No Arabic abstract
While Josephson-like junctions, transiently established in heavy ion collisions ($tau_{coll}approx10^{-21}$ s) between superfluid nuclei --through which Cooper pair tunneling ($Q$-value $Q_{2n}$) proceeds mainly in terms of successive transfer of entangled nucleons-- is deprived from the macroscopic aspects of a supercurrent, it displays many of the special effects associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking in gauge space (BCS condensation), which can be studied in terms of individual quantum states and of tunneling of single Cooper pairs. From the results of studies of one- and two- neutron transfer reactions carried out at energies below the Coulomb barrier we estimate the value of the mean square radius (correlation length) of the nuclear Cooper pair. A quantity related to the largest distance of closest approach for which the absolute two-nucleon tunneling cross section is of the order of the single-particle one. Furthermore, emission of $gamma$-rays of (Josephson) frequency $ u_J=Q_{2n}/h$ distributed over an energy range $hbar/tau_{coll}$ is predicted.
The phenomenon of low-temperature superconductivity is intimately associated with the condensation of weakly bound, very extended, strongly overlapping Cooper pairs, and systematic experimental studies of the associated mean square radius (coherence length) have been made. While the extension of BCS theory to the atomic nucleus has been successful beyond expectation, to our knowledge, no measurement of the nuclear coherence length (expected to be much larger than nuclear dimensions) has been reported in the literature. Recent studies of Cooper pair transfer across a Josephson-like junction, transiently established in a heavy ion collision between superfluid nuclei, have likely changed the situation, providing the experimental input for a quantitative estimate of the nuclear coherence length, as well as the basis for a nuclear analogue of the (ac) Josephson effect.
Using the phenomenological quantum friction models introduced by Caldirola-Kanai, Kostin, and Albrecht, we study quantum tunneling of a one-dimensional potential in the presence of energy dissipation. To this end, we calculate the tunneling probability using a time-dependent wave packet method. The friction reduces the tunneling probability. We show that the three models provide similar penetrabilities to each other, among which the Caldirola-Kanai model requires the least numerical effort. We also discuss the effect of energy dissipation on quantum tunneling in terms of barrier distributions.
The emission of prompt fission $gamma$ rays within a few nanoseconds to a few microseconds following the scission point is studied in the Hauser-Feshbach formalism applied to the deexcitation of primary excited fission fragments. Neutron and $gamma$-ray evaporations from fully accelerated fission fragments are calculated in competition at each stage of the decay, and the role of isomers in the fission products, before $beta$-decay, is analyzed. The time evolution of the average total $gamma$-ray energy, average total $gamma$-ray multiplicity, and fragment-specific $gamma$-ray spectra, is presented in the case of neutron-induced fission reactions of $^{235}$U and $^{239}$Pu, as well as spontaneous fission of $^{252}$Cf. The production of specific isomeric states is calculated and compared to available experimental data. About 7% of all prompt fission $gamma$ rays are predicted to be emitted between 10 nsec and 5 $mu$sec following fission, in the case of $^{235}$U and $^{239}$Pu $(n_{rm th},f)$ reactions, and up to 3% in the case of $^{252}$Cf spontaneous fission. The cumulative average total $gamma$-ray energy increases by 2 to 5% in the same time interval. Finally, those results are shown to be robust against significant changes in the model input parameters.
Three-body decay is a rare decay mode observed in a handful of unbound rare isotopes. The angular and energy correlations between emitted nucleons are of particular interest, as they provide invaluable information on the interplay between structure and reaction aspects of the nuclear open quantum system. To study the mechanism of two-nucleon emission, we developed a time-dependent approach that allows us to probe emitted nucleons at long times and large distances. We successfully benchmarked the new method against the Greens function approach and applied it to low-energy two-proton and two-neutron decays. In particular, we studied the interplay between initial-state nucleon-nucleon correlations and final-state interaction. We demonstrated that the time evolution of the two-nucleon wave function is strongly impacted by the diproton/dineutron dynamics and that the correlations between emitted nucleons provide invaluable information on the dinucleon structure in the initial-state.
We study the quantum charge noise and measurement properties of the double Cooper pair resonance point in a superconducting single-electron transistor (SSET) coupled to a Josephson charge qubit. Using a density matrix approach for the coupled system, we obtain a full description of the measurement back-action; for weak coupling, this is used to extract the quantum charge noise. Unlike the case of a non-superconducting SET, the back-action here can induce population inversion in the qubit. We find that the Cooper pair resonance process allows for a much better measurement than a similar non-superconducting SET, and can approach the quantum limit of efficiency.