No Arabic abstract
The photofission cross-section of 238U was measured at sub-barrier energies as a function of the gamma-ray energy using, for the first time, a monochromatic, high-brilliance, Compton-backscattered gamma-ray beam. The experiment was performed at the High Intensity gamma-ray Source (HIgS) facility at beam energies between E=4.7 MeV and 6.0 MeV and with ~3% energy resolution. Indications of transmission resonances have been observed at gamma-ray beam energies of E=5.1 MeV and 5.6 MeV with moderate amplitudes. The triple-humped fission barrier parameters of 238U have been determined by fitting EMPIRE-3.1 nuclear reaction code calculations to the experimental photofission cross section.
The recent discovery of heavy-ion fusion hindrance at far sub-barrier energies has focused much attention on both experimental and theoretical studies of this phenomenon. Most of the experimental evidence comes from medium-heavy systems such as Ni+Ni to Zr+Zr, for which the compound system decays primarily by charged-particle evaporation. In order to study heavier systems, it is, however, necessary to measure also the fraction of the decay that goes into fission fragments. In the present work we have, therefore, measured the fission cross section of 16O+197Au down to unprecedented far sub-barrier energies using a large position sensitive PPAC placed at backward angles. The preliminary cross sections will be discussed and compared to earlier studies at near-barrier energies. No conclusive evidence for sub-barrier hindrance was found, probably because the measurements were not extended to sufficiently low energies.
The fusion cross sections of radioactive $^{134}$Te + $^{40}$Ca 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 $^{130}$Te + $^{58,64}$Ni, 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.
Fusion excitation function of $^{35}$Cl + $^{130}$Te system is measured in the energy range around the Coulomb barrier and analyzed in the framework of the coupled-channels approach. The role of projectile deformation, nuclear structure, and the couplings of inelastic excitations and positive Q$-$value neutron transfer channels in sub-barrier fusion are investigated through the comparison of reduced fusion excitation functions of $^{35,37}$Cl +$^{130}$Te systems. The reduced fusion excitation function of $^{35}$Cl + $^{130}$Te system shows substantial enhancement over $^{37}$Cl + $^{130}$Te system in sub-barrier energy region which is attributed to the presence of positive Q-value neutron transfer channels in $^{35}$Cl + $^{130}$Te system. Findings of this work strongly suggest the importance of +2$n$ - transfer coupling in sub-barrier fusion apart from the simple inclusion of inelastic excitations of interacting partners, and are in stark contrast with the results presented by Kohley textit{et al.}, [Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 202701 (2011)].
Fusion cross-sections have been measured for the asymmetric system 16O+165Ho at energies near and deep below the Coulomb barrier with an aim to investigate the occurrence of fusion hindrance for the system. Fusion cross sections down to ~ 700 nb have been measured using the off-beam gamma-ray technique. The fusion cross sections have been compared with the coupled channel calculations. Although the onset of fusion hindrance could not be observed experimentally, an indication of a small deviation of the experimental fusion cross-sections with respect to the calculated cross-sections could be observed at the lowest energy measured. However, the energy onset of fusion hindrance has been obtained from the extrapolation technique and is found to be about 2 MeV below the lowest energy of the present measurement.
The fusion excitation functions have been measured with rather good accuracy for 32S+90Zr and 32S+96Zr near and below the Coulomb barrier. The sub-barrier cross sections for 32S+96Zr are much larger compared with 32S+90Zr. Semi-classical coupled-channels calculations including two-phonon excitations are capable to describe sub-barrier enhancement only for 32S+90Zr. The remaining disagreement for 32S+96Zr comes from the positive Q-value intermediate neutron transfers in this system. The comparison with 40Ca+96Zr suggests that couplings to the positive Q-value neutron transfer channels may play a role in the sub-barrier fusion enhancement. A rather simple model calculation taking neutron transfers into account is proposed to overcome the discrepancies of 32S+96Zr.