No Arabic abstract
The longitudinal momentum distribution (P_{//}) of fragments after one-proton removal from ^{23} Al and reaction cross sections (sigma_R) for ^{23,24} Al on carbon target at 74A MeV have been measured. The ^{23,24} Al ions were produced through projectile fragmentation of 135 A MeV ^{28} Si primary beam using RIPS fragment separator at RIKEN. P_{//} is measured by a direct time-of-flight (TOF) technique, while sigma_R is determined using a transmission method. An enhancement in sigma_R is observed for ^{23} Al compared with ^{24} Al. The P_{//} for ^{22} Mg fragments from ^{23} Al breakup has been obtained for the first time. FWHM of the distributions has been determined to be 232 pm 28 MeV/c. The experimental data are discussed by using Few-Body Glauber model. Analysis of P_{//} demonstrates a dominant d-wave configuration for the valence proton in ground state of ^{23} Al, indicating that ^{23} Al is not a proton halo nucleus.
Two-proton relative momentum ($q_{pp}$) and opening angle ($theta_{pp}$) distributions from the three-body decay of two excited proton-rich nuclei, namely $^{23}$Al $rightarrow$ p + p + $^{21}$Na and $^{22}$Mg $rightarrow$ p + p + $^{20}$Ne, have been measured with the projectile fragment separator (RIPS) at the RIKEN RI Beam Factory. An evident peak at $q_{pp}sim20$ MeV/c as well as a peak in $theta_{pp}$ around 30$^circ$ are seen in the two-proton break-up channel from a highly-excited $^{22}$Mg. In contrast, such peaks are absent for the $^{23}$Al case. It is concluded that the two-proton emission mechanism of excited $^{22}$Mg is quite different from the $^{23}$Al case, with the former having a favorable diproton emission component at a highly excited state and the latter dominated by the sequential decay process.
The Glauber theory has been used to investigate the reaction cross section of proton-rich nucleus $^{23}$Al. A core plus a proton structure is assumed for $^{23}$Al. HO-type density distribution is used for the core while the density distribution for the valence proton is calculated by solving the eigenvalue problem of Woods-Saxon potential. The transparency function in an analytical expression is obtained adopting multi-Gaussian expansion for the density distribution. Coulomb correction and finite-range interaction are introduced. This modified Glauber model is apt for halo nuclei. A dominate s-wave is suggested for the last proton in $^{23}$Al from our analysis which is possible in the RMF calculation.
The proton-proton momentum correlation functions ($C_{pp}(q)$) for kinematically complete decay channels of $^{23}$Al $rightarrow$ p + p + $^{21}$Na and $^{22}$Mg $rightarrow$ p + p + $^{20}$Ne have been measured at the RIKEN RI Beam Factory. From the very different correlation strength of $C_{pp}(q)$ for $^{23}$Al and $^{22}$Mg, the source size and emission time information were extracted from the $C_{pp}(q)$ data by assuming a Gaussian source profile in the correlation function calculation code (CRAB). The results indicated that the mechanism of two-proton emission from $^{23}$Al was mainly sequential emission, while that of $^{22}$Mg was mainly three-body simultaneous emission. By combining our earlier results of the two-proton relative momentum and the opening angle, it is pointed out that the mechanism of two-proton emission could be distinguished clearly.
The $beta$ decay of the drip-line nucleus $^{20}$Mg gives important information on resonances in $^{20}$Na, which are relevant for the astrophysical $rp$-process. A detailed $beta$ decay spectroscopic study of $^{20}$Mg was performed by a continuous-implantation method. A detection system was specially developed for charged-particle decay studies, giving improved spectroscopic information including the half-life of $^{20}$Mg, the excitation energies, the branching ratios, and the log $ft$ values for the states in $^{20}$Na populated in the $beta$ decay of $^{20}$Mg. A new proton branch was observed and the corresponding excited state in $^{20}$Na was proposed. The large isospin asymmetry for the mirror decays of $^{20}$Mg and $^{20}$O was reproduced, as well. However, no conclusive conclusion can be draw about the astrophysically interesting 2645~keV resonance in $^{20}$Na due to the limited statistics.
The radionuclide $^{22}$Na is a target of $gamma$-ray astronomy searches, predicted to be produced during thermonuclear runaways driving classical novae. The $^{22}$Na(p,$gamma$)$^{23}$Mg reaction is the main destruction channel of $^{22}$Na during a nova, hence, its rate is needed to accurately predict the $^{22}$Na yield. However, experimental determinations of the resonance strengths have led to inconsistent results. In this work, we report a measurement of the branching ratios of the $^{23}$Al $beta$-delayed protons, as a probe of the key 204--keV (center-of-mass) $^{22}$Na(p,$gamma$)$^{23}$Mg resonance strength. We report a factor of 5 lower branching ratio compared to the most recent literature value. The variation in $^{22}$Na yield due to nuclear data inconsistencies was assessed using a series of hydrodynamic nova outburst simulations and has increased to a factor of 3.8, corresponding to a factor of $sim$2 uncertainty in the maximum detectability distance. This is the first reported scientific measurement using the Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) system.