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Register a new userNovel technique for constraining r-process (n,$gamma$) reaction rates
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A novel technique has been developed, which will open exciting new opportunities for studying the very neutron-rich nuclei involved in the r-process. As a proof-of-principle, the $gamma$-spectra from the $beta$-decay of $^{76}$Ga have been measured with the SuN detector at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The nuclear level density and $gamma$-ray strength function are extracted and used as input to Hauser-Feshbach calculations. The present technique is shown to strongly constrain the $^{75}$Ge($n,gamma$)$^{76}$Ge cross section and reaction rate.
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The rapid-neutron capture process ($r$ process) is identified as the producer of about 50% of elements heavier than iron. This process requires an astrophysical environment with an extremely high neutron flux over a short amount of time ($sim$ seconds), creating very neutron-rich nuclei that are subsequently transformed to stable nuclei via $beta^-$ decay. One key ingredient to large-scale $r$-process reaction networks is radiative neutron-capture ($n,gamma$) rates, for which there exist virtually no data for extremely neutron-rich nuclei involved in the $r$ process. Due to the current status of nuclear-reaction theory and our poor understanding of basic nuclear properties such as level densities and average $gamma$-decay strengths, theoretically estimated ($n,gamma$) rates may vary by orders of magnitude and represent a major source of uncertainty in any nuclear-reaction network calculation of $r$-process abundances. In this review, we discuss new approaches to provide information on neutron-capture cross sections and reaction rates relevant to the $r$ process. In particular, we focus on indirect, experimental techniques to measure radiative neutron-capture rates. While direct measurements are not available at present, but could possibly be realized in the future, the indirect approaches present a first step towards constraining neutron-capture rates of importance to the $r$ process.
Unknown neutron-capture reaction rates remain a significant source of uncertainty in state-of-the-art $r$-process nucleosynthesis reaction network calculations. As the $r$-process involves highly neutron-rich nuclei for which direct ($n,gamma$) cross-section measurements are virtually impossible, indirect methods are called for to constrain ($n,gamma$) cross sections used as input for the $r$-process nuclear network. Here we discuss the newly developed beta-Oslo method, which is capable of providing experimental input for calculating ($n,gamma$) rates of neutron-rich nuclei. The beta-Oslo method represents a first step towards constraining neutron-capture rates of importance to the $r$-process.
The nuclear level density and the $gamma$-ray strength function have been extracted for $^{89}$Y, using the Oslo Method on $^{89}$Y($p,p gamma$)$^{89}$Y coincidence data. The $gamma$-ray strength function displays a low-energy enhancement consistent with previous observations in this mass region ($^{93-98}$Mo). Shell-model calculations give support that the observed enhancement is due to strong, low-energy $M1$ transitions at high excitation energies. The data were further used as input for calculations of the $^{88}$Sr($p,gamma$)$^{89}$Y and $^{88}$Y($n,gamma$)$^{89}$Y cross sections with the TALYS reaction code. Comparison with cross-section data, where available, as well as with values from the BRUSLIB library, shows a satisfying agreement.
The $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,$gamma$)$^{26}$Mg and $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,n)$^{25}$Mg reactions play an important role in astrophysics because they have significant influence on the neutron flux during the weak branch of the s-process. We constrain the astrophysical rates for these reactions by measuring partial $alpha$-widths of resonances in $^{26}$Mg located in the Gamow window for the $^{22}$Ne+$alpha$ capture. These resonances were populated using $^{22}$Ne($^6$Li,d)$^{26}$Mg and $^{22}$Ne($^7$Li,t)$^{26}$Mg reactions at energies near the Coulomb barrier. At these low energies $alpha$-transfer reactions favor population of low spin states and the extracted partial $alpha$-widths for the observed resonances exhibit only minor dependence on the model parameters. The astrophysical rates for both the $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,$gamma$)$^{26}$Mg and the $^{22}$Ne($alpha$,n)$^{25}$Mg reactions are shown to be significantly different than the previously suggested values.
The $^{23}$Al($p,gamma$)$^{24}$Si reaction is among the most important reactions driving the energy generation in Type-I X-ray bursts. However, the present reaction-rate uncertainty limits constraints on neutron star properties that can be achieved with burst model-observation comparisons. Here, we present a novel technique for constraining this important reaction by combining the GRETINA array with the neutron detector LENDA coupled to the S800 spectrograph at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The $^{23}$Al($d,n$) reaction was used to populate the astrophysically important states in $^{24}$Si. This enables a measurement in complete kinematics for extracting all relevant inputs necessary to calculate the reaction rate. For the first time, a predicted close-lying doublet of a 2$_2^+$ and (4$_1^+$,0$_2^+$) state in $^{24}$Si was disentangled, finally resolving conflicting results from two previous measurements. Moreover, it was possible to extract spectroscopic factors using GRETINA and LENDA simultaneously. This new technique may be used to constrain other important reaction rates for various astrophysical scenarios.
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