Neutron strength functions in rare earth nuclei

The coupling of the single particle motion of the neutron to other degrees of freedom is studied by the (d, p) reaction leading to highly excited states in rare earth nuclei. Experimental spectra have been obtained with a telescope counter system for 13 rare earth isotopes of Gd, Dy, Er and Yb. The results are compared with calculations based upon the single particle model in a deformed Saxon-Woods potential. The spreading of the single particle strength resulting from the coupling to other degrees of freedom is taken into account in a simple phenomenological way. A qualitative similarity between the experimental and calculated spectra is observed, and the total integrated (d, p) cross section up to the neutron binding energy is reproduced quite closely by the calculations. For a given excitation energy, the amount of structure in the experimental spectrum seems to decrease with neutron number for each element investigated.