change in the Mg concentration dependence at a given Li/Nb ratio determines the same threshold value as that concluded from IR and UV spectroscopic measurements. The half-width of the main A ₁(LO₄) band at 873 cm^-1 increases linearly with growing Mg concentration, but no threshold effect is observed. However, the ratio of the area of the main band and the high-frequency sideband shows a threshold effect that can be interpreted by the existing defect incorporation models. The small Raman band at about 740 cm^-1 attributed earlier to Nb_Li vibration is also detected in above-threshold LiNbO₃:Mg crystals, which can be explained by the vibration of Nb ions in Mg₄Nb₂O₉ defect clusters appearing at high Mg concentrations. PACS 77.84.Dy; 63.20.Mt; 42.70.Mp; 78.30.-j     

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

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.