J. F. Liang

The magic nature of 132 Sn explored through the single-particle states of 133 Sn

Atomic nuclei have a shell structure in which nuclei with ‘magic numbers’ of neutrons and protons are analogous to the noble gases in atomic physics. Only ten nuclei with the standard magic numbers of both neutrons and protons have so far been observed. The nuclear shell model is founded on the precept that neutrons and protons can move as independent particles in orbitals with discrete quantum numbers, subject to a mean field generated by all the other nucleons. Knowledge of the properties of single-particle states outside nuclear shell closures in exotic nuclei is important for a fundamental understanding of nuclear structure and nucleosynthesis (for example the r-process, which is responsible for the production of about half of the heavy elements). However, as a result of their short lifetimes, there is a paucity of knowledge about the nature of single-particle states outside exotic doubly magic nuclei. Here we measure the single-particle character of the levels in 133Sn that lie outside the double shell closure present at the short-lived nucleus 132Sn. We use an inverse kinematics technique that involves the transfer of a single nucleon to the nucleus. The purity of the measured single-particle states clearly illustrates the magic nature of 132Sn.

Collisional cooling of negative-ion beams

Abstract Studies have been conducted to determine the feasibility of using collisional cooling for reducing emittances and energy spreads in negative-ion beams to levels commensurate with effective isobaric purification with conventional high-resolution electromagnetic isobar separators as required for use at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF). We have designed a gas-filled radio frequency quadrupole ion cooler equipped with provisions for retarding energetic negative-ion beams to energies below thresholds for electron detachment at injection and for re-acceleration to initial energies after the cooling process. The device has been used to cool several ion beams with initial energy spreads, ΔE>10 eV to final energy spreads, ΔE∼2 eV FWHM, including O − and F − . Overall transmission efficiencies of ∼14% for F − beams have been obtained. Experimental results show that electron detachment is the major loss mechanism for negative ions.

Halo Nucleus Be11: A Spectroscopic Study via Neutron Transfer

The best examples of halo nuclei, exotic systems with a diffuse nuclear cloud surrounding a tightly bound core, are found in the light, neutron-rich region, where the halo neutrons experience only weak binding and a weak, or no, potential barrier. Modern direct-reaction measurement techniques provide powerful probes of the structure of exotic nuclei. Despite more than four decades of these studies on the benchmark one-neutron halo nucleus 11Be, the spectroscopic factors for the two bound states remain poorly constrained. In the present work, the 10Be d;p reaction has been used in inverse kinematics at four beam energies to study the structure of 11Be. The spectroscopic factors extracted using the adiabatic model were found to be consistent across the four measurements and were largely insensitive to the optical potential used. The extracted spectroscopic factor for a neutron in an n j 2s1=2 state coupled to the ground state of 10Be is 0.71(5). For the first excited state at 0.32 MeV, a spectroscopic factor of 0.62(4) is found for the halo neutron in a 1p1=2 state.

Isobar suppression by photodetachment in a gas-filled rf quadrupole ion guide

A novel technique based on selective non-resonant laser photodetachment in a radio frequency quadrupole ion guide is demonstrated for efficient suppression of isobaric contaminants in negative ion beams. The use of the quadrupole ion guide substantially increases the interaction time of the ions with the laser, significantly increasing the efficiency of the photodetachment process. In a proof–of-principle experiment, we achieved 95% suppression of59Co-ions by photodetachment while under identical conditions only 10% of58Ni-ions were neutralized.

Fusion of radioactive Sn-132 with Ni-64

Evaporation residue and fission cross sections of radioactive 132Sn on 64Ni were measured near the Coulomb barrier. A large subbarrier fusion enhancement was observed. Coupled-channel calculations, including inelastic excitation of the projectile and target, and neutron transfer are in good agreement with the measured fusion excitation function. When the change in nuclear size and shift in barrier height are accounted for, there is no extra fusion enhancement in 132Sn+64Ni with respect to stable Sn+64Ni. A systematic comparison of evaporation residue cross sections for the fusion of even 112-124Sn and 132Sn with 64Ni is presented.

Study of resonant reactions with radioactive ion beams

Abstract A fast and efficient method to study (p,p) and (p,α) resonances with radioactive beams in inverse kinematics is described. It is based on the use of thick targets and large area double-sided silicon strip detectors (DSSDs) to detect the recoiling light-charged particles and to determine precisely their scattering angle. The first nuclear physics experiments with the technique have been performed recently at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) at Oak Ridge with stable beams of 17 O and radioactive beams of 17 F . The high-quality resonance measurements obtained demonstrate the capabilities of the technique. Pure 17 F beams from HRIBF were produced by fully stripping the ions and separating the interfering and more abundant 17 O ions by the beam transport system. The removal of interfering isobars is one of the various common challenges to both accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and radioactive ion beam (RIB) production. Experiments done with RIBs will benefit from the use of the most efficient techniques for production, isobar separation, transport and detection.

Elastic scattering and breakup of 17 F at 10 MeV/nucleon

Angular distributions of fluorine and oxygen produced from 170 MeV 17^F incident on 208^Pb were measured. The elastic scattering data are in good agreement with optical model calculations using a double-folding potential and parameters similar to those obtained from 16^O+208^Pb. A large yield of oxygen was observed near \theta_lab=36 deg. It is reproduced fairly well by a calculation of the (17^F,16^O) breakup, which is dominated by one-proton stripping reactions. The discrepancy between our previous coincidence measurement and theoretical predictions was resolved by including core absorption in the present calculation.

Direct reaction measurements with a 132Sn radioactive ion beam

The (d,p) neutron transfer and (d,d) elastic scattering reactions were measured in inverse kinematics using a radioactive ion beam of {sup 132}Sn at 630 MeV. The elastic scattering data were taken in a region where Rutherford scattering dominated the reaction, and nuclear effects account for less than 8% of the elastic scattering cross section. The magnitude of the nuclear effects, in the angular range studied, was found to be independent of the optical potential used, allowing the transfer data to be normalized in a reliable manner. The neutron-transfer reaction populated a previously unmeasured state at 1363 keV, which is most likely the single-particle 3p{sub 1/2} state expected above the N=82 shell closure. The data were analyzed using finite-range adiabatic-wave calculations and the results compared with the previous analysis using the distorted-wave Born approximation. Angular distributions for the ground and first-excited states are consistent with the previous tentative spin and parity assignments. Spectroscopic factors extracted from the differential cross sections are similar to those found for the one-neutron states beyond the benchmark doubly magic nucleus {sup 208}Pb.

Search for astrophysically important Ne 19 levels with a thick-target F 18 ( p , p ) F 18 measurement

The rates of the {sup 18}F(p,{alpha}){sup 15}O and {sup 18}F(p,{gamma}){sup 19}Ne reactions in astrophysical environments depend on the properties of {sup 19}Ne levels above the {sup 18}F+p threshold. There are at least eight levels in the mirror nucleus {sup 19}F for which analogs have not been observed in {sup 19}Ne in the excitation energy range E{sub x}=6.4-7.6 MeV. These levels may significantly enhance the {sup 18}F+p reaction rates, and thus we have made a search for these levels by measuring the {sup 1}H({sup 18}F,p){sup 18}F excitation function over the energy range E{sub c.m.}=0.3-1.3 MeV. We have identified and measured the properties of a newly observed level at E{sub x}=7.420{+-}0.014 MeV, which is most likely the mirror to the J{sup {pi}}=(7/2){sup +} {sup 19}F level at 7.56 MeV. We have additionally found a significant discrepancy with a recent compilation for the properties of a {sup 19}Ne state at E{sub x}=7.5 MeV and set upper limits on the proton widths of missing levels.

High-precision B(E2) measurements of semi-magic Ni 58,60,62,64 by Coulomb excitation

J. M. Allmond,1 B. A. Brown,2,3 A. E. Stuchbery,4 A. Galindo-Uribarri,5,6 E. Padilla-Rodal,7 D. C. Radford,5 J. C. Batchelder,8 M. E. Howard,9 J. F. Liang,5 B. Manning,9 R. L. Varner,5 and C.-H. Yu5 1JINPA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA 2National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA 4Department of Nuclear Physics, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia 5Physics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA 6Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA 7Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAM, AP 70-543, 04510 Mexico, D.F., Mexico 8UNIRIB, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA 9Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903, USA (Received 13 May 2014; revised manuscript received 7 August 2014; published 15 September 2014)