Elastic alpha-12C scattering and the 12C(alpha,gamma)16O E2 S factor

Angular distributions of 12C(alpha,alpha)12C have been measured for E(alpha) = 2.6-8.2 MeV, at angles from 24 to 166, yielding 12 864 data points. R-matrix analysis of the ratios of elastic scattering yields a reduced width amplitude of gamma12 = 0.47 +/- 0.06 MeV(1/2) for the Ex = 6.917 MeV (2+) state in 16O(a = 5.5 fm). The dependence of the chi2 surface on the interaction radius a has been investigated and a deep minimum is found at a = 5.42(+0.16)(-0.27) fm. Using this value of gamma12, radiative alpha capture and 16N beta-delayed alpha-decay data, the S factor is calculated at E(c.m.) = 300 keV to be S(E2)(300) = 53(+13)(-18) keV b for destructive interference between the subthreshold resonance tail and the ground state E2 direct capture.     

Out of plane measurements of the decay neutron from the giant resonance in the 12C(e,e(')n)11C reaction

Out of plane measurements of the angular correlations for the 12C(e, e(')n) reaction have been performed for the first time in the giant resonance region. The cross sections were directly separated into the longitudinal and transverse, longitudinal-transverse, and transverse-transverse components. The cross section at the peak of the giant resonance ( omega = 22.5 MeV) has been found to be almost all longitudinal. It was reproduced by the multipole expansion with E0 and E2 components besides E1. The longitudinal-transverse component might have a maximum around 24 MeV. The transverse-transverse component is very small over the giant resonance.     

Measurement of the cascade transition via the first excited state of 16O in the 12C(alpha,gamma)16O reaction, and its S factor in stellar helium burning

Radiative alpha-particle capture into the first excited, J(pi)=0+ state of 16O at 6.049 MeV excitation energy has rarely been discussed as contributing to the 12C(alpha,gamma)16O reaction cross section due to experimental difficulties in observing this transition. We report here measurements of this radiative capture in 12C(alpha,gamma)16O for center-of-mass energies of E=2.22 MeV to 5.42 MeV at the DRAGON recoil separator. To determine cross sections, the acceptance of the recoil separator has been simulated in GEANT as well as measured directly. The transition strength between resonances has been identified in R-matrix fits as resulting both from E2 contributions as well as E1 radiative capture. Details of the extrapolation of the total cross section to low energies are then discussed [S6.0(300)=25(-15)(+16) keV b] showing that this transition is likely the most important cascade contribution for 12C(alpha,gamma)16O.     

Neutron branching in the reaction 12C + 12C

The cross section for the reaction ¹²C(¹²C, n)²³Mg has been measured in the energy range E_c.m. = 3.54?4.94 MeV by counting the delayed γ-rays from ²³Mg decays (half-life = 11.57 sec), and a theoretical model has been employed to extrapolate the results to threshold (E_c.m = 2.60 MeV). By combining these results with previous measurements of the reactions ¹²C(¹²C, p)²³Na and ¹²C(¹²C, α)²⁰Ne, the neutron branching ratio in the energy interval from threshold to 8 MeV is deduced, and a thermal average is computed that should be valid for use in astrophysical environments characterized by temperatures in the range (0.5–5) × 10⁹ °K. The neutron branching at temperatures appropriate to hydrostatic carbon burning in stars (T ≈ 109 °K) is found to be much smaller than previously estimated.     

Alpha-particle unstable states in12C

Alpha particle unstable states in¹²C have been investigated using the three reactions¹⁴N(d, α′)¹²C,¹⁴N(d, α′α)⁸Be and¹²C(α, α′)¹²C. Excitation cross sections and angular distributions have been measured for the reactions¹⁴N(d, α′) at 52 MeV and¹²C(α, α′) at 90 MeV. For a few angle pairs the α-decay of excited states in¹²C have been observed in a¹⁴N(d, α′α) correlation measurement. The reactions selectively excite onlyT=0 states. A previously undetected level with a large α-decay width (Γ=1.2 MeV) has been observed at 15.62 MeV excitation. This level shows up clearly in both reactions and is further distinguished from the nearby 14.08 state in the correlation measurement because of the distinctly different energy distributions of the decay products. On the basis of a particle angular distributions the 15.62 MeV level was assigned spin and parity 4⁺ and the level at 14.08 was assigned 3^?. The latter differs from the value suggest by earlier work. Comparison with DWBA calculations indicates that angular distributions of all other prominent levels are in agreement with their earlier assignments. Two levels at 19.20 and 20.30 MeV (both Γ?0.4 MeV) and three further levels at 21.81, 22.7 and 24.24 MeV also decay predominantly by α-emission.     

Isovector quadrupole resonance observed in the 60Ni(13C,13N)60Co reaction at E/A=100 MeV

The charge-exchange reaction 60Ni(13C,13N)60Co at E/A=100 MeV has been studied to locate isovector (deltaT=1) non-spin-flip (deltaS=0) giant resonances. Besides the giant dipole resonance at E(x)=8.7 MeV, another resonance has been observed at E(x)=20 MeV with a width of 9 MeV. Distorted-wave Born approximation analysis on the angular distribution clearly indicated the L=2 multipolarity, attributing the E(x)=20 MeV state to the giant isovector quadrupole resonance.     

12C(alpha,gamma)16O: the key reaction in stellar nucleosynthesis

The angular distributions of gamma rays from the 12C(alpha,gamma)16O reaction have been measured at 20 energy points in the energy range E(cm) = 0.95 to 2.8 MeV. The sensitivity of the present experiment compared to previous direct investigations was raised by 1-2 orders of magnitude, by using an array of highly efficient ( 100%) Ge detectors shielded actively with BGOs, as well as high beam currents of up to 500 microA that were provided by the Stuttgart Dynamitron accelerator. The S(E1) and S(E2) factors deduced from the gamma angular distributions have been extrapolated to the range of helium burning temperatures applying the R-matrix method, which yielded S(300)(E1) = (76+/-20) keV b and S(300)(E2) = (85+/-30) keV b.     

Proton and alpha evaporation spectra in low energy 12C and 16O induced reactions

Proton and alpha particle spectra have been measured in the ¹²C+⁹³Nb and ¹²C+⁵⁸Ni reactions at E(¹²C)=40 and 50 MeV and in the ¹⁶O + ⁹³Nb reaction at E(¹⁶O) =75 MeV. The spectra are compared with the statistical model calculations. The shapes of the calculated spectra are in agreement with experimental data except for the alpha spectrum in the ¹²C + ⁹³Nb reaction at 40 MeV. The observed evaporation bump is at ∼2 MeV lower energy compared to the calculated one. This discrepancy could imply alpha particle emission from a deformed configuration before compound nucleus formation at this near Coulomb barrier beam energy.     

Study of the diffraction scattering 12C + 12C with the excitation of the 12C exotic state 0 2 + (the Hoyle state)

New results from a series of experiments dedicated to the study of the ¹²C exotic state (the so-called Hoyle state) are presented. In spite of the many investigations that have been carried out, the structure of this state (which lies above the threshold for breaking up into three alpha particles) is still unknown. The different models assume that the nucleus has an abnormally large size in this excited state. However, until recently, methods for measuring the radii of unbound states have not been suggested. The best way to solve this problem seems to be by measuring the angular distributions of elastic and inelastic scattering of ¹²C on different target nuclei, and the determination of the radii is based on the fact that, at small scattering angles, the cross sections for direct reactions at high enough energies behave like Frauenhofer diffraction on a black ball. Accordingly, an experiment was performed aimed at measuring the elastic and inelastic angular distributions of ¹²C with an energy of (121.5 ± 0.5) MeV on a ¹²C target. The elastic scattering was measured in the angular range from 18° to 50° in the c.m. system with uncertainty in the angle of measurement equal to Δθ = ± 0.6°. The inelastic cross section was measured for the ¹²C excited state 2⁺ (4.44 MeV) and 0⁺ (7.65 MeV). Estimates were made for the diffraction radii for the ground and excited states. An increase was observed in the radius of the state at 7.65 MeV compared to those of the ground and first excited states.     

Isospin mixing in 12C

We observe a yield to the 1⁺T = 1 level in ¹²C at 15.11 MeV in the isospin forbidden ¹²C(d, d') and ¹⁰B(α, d) reactions at about 1 % of the yield to the 1⁺T = 0 level at 12.71 MeV. Observed yields to the T = 12⁺ level at 16.11 MeV in both reactions at about half the yield to the 15.11 MeV level preclude attributing this observed isospin violation entirely to final state mixing. From the ratios of the spectroscopic factors for the 12.71 and 15.11 MeV levels in ¹²C and the ground state of ¹²B from the ¹³C(d, t) and ¹³C(d, ³He) reactions, we find a charge dependent matrix element between the 1⁺ states in ¹²C of 179 ± 75 keV.     

Levels in 13N examined by 12C+p elastic resonance scattering with thick target

The elastic resonance scattering of 12C+p has been studied in inverse kinematics via a novel thick target method at GIRAFFE facility of HI-13 tandem accelerator laboratory,Beijing.The recoil protons were measured by a △E-E counter telescope based on a large area double-sided silicon strip detector at laboratory angles around θ0=15°.The excitation function for 12C(p,p)elastic scattering has been obtained over a wide energy range of Ec.m.=0.31-3.45 MeV,which was explained quite well by the R-matrix calculation with known resonance parameters of the first three levels in 13N nucleus.Thus it is demonstrated that the present setup can be directly applied to the study of elastic resonance scattering with secondary radioactive beams.     

Alpha particles from the reaction12C +12C at 28.7 MeV/nucleon

A classical dynamical alpha-cluster model has been developed and applied in order to get inclusive energy spectra of alpha particles produced in the collision of¹²C +¹²C at the beam energy 28.7 MeV/A. Results of the calculations are compared with experimental data. The shapes of the experimental energy spectra and the absolute normalization at forward angles are approximately described without any free parameters. The model makes it possible to distinguish alpha particles originating from the compound system and from direct processes. The spectra at forward angles are dominated by projectile fragmentation processes. The cross section at larger angles is overestimated, which is partially due to emission of particles other than alpha particles in central collisions. The evaporation Hauser-Feshbach model predicts that alpha particles emitted from the compound nucleus constitute less than 26% of all emitted particles.     

The12C+12C reaction at subcoulomb energies (II)

The reaction¹²C+¹²C has been studied in the energy range E_c.m.=2.8–6.3 MeV by charged-particle spectroscopy. Angular distributions of the proton and α-particle exit channels were obtained. The excitation functions do not reveal evidence for the phenomenon of absorption under the barrier. The data have been extrapolated to the energy region of astrophysical interest. The existence of reported and new intermediate resonance structures is discussed.     

Spin-flip probability in the inelastic scattering of 16.9 MeV neutrons from 12C

The neutron spin-flip probability S(θ) for inelastic scattering of unpolarized 16.9 MeV neutrons to the 4.44 MeV state of ¹²C has been determined by measuring the absolute directional correlation between the scattered neutrons and the subsequent E2 deexcitation γ- radiation emitted perpendicular to the scattering plane. Time-of-flight techniques with carbon recoil detection in a plastic scintillator were used to separate elastically and inelastically scattered neutrons. The neutron spin-flip data were found to be in close agreement with 20.0 MeV proton spin-flip results. Comparison of the measurement is made with the predictions of a microscopic antisymmetrized distorted wave calculation in which the direct reaction mechanism is supplemented by a two step resonance contribution. This theoretical analysis reveals the presence of a strong quadrupole resonance at 20.5 MeV excitation in ¹²C. The results are also influenced to a lesser extent by the E1 giant dipole resonance.     

A detailed study of the 12C + 16O fusion reaction at Ecm = 19 to 24 MeV

Excitation functions of evaporation residues following the ¹²C + ¹⁶O reaction are investigated at E_cm = 19 to 24 MeV. At the resonances which have been previously identified in the ¹²C(¹⁶O, ⁸Be)²⁰Ne two-body channel, an order of magnitude larger resonance cross section is observed in the fusion channel than that in the two-body one and is shared among a few evaporation residues (²⁰Ne, ²³Na and ²⁴Mg). Here the resonance cross section is defined as the resonance part of the cross section on a resonance in an excitation function. It is found that for each resonance the relative intensity of the resonance cross sections of these residues is fairly well explained by assuming that they are coming from the decay of a compound nuclear resonance. It indiates that these intermediate resonances have a large probability to proceed to the formation of a more complicated configuration prior to its decay into exit channels. However, the resonant enhancement in the fusion channel is found to be weak at three energies (E_cm = 19.7, 22.0 and 22.6 MeV), where prominent resonant structures have been observed in inelastic channels. These distinct situations may be attributed to the magnitude of level density of the compound nucleus.     

Gammadecay of quasimolecular resonances in the12C+12C system

We have studied the heavy-ion radiative capture reaction¹²C(¹²C,γ)²⁴Mg forE _cm =4.7–6.0 MeV. Transitions to the ground-, first and unresolved second and third excited states in the final nucleus²⁴Mg have been observed with cross sections as low as 1 nb/sr. Forγ ₁ two strong resonance-like structures at 4.9 and 5.0 MeV were found correlated in energy with established 2⁺ resonances. Statistical model calculations cannot account for the observed yield. The branching ratioΓ _γ /Γ associated with theγ ₁ decay channel of the 5 MeV resonance was estimated to be 1.1·10^?5 yielding aγ-ray strength of 0.8 eV. The experimental result is in agreement with calculations based on the generator coordinate method where broad barrier resonances are viewed as short lived states of quasimolecular nature.     

Magnetic excitations in12C by inelastic electron scattering at 180°

Nuclear excitations in¹²C have been investigated by inelastic scattering of 50, 65 and 70 MeV primary electrons at 180°. Cross sections were measured of the inelastic peaks observed between 15 and 20 MeV. The behaviour of the corresponding transverse form factor as a function of momentum transfer is compared with theoretical predictions and other experimental¹²C (e, e′) results.     

Isospin mixing in 12C

Gamma-ray decays of the 12.71 and 16.11 MeV states of ¹²C are investigated in a coincidence study of the ¹⁰B(τ, pγ) reaction, and using the 163 keV ¹¹B(p, γ) resonance. This information together with existing data on M1 transitions and stripping and pickup spectroscopic factors is used to determine the isospin mixing between the 12.71 and 15.11 MeV levels. A charge dependent mixing matrix element of 110 ± 30 keV is deduced.