Nuclear deformations from inelastic α-scattering on rare earth nuclei at energies near the Coulomb barrier

Alpha particles in the energy range of 10–20 MeV and scattered at various angles were used to excite the 0⁺, 2⁺, 4⁺ members in the ground state bands of ¹⁵²Sm, ¹⁵⁴Sm and ¹⁸⁶W. The measured excitation probabilities for bombarding energies below the Coulomb barrier were analyzed in the framework of Coulomb excitation theory. The resulting matrix elements of the E2 and E4 multipole operators were interpreted in terms of charge deformation parameters β^cλ = 2, 4. The cross sections for higher energies were analyzed in terms of the deformed optical potential and resulted in potential deformation parameters β^pλ = 2, 4. The two sets of deformation parameters show the same general trend of variation with target mass number. Still, significant differences are observed in some particular cases.     

Semiclassical description of reactions at energies near the Coulomb barrier

The modified semiclassical approximation of Coulomb matrix elements is extended to include effects of distorting nuclear potentials in the scattering wave functions. The applicability and efficiency of the proposed semiclassical method are discussed. The advantages of this approximation are shown for a typical heavy-ion transfer reaction.     

Sub and near barrier fusion of neutron rich heavy nuclei – studies with radioactive ion beams

The availability of accelerated fission fragments at HRIBF allows us to study fusion reactions where one of the reactants is a short-lived exotic nucleus. Most interesting in this respect are entrance channels involving neutron-rich target and projectile – where enhanced survival probability of the compound system may allow the synthesis of heavier system. Much depends though on the dynamic evolution of the captured nuclei into a compound nucleus and the ensuing competition between fission and evaporation residue decay modes. Our studies of fusion between heavy neutron-rich nuclei are aimed at acquiring data that will lead to the understanding and eventually the ability to predict the probabilities for these different processes.     

Total and partial capture cross sections in reactions with deformed nuclei at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier

Within the quantum diffusion approach, the capture of a projectile nucleus by a target nucleus is studied at bombarding energies above and below the Coulomb barrier. The effects of deformation of interacting nuclei and neutron transfer between them on the total and partial capture cross sections and the mean angular momentum of the captured system are studied. The results obtained for the ¹⁶O + ¹¹²Cd, ¹⁵²Sm, and ¹⁸⁴W; ¹⁹F +¹⁷⁵Lu; ²⁸Si +^94,100Mo and ¹⁵⁴Sm; ⁴⁰Ca +⁹⁶Zr; ⁴⁸Ca+ ⁹⁰Zr; and ⁶⁴Ni +^58,64Ni, ^92,96Zr, and ¹⁰⁰Mo reactions are in good agreement with available experimental data.     

Argon ion reaction studies on tantalum and gold near Coulomb barrier energies

Gold and tantalum targets were bombarded with a ⁴⁰Ar beam at 183 and 209 MeV, close to the Coulomb barrier height. Angular distributions of recoiling reaction products were measured by collecting on A1 catcher foils. The radioactivity was counted after the irradiation by Ge(Li) detectors. One-neutron and one- and two-proton transfer products were prominent. Simple semiclassical transfer theory adequately fits the backward peaking angular distributions at or below the Coulomb barrier but fails at bombarding energies above the barrier. Yields of some products more than two mass numbers removed from reactants were observed in thicker targets at 235 MeV, and their significance is discussed.     

Fusion and transfer reactions in beams of light loosely bound nuclei at energies in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier

Experiments devoted to studying cross sections for fusion and transfer reactions induced by the interaction of beams of halo-like (⁶He), cluster (⁶Li and ⁷Li), and loosely bound (³He) nuclei with nuclei of light and heavy elements are described. The cross sections obtained experimentally for such reactions are analyzed. Special features in the behavior of the cross sections for the formation of evaporation residues and products of transfer reactions at energies in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier are revealed. In particular, an increase in the cross sections for fusion and transfer reactions involving halo-like nuclei and proceeding at energies in the subbarrier region is observed. The cross sections for neutron-transfer and light-cluster-transfer reactions reachmaximum values at an energy in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier for the reaction being considered.     

The finite size effects in fusion of deformed nuclei at incident energies near the barrier

By the end of the last century, the precision of heavy-ion-fusion cross-section measurement had been increased up to 1%. This allowed the measured cross sections to be converted into experimental fusion-barrier distributions. In the experimental analysis, the barrier distributions were analyzed using a Woods-Saxon shape for the nuclear part of the bare nucleus-nucleus potential. This potential was defined along the line joining the centers of the two nuclei (“centerline potential”), which, for deformed nuclei, contradicts the short-range character of the nucleon-nucleon (N N) nuclear interaction. We present the results of our theoretical study of the significant deviations of the simplified potential from a “realistic” nuclear potential. The finite-size effects on the potential for deformed nuclei were first investigated in an approximate geometrical way. Then a more rigorous approach, namely, a semimicroscopic double-folding model, was applied to calculate the nucleus-nucleus potential. The angle-dependent fusion barriers calculated with a simple delta-function-like exchange term of the N N M3Y interaction was found to be very similar to those calculated with a finite-range expression. This circumstance enables us to perform rather quick calculations of the fusion cross sections and the corresponding barrier distributions. Comparison of the results with the experimental data showed that the finite-size effects are substantial and cannot be ignored in a quantitative analysis of experimental fusion cross sections and barrier distributions. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Study of Be + C elastic scattering at energies near the Coulomb barrier

In this work, angular distribution measurements for the elastic channel were performed for the ⁹Be + ¹²C reaction at the energies ELab=13.0$E_{\mathit{Lab}}=13.0$, 14.5, 17.3, 19.0 and 21.0 MeV, near the Coulomb barrier. The data have been analyzed in the framework of the double folding São Paulo potential. The experimental elastic scattering angular distributions were well described by the optical potential at forward angles for all measured energies. However, for the three highest energies, an enhancement was observed for intermediate and backward angles. This can be explained by the elastic transfer mechanism.     

Program of polarization studies and capabilities of accelerating polarized proton and light nuclear beams at the nuclotron of the joint institute for nuclear research

A program of polarization studies is presented; this program can enhance our understanding of the constituents from which the spin of hadrons and lightest nuclei is constructed. Beams of polarized lightest nuclei at Nuclotron are required to complete this program. Calculations of linear resonance strengths at Nuclotron, which may result in depolarization effects, are presented. The application of a new method for conserving particle beam polarization at crossing these resonances at Nuclotron is discussed.     

Investigations of the deuteron break-up on heavy nuclei above the Coulomb barrier

The deuteron break-up on heavy nuclei is studied for deuteron energies above the Coulomb barrier in the post form of the DWBA. The “region of formation” of the DWBA integral is found to be located mainly outside the nuclear force range. Finite-range, non-locality and virtual break-up effects are carefully considered. A comparison of our theoretical calculations with the available experimental coincidence cross sections shows good agreement. This supports strongly the validity of the direct break-up model assumed here.     

Secondary nuclear fragment beams for investigations of relativistic fragmentation of light radioactive nuclei using nuclear photoemulsion at Nuclotron

Slowly extracted relativistic beams of light nuclei and a beam transportation line net system constitute a good base for secondary nuclear beams forming at the LHE accelerator facility. A recent years activity in the field at the Laboratory is connected with a project on study light nuclei structure by means the emulsion technique [1,2]. The paper shortly summarizes results of the work.     

Nuclear structure studies on halo nuclei by direct reactions with radioactive beams

The investigation of direct reactions with exotic beams in inverse kinematics gives access to a wide field of nuclear structure studies in the region far off stability. The basic concept and the methods involved are briefly discussed. The present contribution will focus on the investigation of light neutron-rich halo nuclei. Such nuclei reveal a new type of nuclear structure, namely an extended neutron distribution surrounding a nuclear core. An overview on this phenomenon, and on the various methods which gave first evidence and qualitative confirmation of our present picture of halo nuclei, is given. To obtain more quantitative information on the radial shape of halo nuclei, elastic proton scattering on neutron-rich light nuclei at intermediate energies was recently investigated for the first time. This method is demonstrated to be an effective means for studying the nuclear matter distributions of such nuclei. The results on the nuclear matter radii of ⁶He and ⁸He, the deduced nuclear matter density distributions, and the significance of the data on the halo structure is discussed. The present data allow also a sensitive test of theoretical model calculations on the structure of neutron-rich helium isotopes. A few examples are presented. The investigation of few-nucleon transfer reactions in inverse kinematics may provide new and complementary information on nuclear structure, as well as astrophysical questions. The physics motivation and the experimental concept for such experiments, to be performed due to momentum matching reasons at low incident energies around 5–20 MeV/u at the new generation low energy radioactive beam facilities SPIRAL, PIAFE, etc., is briefly discussed.     

Prototype of a test bench for applied research on Extracted beams of the nuclotron accelerator complex

The results of the development and testing of elements of a test bench for investigating the impact of accelerated particle beams on biological objects, electronics, and other targets are presented. The systems for beam monitoring and target positioning were tested on extracted argon beams in the framework of experiments on studying the radiation hardness of electronic components.     

Elastic scattering of Ni+Ni near the Coulomb barrier

Elastic scattering angular distributions have been measured for ⁵⁸Ni+⁶⁴Ni at three energies around the Coulomb barrier employing a new kinematic coincidence technique. The data are compared with the results of coupled-channels calculations including inelastic excitations as well as one-and two-neutron transfer reactions. The agreement is good and the calculations also agree well with the available transfer and fusion reaction data.     

Electromagnetic energies of nuclei and the nuclear compton amplitude

The electromagnetic energy of a nucleus is derived in perturbation theory, which relates this quantity to the amplitude for the forward scattering of virtual photons on a nucleus (nuclear Compton amplitude). Using the gauge invariance of this amplitude, the energy is separated into Coulomb and transverse components. Our formalism, although basically nonrelativistic, admits corrections of order ($\text{v}\text{c}$)² to the nuclear charge operator. The energy is further separated into one-body terms, related to the n-p mass difference, and two-body terms which lead to the Breit interaction and the nuclear Lamb shift. These results are then related to electron scattering sum rules in the manner of Cottingham. Mesonic contributions to the electromagnetic energy are also discussed.     

Total fusion cross sections for 18, 17, 16O + 27Al at energies near the Coulomb barrier

Total fusion cross sections have been measured for ^{18, 17, 16}O + ²⁷Al systems at bombarding energies 27–42 MeV. The evaporation residues were detected in the angular range 4°–25° (lab) using a $\text{2E?E}$ counter telescope. Barrier radii extracted from total fusion and elastic scattering cross sections are found to increase with the projectile mass. The effect of the yrast levels on the isotopic yields in the evaporation cascade is investigated.     

Computer simulation of beam acceleration and extraction from the joint institute for nuclear research phasotron

Beam extraction from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) Phasotron by the regenerative method is simulated using a specially developed code. Preliminary calculations show that the extraction efficiency cannot be higher than 40%.     

Partial fusion of a weakly bound projectile with heavy target at energies above the Coulomb barrier

Partial-fusion cross-sections for the systems ⁶Li + ²⁰⁸Pb, ⁹Be + ²⁰⁹Bi have been determined. The effect of breakup on fusion for weakly bound projectiles ⁶Li and ⁹Be incident on ²⁰⁸Pb or ²⁰⁹Bi targets has been discussed comparing experimental fusion cross-section excitation functions to those evaluated with a semi-classical approach. It is shown that complete fusion of a weakly bound projectile with heavy target is reduced, whereas the breakup process has very little influence on the total-fusion cross-section for some of the studied systems at energies above the Coulomb barrier.