P. E. Mueller

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.

Temperature dependence of the giant dipole resonance width in 208Pb

Abstract The evolution of the giant dipole resonance (GDR) in hot 208Pb nuclei was studied by measuring high energy γ-rays from the decay of the resonance built on excited states. Nuclei in the excitation energy range of 40–110 MeV were populated by inelastic scattering of 40 MeV/nucleon α-particles. The GDR width was observed to increase systematically from 4 MeV at the ground state to ∼8 MeV at the highest excitation energy.

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.

Sub-barrier fusion enhancement with radioactive 134Te

The fusion cross sections of radioactive 134Te + 40Ca were measured at energies above and below the Coulomb barrier. The evaporation residues produced in the reaction were detected in a zero-degree ionization chamber providing high efficiency for inverse kinematics. Both coupled-channel calculations and comparison with similar Sn + Ca systems indicate an increased sub-barrier fusion probability that is correlated with the presence of positive Q-value neutron transfer channels. In comparison, the measured fusion excitation functions of 130Te + 58,64Ni, which have positive Q-value neutron transfer channels, were accurately reproduced by coupled-channel calculations including only inelastic excitations. The results demonstrate that the coupling of transfer channels can lead to enhanced sub-barrier fusion but this is not directly correlated with positive Q-value neutron transfer channels in all cases.

Background radiation measurements at high power research reactors

Abstract Research reactors host a wide range of activities that make use of the intense neutron fluxes generated at these facilities. Recent interest in performing measurements with relatively low event rates, e.g. reactor antineutrino detection, at these facilities necessitates a detailed understanding of background radiation fields. Both reactor-correlated and naturally occurring background sources are potentially important, even at levels well below those of importance for typical activities. Here we describe a comprehensive series of background assessments at three high-power research reactors, including γ-ray, neutron, and muon measurements. For each facility we describe the characteristics and identify the sources of the background fields encountered. The general understanding gained of background production mechanisms and their relationship to facility features will prove valuable for the planning of any sensitive measurement conducted therein.

Sub-barrier Fusion Enhancement in Neutron-Rich Radioactive 132Sn on 64Ni

Evaporation residue cross sections have been measured using neutron-rich radioactive 132Sn beams incident on a 64Ni target in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. This is the first experiment using accelerated 132Sn beams to study nuclear reaction mechanisms. The average beam intensity was 2x 104 particles per second and the smallest cross section measured was less than 5 mb. A large sub-barrier fusion enhancement was observed compared to evaporation residue cross sections for 64Ni on stable even Sn isotopes. The enhancement cannot be accounted for by a simple barrier shift due to the change in nuclear sizes. Coupled-channel calculations including inelastic excitation underpredict the measured cross sections below the barrier. The presence of several neutron transfer channels with large positive Q values suggests that multinucleon transfer may play an important role in enhancing the fusion of 132Sn and 64Ni.

Enhanced evaporation residue cross sections in neutron-rich radioactive 132Sn on 64Ni

Evaporation residue cross sections have been measured with neutron-rich radioactive

Fusion of radioactive

^{132}

^{132}

Sn beams on

Sn with

^{64}