Differences in the structure of isoscalar and isovector “stretched” excitations in 24Mg and 28Si

A comparison of theoretical distorted wave impulse approximation results with the experimental data for the excitation of “stretched” 6^?T = 0 and 6^?T = 1 levels in ²⁴Mg and ²⁸Si by 135 MeV protons suggests significant differences in the structure of the isoscalar and isovector levels. This is consistent with the results of a recent study of the (π, π′) reaction on ²⁸Si.     

Angular correlations in 28Si + 28Si resonances

Recent particle—particle—γ coincident measurements on a ²⁸Si+²⁸Si resonance have suggested “vanishing spin alignments”. New analyses of the spin alignments with a molecular model are presented. It is clarified that due to a triaxial deformation of the total system a wobbling mode (K-mixing) appears to give rise to spin disalignment.     

Deformation effects in the 28Si+12C and 28Si+28Si reactions

The possible occurrence of highly deformed configurations is investigated in the ⁴⁰Ca and ⁵⁶Ni di-nuclear systems as formed in the ²⁸Si + ¹²C, ²⁸Si reactions by using the properties of emitted light charged particles. Inclusive as well as exclusive data of the heavy fragments and their associated light charged particles have been collected by using the ICARE charged particle multidetector array. The data are analysed by Monte Carlo CASCADE statistical-model calculations using a consistent set of parameters with spin-dependent level densities. Significant deformation effects at high spin are observed as well as an unexpected large ⁸Be cluster emission of a binary nature.     

Electron spin coherence in Si

We discuss pulsed electron spin resonance measurements of electrons in Si and determine the spin coherence from the decay of the spin echo signals. Tightly bound donor electrons in isotopically enriched ²⁸Si are found to have exceptionally long spin coherence. Placing the donors near a surface or interface is found to decrease the spin coherence time, but it is still in the range of milliseconds. Unbound two-dimensional electrons have shorter coherence times of a few microseconds, though still long compared to the Zeeman frequency or the typical time to manipulate a spin with microwave pulses. Longer spin coherence is expected in two-dimensional systems patterned into quantum dots, but relatively small dots will be required. Data from dots with a lithographic size of 400 nm do not yet show longer spin coherence.     

Proton-threshold states in 28Si

The ²⁷Al(³He, d)²⁸Si reaction has been used to locate candidates for resonances in the ²⁷Al + p system residing near the proton-capture threshold in the energy region characteristic of quiescent stellar hydrogen burning. Two such states are observed at excitation energies E_x = 11.658 MeV(J^π = 2⁺) and 11.671 MeV (J^π = 1⁻). A comparison of the cross sections for the ²⁷Al(³He, d)²⁸Si and the ²⁷Al(α, t)²⁸Si reactions implies angular-momentum transfers of l = 2 and l = 3, respectively, for the two states of interest. Using this result, an astrophysically significant upper limit on the thermonuclear reaction rate has been calculated for the ²⁷Al(p, γ)²⁸Si reaction which is found to be too slow to affect the ²⁷Al abundance in red giants.     

Towards 0.99999 28Si

A new approach for producing high-purity silicon with isotopic enrichment of ²⁸Si isotope is reported. The methods of centrifugal enrichment were modified to obtain the initial gaseous silicon tetrafluoride with a record-breaking enrichment of 0.99999664(11) with respect to ²⁸Si. The effective conversion of silicon tetrafluoride into elementary silicon with minimal isotopic dilution was achieved in an electron cyclotron resonance discharge plasma, sustained by gyrotron microwave radiation with a frequency of 24 GHz. We have experimentally demonstrated the deposition of the layers of microcrystalline ²⁸Si with enrichment of 0.999986 ± 0.000003, which is the best result at the present time.     

Shape-excited states of28Si

The Hartree-Fock (HF) minima for the nucleus²⁸Si were obtained for the prolate, oblate and spherical shapes using the interaction obtained by Preedom and Wildenthal. The interaction gives rise to large energy separation between the prolate and the oblate shapes. The spherical solution is just 2 MeV above the lowest HF (oblate) minimum. The spectrum projected from the oblate HF state is in good agreement with the experimental spectrum. The transition probabilities for the different energy levels also agree reasonably well. The configuration mixing calculations performed on the basis of states projected from the three shapes indicate that there is no significant mixing of different projected states. The second 0 ₂ ⁺ state, thus obtained, corresponds to the third 0 ₃ ⁺ state in the experimental spectrum and stems dominantly from the spherical HF state. It is seen that the structure of the energy levels of²⁸Si, especially the second 0 ₂ ⁺ level is very sensitive to the two body interaction. The results are compared with those obtained using the renormalised interaction of Kuo.     

Generator coordinate calculations on 28Si

The spectrum of ²⁸Si is calculated by the generator coordinate method for various choices of generating functions obtained by solving the HF equations within the s-d shell with a constraint on the quadrupole or the hexadecapole moment, or with a constraint of the Holzwarth-Yukawa type. The influence of the symmetry of the generating functions is studied. The spectrum if quite sensitive to the choice of generator coordinate. A comparison with the shell-model calculations of Soyeur and Zuker, and of Whitehead and Watt, is attempted.     

Alpha-induced fragmentation of 28Si in a statistical model

Within the context of a statistical model, that incorporates final-state interaction between a pair of fragments, we have calculated the energy spectra associated with the production of different isobaric pairs as a function of their lab kinetic energy and isobaric and elemental distributions of nuclei produced in the ⁴He$ + $²⁸Si reaction at cm incident energies of 102.7, 173.7, 300, 500, and 1000MeV. Double differential cross-section of isobars 16, 20, and 24 as a function of their lab kinetic energies at 30^° and the same for isobar 24 at 10^°, 30^°, 60^°, and 90^° have been calculated at cm incident energies of 102.7 and 173.7MeV and compared with the data of Woo et al. Calculated yields follow the trend of the data at each angle, and calculated angular distributions also reproduce the general trend of the observed ones. A key feature of the model is that it allows for fragments to be emitted in ground states as well as in excited states that are allowed by the conservation of energy. The analysis establishes that the fragments are emitted in excited state. The excitation energies for A = 24 and 16 are deduced from the data. The observed angular distributions for A = 7, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 are well accounted for assuming them to be emitted in excited states. The relative production probabilities for different elements and isobars are energy dependent. The yields for unstable elements, ⁵Li, ⁸Be, and ²⁶Al, are found to be significant. The relative fragmentation probabilities of all allowed isotopic pairs have been presented.     

90° excitation functions for elastic scattering of 28Si+16O and 28Si+12C

The gross structures in the excitation functions for elastic scattering of ²⁸Si+¹⁶O and ²⁸Si+ ¹²C, measured at 90°, where only even partial waves contribute, are found to be anti-correlated with those at 180°. Excitation functions at both angles, including the enhanced gross structure at 180°, can be reproduced by calculations using a potential which attracts odd partial waves more than even partial waves.     

Search for missing predicted high-spin states in28Si

New shell model calculations have predicted several high-spin (I ^π=5⁺ and 6⁺) levels in²⁸Si near 10 MeV excitation energy which are missing from or ambiguous in existing experimental studies. Angular distributions, linear polarizations and Doppler-shifts ofγ-rays have been measured for theγ-decay of theE _p=1,911 and 2,073 KeV resonances of the²⁷Al(p, γ) reaction in an attempt to discover these missing states or confirm the discrepancies between experiment and theory. The excitation energies and spin-parities of the resonances were determined as 13,424.4±0.2 keV,I ^π=5⁺ and 13,582.3±0.5 keV,I ^π=6⁺. States populated in theγ-decay of these resonances were assigned spins and parities as follows: 11,777 keV,I ^π=5⁺; 11,331 keV,I ^π=6⁺; 10,417 keV,I ^π=5⁺; 9,417 keV,I ^π=4⁺ and 8,945 keV,I ^π=5⁺. On the basis ofγ-ray transition rates T=1 is assigned to the 13,424 keV level and T=0 to the 10,417 and 11,777 keV levels. With the new data excellent agreement is achieved between the experimental spectrum of²⁸Si and the new shell model predictions. These data provide evidence for aK ^π=3⁺ rotational band comprised by the 6,276, 6,889, 8,945 and 11,331 keV levels. This band emerges also from the shell model wave functions as do theK ^π=0⁺ bands based on the ground state and the 6,691 keV state.     

Fission time in the 28Si + natPt reaction

The experimental fission times are analyzed for excited nuclei produced in the ²⁸Si + ^natPt reaction. Experimental lifetimes obtained by the crystal-blocking technique range between 10^?17 and 10^?18 s at bombarding energies between 140 and 170 MeV, respectively. Experimental data are analyzed within the statistical theory of nuclear reactions and the double-humped-fission-barrier model with allowance for preequilibrium processes and the nuclear-dissipation phenomenon. It is shown that fission barriers retain their double-humped structure for nuclear temperatures up to about 1.7–1.8 MeV and that the lifetimes of excited strongly deformed states in the second potential well contribute substantially to the observed delay times in the fission decay channel.     

The 6− analog-antianalog states of 28Si

A resonance is observed in the ²⁷Al(p, γ)²⁸Si reaction at E_p=2876±2 keV, which corresponds to an excitation energy of 14356±2 keV. The 14.36 MeV level decays to a new level at 11577±2 keV, which is turn decays to the known level at 9701.8±0.5 keV. With previous information on the 9.70 MeV level and the present γ-ray angular distributions, obtained from singles spectra as recorded by a 40 cm³ Ge(Li) detector, the spins of the three levels can be limited to J=5, 6; J=6; and J=5, respectively. Transition strength arguments based on measurements of the strength of the 2876 keV resonance and the lifetime of the 11.58 MeV level indicate that the 14.36 MeV level has J^π=6^?, T=1 and that the 11.58 MeV level has J^π=6^?, T=0.     

Collective intermediate structure in the giant resonance of28Si

The theory of collective correlations is applied to²⁸Si. The main structure of photonuclear experimental data is explained nearly quantitatively. A classification of the various structure as doorway- or one particle- one hole structure, collective intermediate structure and non collective structure is proposed.     

Spin assignment of the 8.555 MeV state in28Si

Angular correlations between the gamma rays following the decay of the 8.555 MeV state in²⁸Si, known to have natural parity, were measured. The spin assignment of this state, found in this experiment, isJ ^π=6⁺. Energy sequence of the lowestJ ^π=2⁺, 4⁺ and 6⁺ states in²⁸Si compares well with the energy sequence of the ground state rotational bands in²⁰Ne and²⁴Mg.