Jeff C Blackmon

Development of ORRUBA: A Silicon Array for the Measurement of Transfer Reactions in Inverse Kinematics

The development of high quality radioactive beams has made possible the measurement of transfer reactions in inverse kinematics on unstable nuclei. Measurement of (d,p) reactions on neutron-rich nuclei yield data on the evolution of nuclear structure away from stability, and are of astrophysical interest. Experimentally, (d,p) reactions on heavy (Z=50) fission fragments are complicated by the strongly inverse kinematics, and relatively low beam intensities. Consequently, ejectile detection with high resolution in position and energy, a high dynamic range and a high solid angular coverage is required. The Oak Ridge Rutgers University Barrel Array (ORRUBA) is a new silicon detector array optimized for the measurement of (d,p) reactions in inverse kinematics.

Unbound States of 32Cl Relevant for Novae

The 31S(p,g )32Cl proton capture reaction is expected to be the dominant breakout pathway of the SiP cycle, which is important for understanding nucleosynthesis in some novae [1]. At novae temperatures, the 31S(p,g )32Cl reaction rate is dominated by 31S+p resonances. Discrepancies in the 32Cl resonance energies were reported in previous measurements [1, 2]. We used the 32S(3He,t)32Cl charge exchange reaction to produce unbound states in 32Cl and determine their excitation energies by detecting tritons at the focal plane of the Enge Spectrograph at the Yale University s Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory. Proton branching ratios were determined by detecting the decay protons coming from the residual 32Cl states using a silicon array in the spectrometer s target chamber. The improved energy values of excited levels in 32Cl and measurements of the proton-branching ratios should significantly improve our understanding of the 31S(p,g )32Cl reaction rate.

Unbound states of (32)Cl andthe (31)S(p,gamma)(32)Cl reaction rate

The {sup 31}S(p,{gamma}){sup 32}Cl reaction is expected to provide the dominant break-out path from the SiP cycle in novae and is important for understanding enrichments of sulfur observed in some nova ejecta. We studied the {sup 32}S(3He,t){sup 32}Cl charge-exchange reaction to determine properties of proton-unbound levels in {sup 32}Cl that have previously contributed significant uncertainties to the {sup 31}S(p,{gamma}){sup 32}Cl reaction rate. Measured triton magnetic rigidities were used to determine excitation energies in {sup 32}Cl. Proton-branching ratios were obtained by detecting decay protons from unbound {sup 32}Cl states in coincidence with tritons. An improved {sup 31}S(p,{gamma}){sup 32}Cl reaction rate was calculated including robust statistical and systematic uncertainties.

Design and Construction of a Gas Jet Target for RIB Experiements

PNNL is now part of the JENSA collaboration to produce a gas jet system for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). This document is a status report for the gas jet working group to be delivered to the FRIB scientific advisory council (SAC). It briefly describes PNNL’s capability at constructing cost efficient and high detection efficiency HPGe arrays.

The

The production of 26Al in novae is uncertain, in part, because of the uncertain rate of the 25Al(p,g)26Si reaction at novae temperatures. This reaction is thought to be dominated by a longsought 3+ level in 26Si, and the calculated reaction rate varies by orders of magnitude depending on the energy of this resonance. We present evidence concerning the spin of a level at 5.914 MeV in 26Si from the 28Si(p,t)26Si reaction studied at the Holifield Radioactive Beam Facility at ORNL. We find that the angular distribution for this level implies either a 2+ or 3+ assignment, with only a 3+ being consistent with the mirror nucleus, 26Mg. Additionally, we have used the updated 25Al(p,g)26Si reaction rate in a nova nucleosynthesis calculation and have addressed the effects of the remaining uncertainties in the rate on 26Al production.

^{25}

The {sup 18}Ne({alpha},p){sup 21}Na reaction plays a crucial role in the ({alpha},p) process, which leads to the rapid proton capture process in X-ray bursts. The reaction rate depends upon properties of {sup 22}Mg levels above the {alpha} threshold at 8.14 MeV. Despite recent studies of these levels, only the excitation energies are known for most with no constraints on the spins. We have studied the {sup 24}Mg(p,t){sup 22}Mg reaction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF), and by measuring the angular distributions of outgoing tritons, we provide the first experimental constraints on the spins of astrophysically-important {sup 18}Ne({alpha},p){sup 21}Na resonances.

Al

The nuclear structure of {sup 19}Ne near the proton threshold is of interest for understanding the rates of proton-induced reactions on {sup 18}F in novae. Analogues for several states in the mirror nucleus {sup 19}F have not yet been identified in {sup 19}Ne indicating the level structure of {sup 19}Ne in this region is incomplete. The {sup 18}F(d;n){sup 19}Ne and {sup 18}F(d,p){sup 19}F reactions have been measured simultaneously at E{sub c.m.} = 14.9 MeV. The experiments were performed at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by bombarding a 720-mg/cm{sub 2} CD{sub 2} target with a radioactive {sup 18}F beam. The {sup 19}Ne states of interest near the proton threshold decay by breakup into a and {sup 15}O particles. These decay products were detected in coincidence with position-sensitive E-{Delta}E silicon telescopes. The {alpha} and {sup 15}N particles from the break up of the mirror nucleus {sup 19}F were also measured with these detectors. Particle identification, coincidence, and Q-value requirements enable us to distinguish the reaction of interest from other reactions. The reconstruction of relative energy of the detected particles reveals the excited states of {sup 19}Ne and {sup 19}F which are populated. The neutronmorexa0» (proton) angular distributions for states in {sup 19}Ne ({sup 19}F) were extracted using momentum conservation. The observed states in {sup 19}Ne and {sup 19}F will be presented.«xa0less

(p,\gamma)^{26}

The level structure of {sup 25}Al has been studied at the ORNL Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) by measuring the angular and energy distributions of alpha particles from the {sup 28}Si(p,{alpha}){sup 25}Al reaction. Proton beams ({approx}10 nA) at laboratory energies of 40- and 42-MeV were generated by the 25 MV tandem accelerator and bombarded a natural silicon target (50 {micro}g/cm{sup 2}). Alpha particles were detected and identified in the Silicon Detector Array (SIDAR) in the telescope configuration [1]. Eighteen levels have been observed and spins for several have been constrained through a distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA) analysis of the angular distributions.

Si Reaction Rate in Novae

Recent calculations suggest that, at late times in the r-process, the rate of neutron capture by {sup 130}Sn has a significant impact on nucleosynthesis. Direct capture into low-lying bound states is likely the dominant reaction in the r-process near the N=82 closed shell, so reaction rates are strongly impacted by the properties of neutron single particle states in this region. In order to investigate these properties, we have acquired (d,p) reaction data in the A{approx}132 region in inverse kinematics using {approx}630 MeV beams (4.85 MeV/u for {sup 130}Sn) and CD{sub 2} targets. An array of Si strip detectors, including SIDAR and an early implementation of the new Oak Ridge Rutgers University Barrel Array (ORRUBA), was used to detect reaction products. Preliminary results for the {sup 130}Sn(d,p){sup 131}Sn experiment are reported.

Spin assignments of 22Mg states through a 24Mg(p,t)22Mg measurement

Calculations of r-process nucleosynthesis rely significantly on nuclear structure models as input, which are not well tested in the neutron-rich regime, due to the paucity of experimental data on the majority of these nuclei. High quality radioactive beams have recently made possible the measurement of (d,p) reactions on unstable nuclei in inverse kinematics, which can yield information on the development of single-neutron structure away from stability in close proximity to suggested r-process paths. The Oak Ridge Rutgers University Barrel Array (ORRUBA) has been developed for the measurement of such reactions. An early partial implementation of ORRUBA has been utilized to measure the {sup 132}Sn(d,p){sup 133}Sn and {sup 134}Te(d,p){sup 135}Te reactions for the first time.