L. R. Gasques

Toward a global description of the nucleus-nucleus interaction

Extensive systematizations of theoretical and experimental nuclear densities and of optical potential strengths extracted from heavy-ion elastic scattering data analyses at low and intermediate energies are presented. The energy dependence of the nuclear potential is accounted for within a model based on the nonlocal nature of the interaction. The systematics indicates that the heavy-ion nuclear potential can be described in a simple global way through a double-folding shape, which basically depends only on the density of nucleons of the partners in the collision. The possibility of extracting information about the nucleon-nucleon interaction from the heavy-ion potential is investigated.

Nuclear fusion in dense matter: Reaction rate and carbon burning

In this paper we analyze the nuclear fusion rates among equal nuclei for all five different nuclear burning regimes in dense matter (two thermonuclear regimes, two pycnonuclear ones, and the intermediate regime). The rate is determined by Coulomb barrier penetration in dense environments and by the astrophysical S factor at low energies. We evaluate previous studies of the Coulomb barrier problem and propose a simple phenomenological formula for the reaction rate that covers all cases. The parameters of this formula can be varied to take into account current theoretical uncertainties in the reaction rate. The results are illustrated for the example of the 12 C+ 12 C fusion reaction. This reaction is important for the understanding of nuclear burning in evolved stars, in exploding white dwarfs producing type Ia supernovas, and in accreting neutron stars. The S factor at stellar energies depends on a reliable fit and extrapolation of the experimental data. We calculate the energy dependence of the S factor by using a recently developed parameter-free model for the nuclear interaction, taking into account the effects of the Pauli nonlocality. For illustration, we analyze the efficiency of carbon burning in a wide range of densities and temperatures of stellar matter with the emphasis on carbon ignition at densities ρ > ∼ 10 9 gc m −3 .

A parameter-free optical potential for the heavy-ion elastic scattering process☆

Abstract Thirty elastic scattering angular distributions for seven heavy-ion systems, in wide energy ranges, have been studied with the aim of systematizing the optical potential, real and imaginary parts, in a global way. The framework is: (i) an extensive systematization of nuclear densities, (ii) the energy dependence of the bare potential accounted by a model based on the nonlocal nature of the interaction, and (iii) the real and imaginary parts of the optical potential assumed to have the same radial shape.

Strong neutrino cooling by cycles of electron capture and β- decay in neutron star crusts.

The temperature in the crust of an accreting neutron star, which comprises its outermost kilometre, is set by heating from nuclear reactions at large densities, neutrino cooling and heat transport from the interior. The heated crust has been thought to affect observable phenomena at shallower depths, such as thermonuclear bursts in the accreted envelope. Here we report that cycles of electron capture and its inverse, β− decay, involving neutron-rich nuclei at a typical depth of about 150 metres, cool the outer neutron star crust by emitting neutrinos while also thermally decoupling the surface layers from the deeper crust. This ‘Urca’ mechanism has been studied in the context of white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae, but hitherto was not considered in neutron stars, because previous models computed the crust reactions using a zero-temperature approximation and assumed that only a single nuclear species was present at any given depth. The thermal decoupling means that X-ray bursts and other surface phenomena are largely independent of the strength of deep crustal heating. The unexpectedly short recurrence times, of the order of years, observed for very energetic thermonuclear superbursts are therefore not an indicator of a hot crust, but may point instead to an unknown local heating mechanism near the neutron star surface.

Fusion reactions in multicomponent dense matter

We analyze thermonuclear and pycnonuclear fusion reactions in dense matter containing atomic nuclei of different types. We extend a phenomenological expression for the reaction rate, proposed recently by Gasques et al. [Phys. Rev. C 72, 025806 (2005)] for the one-component plasma of nuclei, to the multicomponent plasma. The expression contains several fit parameters which we adjust to reproduce the best microscopic calculations available in the literature. Furthermore, we show that pycnonuclear burning is drastically affected by an (unknown) structure of the multicomponent matter (a regular lattice, a uniform mix, etc.). We apply the results to study nuclear burning in a {sup 12}C-{sup 16}O mixture. In this context, we present new calculations of the astrophysical S factors for carbon-oxygen and oxygen-oxygen fusion reactions. We show that the presence of a C-O lattice can strongly suppress carbon ignition in white dwarf cores and neutron star crusts at densities {rho}(greater-or-similar sign)3x10{sup 9} g cm{sup -3} and temperatures T(less-or-similar sign)10{sup 8} K.

Suppression of complete fusion due to breakup in the reactions 10,11 B + 209 Bi

Above-barrier cross sections of fission and {alpha}-active heavy reaction products were measured for the reactions of {sup 10,11}B with {sup 209}Bi. Systematic analysis showed that the fission originates almost exclusively from complete fusion (CF). Existing measurements of above-barrier fusion products for the {sup 30}Si+{sup 186}W reaction, assumed to proceed exclusively through CF, were extrapolated to the current systems using statistical model calculations. This extrapolation showed that the heavy reaction products from the {sup 10,11}B+{sup 209}Bi reactions include substantial components from incomplete fusion as well as from CF. Compared with fusion calculations without breakup, the CF cross sections are suppressed by 15% for {sup 10}B and 7% for {sup 11}B. A consistent and systematic variation of the suppression of CF for reactions of the weakly bound nuclei {sup 6,7}Li, {sup 9}Be, and {sup 10,11}B on targets of {sup 208}Pb and {sup 209}Bi is found as a function of the breakup threshold energy.

Experimental determination of the ion-ion potential in the N = 50 target region: A tool to probe ground-state nuclear densities

Abstract Precise elastic and inelastic differential cross sections have been measured for the 16 O + 88 Sr , 90,92 Zr, 92 Mo systems at sub-barrier energies. From a coupled channel data analysis, the corresponding “experimental” bare potentials have been determined. The comparison of these potentials with those derived from double-folding theoretical calculations and the high energy (96 Mev/nucleon) elastic scattering data analysis indicate that the method is a very sensitive probe of the ground-state nuclear densities in the surface region.

Effect of the 18O nuclear density on the nuclear potentials of the 18O+58,60Ni systems

Abstract Quasi-elastic, inelastic, one- and two-neutron transfer differential cross sections have been measured for the 18 O+ 58,60 Ni systems at sub-barrier energies. The corresponding bare potentials have been determined at interaction distances larger than the respective barrier radii, and the results have been compared with those previously obtained for systems involving the 16 O as projectile. The detected difference between the 18 O and 16 O nuclear potentials has allowed the determination of the nuclear density that corresponds to the two extra neutrons of the 18 O nucleus.

The heavy-ion nuclear potential: determination of a systematic behavior at the region of surface interaction distances

Abstract Precise elastic scattering differential cross sections have been measured for the 16 O + 120 Sn , 138 Ba , 208 Pb systems at sub-barrier energies. The corresponding “experimental” nuclear potentials have been determined at interaction distances larger than the Coulomb barrier radii. These experimental potentials have been compared with our earlier results for other systems, and with theoretical calculations based on the double-folding and liquid-drop models. We have shown that the nuclear potentials have a systematic behavior at the surface region. The present results for the 16 O + 208 Pb system are used to extend earlier studies of the dispersion relation to sub-barrier energies.

Study of the rainbow-like pattern in the elastic scattering of 16O on 27Al at Elab. = 100 MeV

Recently, a rainbow pattern in the elastic scattering of 16O + 27Al at Elab. = 100 MeV was reported. In the present paper, we show that the predicted change of slope of the cross section, as a function of angle, is mostly due to the far-side component of the scattering, which is affected by the inelastic couplings. The experimental data is consistent with the calculations up to the inflection point, where the effect of the couplings is significant. New experimental data, in very good agreement with the theoretical expectations around the Coulomb rainbow angle, are also presented.