Evidence against the Efimov effect in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ from spectroscopy and astrophysics
J. Bishop, G. V. Rogachev, S. Ahn, E. Aboud, M. Barbui, A. Bosh, J. Hooker, C. Hunt, J. Hooker, H. Jayatissa, E. Koshchiy, R. Malecek, S. T. Marley, M. Munch, E… 展开作者
J. Bishop, G. V. Rogachev, S. Ahn, E. Aboud, M. Barbui, A. Bosh, J. Hooker, C. Hunt, J. Hooker, H. Jayatissa, E. Koshchiy, R. Malecek, S. T. Marley, M. Munch, E. C. Pollaco, C. D. Pruitt, B. T. Roeder, A. Saastamoinen, L. G. Sobotka, S. Upadhyayula
Background: The Efimov effect is a universal phenomenon in physics whereby three-body systems are stabilized via the interaction of an unbound two-body sub-systems. A hypothetical state in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ at 7.458 MeV excitation energy, comprising of a loose structure of three $α$-particles in mutual two-body resonance, has been suggested in the literature to correspond to an Efimov state in nuclear physics. The existence of such a state has not been demonstrated experimentally. Method: Using the combined data sets from two recent experiments, one with the TexAT TPC to measure $α$-decay and the other with Gammasphere to measure $γ$-decay of states in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ populated by $^{12}\mathrm{N}$ and $^{12}\mathrm{B}$ $β$-decay respectively, we achieve high sensitivity to states in close-proximity to the $α$-threshold in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$. Results: No evidence of a state at 7.458 MeV is seen in either data set. Using a likelihood method, the 95\% C.L. $γ$-decay branching ratio is determined as a function of the $β$-decay feeding strength relative to the Hoyle state. In parallel, calculations of the triple-alpha reaction rate show the inclusion of the Efimov corresponds to a large increase in the reaction rate around $5 \times 10^{7}$ K. Conclusion: From decay spectroscopy - at the 95\% C.L., the Efimov state cannot exist at 7.458 MeV with any $γ$-decay branching ratio unless the $β$-strength is less than 0.7\% of the Hoyle state. This limit is evaluated for a range of different excitation energies and the results are not favorable for existence of the hypothetical Efimov state in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$. Furthermore, the triple-alpha reaction rate with the inclusion of a state between 7.43 and 7.53 MeV exceeds the rate required for stars to undergo the red giant phase.
The $^{23}$Na$(α,p)^{26}$Mg and $^{23}$Na$(α,n)^{26}$Al reactions are important for our understanding of the $^{26}$Al abundance in massive stars. The aim of this work is to report on a direct and simultaneous measurement of these astrophysically important reactions using an active target system. The reactions were investigated in inverse kinematics using $^{4}$He as the active target gas in the detector. We measured the excitation functions in the energy range of about 2 to 6 MeV in the center of mass. We have found that the cross sections of the $^{23}$Na$(α,p)^{26}$Mg and the $^{23}$Na$(α,n…
The ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}(α,γ){}^{16}\mathrm{O}$ reaction plays a key role in the evolution of stars with masses of $M >$ 0.55 $M_\odot$. The cross-section of the ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}(α,γ){}^{16}\mathrm{O}$ reaction within the Gamow window ($E_\textrm{c.m.}$ = 300 keV, $T_\textrm9$ = 0.2) is extremely small (about $10^{-17}$ barn), which makes the direct measurement in a ground-based laboratory with existing techniques unfeasible. Up until now, the cross-sections at lower energies can only be extrapolated from the data at higher energies. However, two subthreshold resonances, located at $E_x$ = 7.1…
Low-energy neutron-${}^{19}$C scattering is studied in the three-body $n + n + {}^{18}$C model using a realistic $nn$ potential and a number of shallow and deep $n$-${}^{18}$C potentials, the latter supporting deeply-bound Pauli-forbidden states that are projected out. Exact Faddeev-type three-body scattering equations for transition operators including two- and three-body forces are solved in the momentum-space partial-wave framework. Phase shift, inelasticity parameter, and cross sections are calculated. For the elastic $n$-${}^{19}$C scattering in the $J^Π=0^+$ partial wave the signatures o…
Measurement of $\mathrm{^{75}As}(\mathrm{n},γ)\mathrm{^{76}As}$ reaction relevant to 0$νββ$ decay searches of $\mathrm{^{76}Ge}$ and astrophysical $s$-process temperatures
Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院近代物理研究所）；Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, College of Physics and Technology, Guangxi Normal University（广西师范大学物理科学与技术学院）；Advanced Energy Science and Technology, Guangdong Laboratory（广东省实验室先进能源科学与技术）；Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MOE), Institute of Modern Physics, Department of Nuclear Science and Technology, Fudan University（复旦大学核科学技术学院）；Shanghai Research Center for Theoretical Nuclear Physics, NSFC and Fudan University（上海 theoretical 核物理研究中心）；Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院高能物理研究所）；Spallation Neutron Source Science Center（散裂中子源科学中心）
The total cross sections for the $^{152}$Gd(p,$γ$)$^{153}$Tb and $^{152}$Gd(p,n)$^{152}$Tb reactions have been measured by the activation method at effective center-of-mass energies \mbox{$3.47 \leq E_\mathrm{c.m.}^\mathrm{eff}\leq 7.94$ MeV} and \mbox{$4.96 \leq E_\mathrm{c.m.}^\mathrm{eff} \leq 7.94$ MeV}, respectively. The targets were prepared by evaporation of 30.6\% isotopically enriched $^{152}$Gd oxide on aluminum backing foils, and bombarded with proton beams provided by a cyclotron accelerator. The cross sections were deduced from the observed $γ$-ray activity, which was detected off…
According to sensitivity studies, the $^{38}\mathrm{K}\left( p, γ\right){}^{39}\mathrm{Ca}$ reaction has a significant influence on $\mathrm{Ar}$, $\mathrm{K}$, and $\mathrm{Ca}$ production in classical novae. In order to constrain the rate of this reaction, we have performed a direct measurement of the strengths of three candidate $\ell = 0$ resonances within the Gamow window, at $386 \pm 10~\mathrm{keV}$, $515 \pm 10~\mathrm{keV}$, and $689 \pm 10~\mathrm{keV}$. The experiment was performed in inverse kinematics using a beam of unstable $^{38}\mathrm{K}$ impinged on a windowless $\mathrm{H}_…
Multi-Model Analysis of the Astrophysical $S(E)$ Factor for the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}(p,α)^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ Reaction and Its Impact on Astrophysical Reaction Rates
School of Physics, Anhui University（安徽大学物理学院）；School of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology（南方科技大学物理学院）；College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University（深圳大学物理与光电工程学院）；Institute of Radiation Technology, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology（北京市科学技术研究院辐射技术研究所）；Department of Nuclear Physics, China Institute of Atomic Energy（中国原子能科学研究院核物理系）
The symmetry energy and its density dependence are crucial inputs for many nuclear physics and astrophysics applications, as they determine properties ranging from the neutron-skin thickness of nuclei to the crust thickness and the radius of neutron stars. Recently, PREX-II reported a value of $0.283 \pm 0.071$ fm for the neutron-skin thickness of $^{208}$Pb, implying a slope parameter $L = 106 \pm 37$ MeV, larger than most ranges obtained from microscopic calculations and other nuclear experiments. We use a nonparametric equation of state representation based on Gaussian processes to constrai…
The reaction network in the neutron-deficient part of the nuclear chart around $A \sim 100$ contains several nuclei of importance to astrophysical processes, such as the p-process. This work reports on the results from recent experimental studies of the radiative proton-capture reactions $^{112,114}\mathrm{Cd}(p,γ)^{113,115}\mathrm{In}$. Experimental cross sections for the reactions have been measured for proton beam energies residing inside the respective Gamow windows for each reaction, using isotopically enriched $^{112}\mathrm{Cd}$ and $^{114}\mathrm{Cd}$ targets. Two different techniques,…
The evolution of massive stars with very low-metallicities depends critically on the amount of CNO nuclides which they produce. The $^{12}$N($p$,\,$γ$)$^{13}$O reaction is an important branching point in the rap-processes, which are believed to be alternative paths to the slow 3$α$ process for producing CNO seed nuclei and thus could change the fate of massive stars. In the present work, the angular distribution of the $^2$H($^{12}$N,\,$^{13}$O)$n$ proton transfer reaction at $E_{\mathrm{c.m.}}$ = 8.4 MeV has been measured for the first time. Based on the Johnson-Soper approach, the square of …
The `lithium problem' in Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) has recently focused on the reactions involving $^7$Be. The $^6$Li($p, γ$)$^7$Be reaction can provide us not only the information for destroying $^6$Li but also the information for producing $^7$Be. In the present work, the proton spectroscopic factor in $^7$Be was extracted to be 0.70 $\pm$ 0.17 from the angular distribution of $^7$Be($d$, $^3$He)$^6$Li at $E_\mathrm{c.m.}$ = 6.7 MeV. The value was then used to compute the direct component of the astrophysical $^6$Li($p, γ$)$^7$Be$_\mathrm{g.s.}$ S(E) factors and determine the resonance …
Multi-probe study of excited states in $\mathrm{^{12}C}$: disentangling the sources of monopole strength between the Hoyle state and $E_{x} = 13$ MeV
iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation（iThemba实验室，国家研究基金会）；Department of Physics, University of Stellenbosch（斯泰伦博斯大学物理系）；Department of Physics, University of Oslo（奥斯陆大学物理系）；School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand（威特沃特斯兰德大学物理学院）；NRC Kurchatov Institute（库尔恰托夫研究所）；Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, JINR（杜布纳联合核研究所弗廖罗夫核反应实验室）；School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham（伯明翰大学物理与天文学院）；Nuclear Energy Group, ESRIG, University of Groningen（格罗宁根大学ESRIG核能组）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape（西开普大学物理与天文系）
Radiative capture reactions play a pivotal role for our understanding of the origin of the elements in the cosmos. Recoil separators provide an effective way to study these reactions, in inverse kinematics, and take advantage of the use of radioactive ion beams. However, a limiting factor in the study of radiative capture reactions in inverse kinematics is the momentum spread of the product nuclei, which can result in an angular spread larger than the geometric acceptance of the separator. The DRAGON facility at TRIUMF is a versatile recoil separator, designed to study radiative capture reacti…
Detailed Study of the $^{59}$Cu(p,$α)^{56}$Ni Reaction and Constraints on Its Astrophysical Reaction Rate
Argonne National Laboratory（阿贡国家实验室）；Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory（劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室）；HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (ATOMKI)（匈牙利科学院核物理研究所（ATOMKI））；Institute for Basic Science（韩国基础科学研究院）；Michigan State University（密歇根州立大学）；University of Notre Dame（圣母大学）；Oak Ridge National Laboratory（橡树岭国家实验室）
通过直接测量 $^{59}$Cu(p,$\alpha$)$^{56}$Ni 激发函数，结合贝叶斯模型平均优化统计模型，降低了反应速率不确定性，并削弱了 NiCu 循环强度。
Two-proton decay of the $^{17}$Ne low-lying states populated in the $^1$H($^{18}$Ne,$d$)$^{17}$Ne transfer reaction was studied. The two-proton width $Γ_{2p}$ of the $^{17}$Ne first excited $3/2^-$ state at $E^*=1.288$ MeV is of importance for the two-proton radioactivity theory and nuclear-astrophysics applications. A dedicated search for the two-proton emission of this state was performed leading to the new upper limit obtained for the width ratio $Γ_{2p}/Γ_γ < 1.6(3) \times 10^{-4}$. A novel, "combined mass" method is suggested and tested capable to improve the resolution of the experiment …
The production of $^7$Be and $^7$Li nuclei plays an important role in primordial nucleosynthesis, nuclear astrophysics, and fusion energy generation. The $^3\mathrm{He}(α, γ) ^7\mathrm{Be}$ and $^3\mathrm{H}(α, γ) ^7\mathrm{Li}$ radiative-capture processes are important to determine the $^7$Li abundance in the early universe and to predict the correct fraction of pp-chain branches resulting in $^7$Be versus $^8$B neutrinos. In this work we study the properties of $^7$Be and $^7$Li within the no-core shell model with continuum (NCSMC) method, using chiral nucleon-nucleon interactions as the onl…
The ${}^{12}\mathrm{C} + {}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ fusion reaction plays a vital role in the explosive phenomena of the universe. The resonances in the Gamow window rule its reaction rate and products. Hence, the determination of the resonance parameters by nuclear models is indispensable as the direct measurement is not feasible. Here, for the first time, we report the resonances in the ${}^{12}\mathrm{C} + {}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ fusion reaction described by a full-microscopic nuclear model. The model plausibly reproduces the measured low-energy astrophysical $S$-factors and predicts the resonances in t…
We discuss the impact of the uncertainty ($\pm 8$ keV) in the excitation energy of the astrophysically important 6.356 MeV $1/2^+_2$ state of $^{17}$O on the precision with which the Coulomb reduced ANC ($\widetilde{C}$) for the $\left<^{17}\mathrm{O}(1/2^+_2) \mid \protect{^{13}\mathrm{C}} + α\right>$ overlap can be extracted from direct reaction data. We find a linear dependence of $\widetilde{C}^2$ on the binding energy, the value extracted varying by a factor of 4 over the range $E_{\mathrm{ex}} = 6.356$ -- $6.348$ MeV. This represents an intrinsic limit on the precision with which $\widet…
The $^9$C nucleus and related capture reaction, ${^8\mathrm{B}}(p,γ){^9\mathrm{C}}$, have been intensively studied with an astrophysical interest. Due to the weakly-bound nature of $^9$C, its structure is likely to be described as the three-body (${^7\mathrm{Be}}+p+p$). Its continuum structure is also important to describe reaction processes of $^9$C, with which the reaction rate of the ${^8\mathrm{B}}(p,γ){^9\mathrm{C}}$ process have been extracted indirectly. We perform three-body calculations on $^9$C and discuss properties of its ground and low-lying states via breakup reactions. We employ…
We have evaluated the electron capture rates on $^{20}$Ne, $^{20}$F, $^{24}$Mg, $^{24}$Na and the $β$ decay rates for $^{20}$F and $^{24}$Na at temperature and density conditions relevant for the late-evolution stages of stars with $M=8$-12 M$_\odot$. The rates are based on recent experimental data and large-scale shell model calculations. We show that the electron capture rates on $^{20}$Ne, $^{24}$Mg and the $^{20}$F, $^{24}$Na $β$-decay rates are based on data in this astrophysical range, except for the capture rate on $^{20}$Ne, which we predict to have a dominating contribution from the s…
The astrophysical $s$-process is one of the two main processes forming elements heavier than iron. A key outstanding uncertainty surrounding $s$-process nucleosynthesis is the neutron flux generated by the ${}^{22}\mathrm{Ne}(α, n){}^{25}\mathrm{Mg}$ reaction during the He-core and C-shell burning phases of massive stars. This reaction, as well as the competing ${}^{22}\mathrm{Ne}(α, γ){}^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ reaction, is not well constrained in the important temperature regime from ${\sim} 0.2$--$0.4$~GK, owing to uncertainties in the nuclear properties of resonances lying within the Gamow window…
A cryogenic gas target for high-intensity radioactive ion beam production at HIRFL-RIBLL
Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University（中山大学中法核工程与技术学院）；Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院近代物理研究所）；School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学核科学与技术学院）
The $νp$ process appears in proton-rich, hot matter which is expanding in a neutrino wind and may be realised in explosive environments such as core-collapse supernovae or in outflows from accretion disks. The impact of uncertainties in nuclear reaction cross sections on the finally produced abundances has been studied by applying Monte Carlo variation of all astrophysical reaction rates in a large reaction network. As the detailed astrophysical conditions of the $νp$ process still are unknown, a parameter study was performed, with 23 trajectories covering a large range of entropies and $Y_\ma…
