A search for resonant two-step α-exchange in 6Li + 12C scattering

Excitation functions for ¹²C(⁶Li, ⁶Li)¹²C (gs, 4.43 MeV) have been measured at 10 angles (40° ? θ_cm ? 160°) over the energy range 20 MeV < E_lab < 36 MeV. A single anomaly of width Γ ≈ 800 keV is observed at E_lab = 22.8 MeV. The results casts doubts on the resonant two-step α-exchange mechanism suggested to occur in this system.     

Evidence for critical angular momenta in the formation of 26Al via the 14N + 12C channel

States in ²⁰Ne have been studied through the ¹²C(¹⁴N, ⁶Li)²⁰Ne reaction. Excitation functions have been measured from 20 MeV to 60 MeV in steps of 5 MeV at different angles for ²⁰Ne states up to 10 MeV excitation energy. States of ²⁴Mg have been also populated using the ¹²C(¹⁴N, d)²⁴Mg reaction; excitation functions of ²⁴Mg states up to 9 MeV excitation energies as well as angular distributions at 35 MeV bombarding energy have been obtained. Comparisons of data with Hauser-Feshbach calculations show clearly that the compound nucleus mechanism is the main process for both ¹²C(¹⁴N, ⁶Li)²⁰Ne and ¹²C(¹⁴N, d)²⁴Mg reactions. Strong evidence has been provided for inhibition of the ²⁶Al compound nucleus formation for angular momenta higher than critical values. The location of the yrast line in the ²⁶Al nucleus is discussed.     

High-resolution study of four-nucleon pickup via the (d, 6Li) reaction at Ed = 55 MeV on sd-shell nuclei: (II). odd-A nuclei

The ²⁵Mg(d, ⁶Li)²¹Ne and ²⁷Al(d, ⁶Li)²³Na reactions were studied with a broad-range magnetic spectrograph at E_d = 55 MeV with an energy resolution of ~ 40 keV. Angular distributions were obtained from θ_lab = 10°–37° for some eighty transitions to states up to E_x ? 9.5 MeV. The data were analyzed with zero-range and finite-range DWBA. Experimental spectroscopic factors are compared with those predicted by the SU(3) model and by microscopic shell-model calculations made with the Chung-Wildenthal interaction in the full (1sd)ⁿ space.     

Non-statistical effects in the 12C(12C, α)20Ne reaction near Ec.m. = 15 MeV

The ¹²C(¹²C, α)²⁰Ne reaction is studied near E_c.m. = 15 MeV. Angular distributions for three energies and excitation functions at θ_{lab = 30°} over an energy range E_c.m. = 14.5?15.4 MeV for about 20 levels in ²⁰Ne (E_ex = 0–13 MeV) are examined. The statistical analysis yields the results that a correlated resonance is present at E_c.m. = 14.75 MeV. A nonstatistical contribution to the reaction is also apparent when energy-averaged cross sections are compared with the Hauser-Feshbach model predictions. Strong population of the 0⁺₃ band in ²⁰Ne is observed.     

Comparison of the fusion reactions12C+20Ne and16O+16O near the Coulomb barrier

The partial cross sections of heavy residual nuclei produced in the heavy ion fusion of¹²C+²⁰Ne have been measured atE _c.m.=6–15 MeV viaγ-ray spectroscopy with a Ge(Li) detector. Windowless and recirculating gas target systems have been used. The dominant residual nuclei are²⁴Mg,²⁷Al,²⁸Si,³⁰Si,³⁰P and³¹P, which arise from two- and three-body breakups in the exit channels. The observed excitation functions are smooth in their energy dependence and give no indications for the existence of pronounced resonance structures, in contrast to theoretical predictions. The Coulomb excitation of²⁰Ne served as an intrinsic calibration standard in the determination of absolute partial and total fusion cross sections. The same experimental set-up was also used in the reaction studies of¹⁶O+¹⁶O atE _c.m.=7–14 MeV, going through the same compound nucleus³²S at similar excitation energies. The observed energy dependence in the excitation functions is in good agreement with previous work. The total fusion cross section agrees fairly well with two sets of values reported previously, but deviates significantly from other reported absolute cross section values. The relative evaporation distributions of the residual nuclei are similar for both heavy ion reactions. However, the ratio of their total fusion cross sections deviates from model predictions and suggests that compound nucleus formation does depend on the microscopic structure of the colliding nuclei in the entrance channel. From the observed energy dependence of the above ratio, particularly at subcoulomb energies, geometrical effects in the entrance channel (due to deformed and spherical nuclei) appear to be weak. The astrophysical aspects of the data in the context of late stellar nucleosynthesis are discussed.     

A study of the 18O(6Li,d)22Ne reaction at 32 MeV

Results from a study of the ¹⁸O(⁶Li, d)²²Ne reaction at a ⁶Li energy of 32 MeV are reported. The L-dependence of the shapes of the measured angular distributions provide a check on recent J^π assignments for some of the high-lying levels in ²²Ne. A finite range distorted wave analysis assuming a direct cluster transfer has been used to extract from the data α-particle spectroscopic strengths for most of the natural parity levels populated below 8 MeV of excitation. These strengths are compared with theoretical predictions for those few states for which a definite correspondence can be made between the calculated and experimental levels of ²²Ne. For transitions to the members of the ground-state band, the observed strengths disagree with the predictions. This disagreement has also been observed in the ¹⁶O(⁶Li, d) reaction and its cause is not understood. It is in marked contrast with the good agreement found for (⁶Li, d) reactions on targets of mass 20 ≦ A ≦ 24.     

The 12C + 12C sub-coulomb fusion cross section

The ¹²C + ¹²C fusion cross section has been studied over the energy range 2.46 ≦ E_c.m. ≦ 5.88 MeV. The yields of the γ-rays emitted from the first excited states of ²³Na and ²⁰Ne, following ²⁴Mg compound nucleus decay via proton- and α-emissions, were measured using a Ge(Li) detector. The fusion cross section was obtained by normalizing these yields to previously reported ¹²C(¹²C, p)²³Na and ¹²C(¹²C, α)²⁰Ne cross sections. The data indicate that the cross section below 3.5 MeV is dominated by two or more resonances, and that the average trend in this energy region does not show the absorption-under-the barrier features of the optical model. For astrophysical extrapolations to lower energies, the new results are consistent with the extrapolation proposed by Fowler, Caughlan and Zimmerman.     

Untersuchungen zur Struktur des Kerns23Ne

Low-lying states of²³Ne up to about 3 MeV excitation energy have been investigated by studying the reactions²²Ne(d, p)²³Ne (E _d =4–6 MeV) and²³Na(n, p γ)²³Ne(E _n=8–9 MeV). From the (d, p) data,l-values and spectroscopic factors for the transferred neutron have been extracted by DWBA analyses. From the (n, p γ) data,γ-ray branchings and possible spin assignments have been derived. The results are used to discuss the applicability of the Nilsson model and the excited core model to the nucleus²³Ne.     

Experimental investigation of highly excited states of the 5,6He and 5,6Li nuclei in the (6Li, 7Be) and (6Li, 7Li) one-nucleon pickup reactions

The (⁶Li, ⁷Be) and (⁶Li, ⁷Li) reactions on ⁶Li and ⁷Li nuclei were investigated in the angular interval 0°–20° in the laboratory system at a ⁶Li energy of 93 MeV. In addition to low-lying states of the ^5,6He and ^5,6Li nuclei, broad structures were observed near the t(³He)+d and t(³He)+t thresholds at the excitation energies of 16.75 (3/2⁺) and ～20 MeV (for ⁵He), 16.66 (3/2⁺) and ～20 MeV (⁵Li), 14.0 and 25 MeV (⁶He), and ～20 MeV (⁶Li). The angular distributions measured in the ⁷Li(⁶Li, ⁷Be)⁶He reaction for transitions to the ground state (0⁺) and excited states at E _x=1.8 MeV (2⁺) and 14.0 MeV of the ⁶He nucleus were analyzed by the finite-range distorted-wave method assuming the 1p-and 1s-proton pickup mechanism. The (⁶Li, ⁷Be) and (⁶Li, ⁷Li) reactions were shown to proceed predominantly through the one-step pickup mechanism, and the broad structures observed at high excitation energies are considered as quasimolecular states of the t(³He)+d and t(³He)+t types.     

Measurements of the radiative widths of the first T = 1, 2+ state of 20Ne and their relationship to analog β-decays

The radiative widths for decays of the ²⁰Ne T = 1, 2⁺ (10.27 MeV) state were measured by resonance α-capture in the reaction ¹⁶O(α, γ)²⁰Ne. A special windowless gas-cell target yielded a low-background spectrum enabling six γ-branches to be observed with a Ge(Li) detector. The six branches correspond to decays from the 10.27 MeV level to the following levels: 2⁺(7.83 MeV), 2⁺(7.42 MeV), 3^?(5.62 MeV), 2^?(4.97 MeV), 2⁺(1.63 MeV) and 0⁺(g.s.). The branching ratios and radiative widths Γ_γ to these levels are: 7.83 MeV [(0.22 ± 0.06)%, 0.008 ± 0.002 eV], 7.42 MeV [(6.9 ± 0.4)%, 0.31 ± 0.04 eV], 5.62 MeV [(2.1 ± 0.2)%, 0.097 ± 0.014 eV], 4.97 MeV [(1.3 ± 0.1)%, 0.060 ± 0.008 eV], 1.63 MeV [(88.9 ± 0.5)%, 4.08 ± 0.43 eV] and 0.0 MeV [(0.64 ± 0.14)%, 0.029 ± 0.008 eV]. The radiative widths to the 1.63 MeV and 7.42 MeV levels are used to determine the CVC predictions of the weak magnetism form factors and their effects on certain β-decay observables are evaluated.     

Coherent exciton-phonon pulse propagation in one dimension

The²⁴Mg(d,⁶Li)²⁰Ne reaction induced by 80 MeV deuterons has been studied usingΔE-E counter telescopes. The angular distributions leading to several low lying levels in²⁰Ne have been measured in the angular range between 15.5° and 102.5° (lab.). The experimental results are compared with the prediction of the DWBA theory assuming a simple pick-up of an alpha-like cluster.     

DSA lifetime measurements in21Ne at high recoil velocity

States in²¹Ne up to 5 MeV excitation energy have been populated using the inverted reaction²H(²⁰Ne,pγ). The Doppler shift attenuation (DSA) analysis of thepγ coincidence spectra taken in a Ge(Li) detector at 45° and 135° and an annular silicon surface barrier detector near 0° yielded the lifetimes of 8 states in²¹Ne. Due to the large recoil ofπ _i/c～ 4% three new lifetimes were determined for the short lived levels at 2.80, 4.68 and 4.73 MeV, namely 10±4 fs, 16±4 fs and 10±4 fs, respectively. The results are compared with rotational and shell model calculations.     

Statistical giant resonance effects in heavy-ion radiative capture

Heavy-ion radiative capture has been observed in the two reactions ⁹Be(¹²C, γ)²¹Ne and ¹⁶O(⁷Li, γ)²³Na for c.m. energies between 3 and 9 MeV. High-energy γ-rays populating levels up to 4.7 MeV in the final nuclei were detected with a large volume, anticoincidence-shielded NaI spectrometer. Peak cross sections for individual transitions in both reactions were found near 60 nb/sr. For ⁹Be + ¹²C all excitation functions were rather smooth with a broad bump around E_c.m = 5–6 MeV. Statistical model calculations were in good agreement with the data suggesting that perhaps as much as half of the GDR strength in ²¹Ne is statistical. More structure was found in ¹⁶O + ⁷Li superimposed on still sizeable statistical yield. Previous measurements of the same reaction were found to be partially in error.     

The heavy-ion reaction channels of the system 16O + 16O

The reaction channels of the system ¹⁶O + ¹⁶O with outgoing heavy particles from lithium to magnesium have been measured using a ΔE-E telescope. Excitation functions from 49 to 65 MeV at θ_Lab = 30° and angular distributions from θ_Lab = 10° (20°) to 50° at E_Lab = 51.5 MeV are presented for the strong transitions. The excitation function of the ¹²C-²⁰Ne (4.25 MeV) channel shows a pronounced regular cross structure with peaks at 52 and 60 MeV. A selective excitation of certain states in the inelastic scattering and the ¹²C-²⁰Ne channel is observed; the yields of the other heavy-ion channels being weaker by at least one order of magnitude. An explanation of this phenomenon is given by considering the angular momentum matching between entrance and exit channels. Furthermore it is shown that no strong dependence of the cross sections on the transferred angular momentum or on the nuclear structure of the final states is observed. Possible implications of these results on the reaction mechanism are discussed.     

High-energy fragments produced in the84Kr+93Nb reaction at 34.5 MeV/u

We have studied the heavy-ion capture reaction⁹Be(¹²C,γ)²¹ Ne at E_CM=3.5–6.6 MeV and Θ = 90. High-energyγ-rav decay to the low-lying states of²¹Ne was observed, even well below the Coulomb barrier.     

The12C+12C reaction at subcoulomb energies (I)

The reaction¹²C+¹²C has been studied in the energy rangeE _cm=2.45–6.15 MeV byγ-ray spectroscopy. Gamma-ray transitions from a large number of excited states in²⁰Ne,²³Na and²³Mg were observed, which show strong and rapid yield variations. When the influence of the Coulomb barrier is removed, these structures appear superimposed on a flat reaction yield, which does not show a strong increase at low energies, in contrast to previous work. These results obviate the need for the hypothesis of absorption under the barrier at least down toE _cm=2.45 MeV. The nuclear and astrophysical aspects of the data are discussed.     

20Ne(p,p0)20Ne and states of 21Na

Cross-section and analyzing power angular distributions have been measured for ²⁰Ne(p, p)²⁰Ne and ²⁰Ne(p, p₁)²⁰Ne¹(1.63 MeV) for proton energies between 3.7 and 7.9 MeV. The measurements were made in 25 keV intervals between 3.7 and 4.4 MeV, and in 10 keV intervals over most of the region between 4.4 and 7.9 MeV. A phase-shift analysis of the elastic-scattering data has yielded resonance parameters for thirty-three levels in ²¹Na in the excitation energy region 6.0–9.9 MeV. Some of the strong even-parity resonances can be understood within the framework of the Nilsson model or the shell model. These resonances are also predicted by a macroscopic coupled-channels calculation involving rotational excitation of the 2⁺ and 4⁺ states of ²⁰Ne.     

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.     

Studies on strongly damped components in relatively light heavy ion reaction systems

Strongly damped components have been studied in relatively light heavy ion reaction systems;²⁰Ne(E _lab=93, 120 and 146MeV)+⁵⁰Cr,²⁰Ne(E _lab=146MeV)+⁵⁴Cr and²⁰Ne(E _lab=146MeV)+⁹²Mo,¹⁰⁰Mo. The kinetic energy, angular and charge distributions have been observed for those products. The yields of symmetric-mass-splitting products for²⁰Ne+⁵⁰Cr were found about three times larger than those for²⁰Ne+⁵⁴Cr. There was also observed a similar difference in the cross sections of the symmetric-mass-splitting products between²⁰Ne+⁹²Mo and²⁰Ne+¹⁰⁰Mo reactions. In order to explain the bombarding energy dependence of the cross sections of symmetric-mass-splitting products by the transport theory, it was found necessary to assume that the mean life of the composite nucleus was dependent on the bombarding energy. However, the target isotope dependence of the cross sections could not be explained by such an assumption. They could be partly explained by fission calculations.     

Unnatural parity levels populated in the 16O(6Li,d)20Ne reaction

The ¹⁶O(⁶Li, d)²⁰Ne reaction to the 2^?, 4.97 MeV, 3^?, 5.63 MeV, and 4^?, 7.01 MeV members of the K^π = 2^? band has been studied. Angular distributions were measured at 32 MeV from 7.5° to 145° (lab). Excitation functions were measured at 15° (lab) and 145° (lab) from 31 to 33 MeV and 31.75 to 32.5 MeV, respectively. Results of multi-step and compound nuclear calculations are compared to the data. At this incident energy, both mechanisms appear to contribute to the population of the unnatural parity levels.