Next-generation gamma beams beams from laser Compton-backscattering facilities like ELI-NP (Bucharest)] or MEGa-Ray (Livermore) will drastically exceed the photon flux presently available at existing facilities, reaching or even exceeding 10^13 gamma
/sec. The beam structure as presently foreseen for MEGa-Ray and ELI-NP builds upon a structure of macro-pulses (~120 Hz) for the electron beam, accelerated with X-band technology at 11.5 GHz, resulting in a micro structure of 87 ps distance between the electron pulses acting as mirrors for a counterpropagating intense laser. In total each 8.3 ms a gamma pulse series with a duration of about 100 ns will impinge on the target, resulting in an instantaneous photon flux of about 10^18 gamma/s, thus introducing major challenges in view of pile-up. Novel gamma optics will be applied to monochromatize the gamma beam to ultimately Delta E/E~10^-6. Thus level-selective spectroscopy of higher multipole excitations will become accessible with good contrast for the first time. Fast responding gamma detectors, e.g. based on advanced scintillator technology (e.g. LaBr3(Ce)) allow for measurements with count rates as high as 10^6-10^7 gamma/s without significant drop of performance. Data handling adapted to the beam conditions could be performed by fast digitizing electronics, able to sample data traces during the micro-pulse duration, while the subsequent macro-pulse gap of ca. 8 ms leaves ample time for data readout. A ball of LaBr3 detectors with digital readout appears to best suited for this novel type of nuclear photonics at ultra-high counting rates.
We propose to produce neutron-rich nuclei in the range of the astrophysical r-process around the waiting point N=126 by fissioning a dense laser-accelerated thorium ion bunch in a thorium target (covered by a CH2 layer), where the light fission fragm
ents of the beam fuse with the light fission fragments of the target. Via the hole-boring mode of laser Radiation Pressure Acceleration using a high-intensity, short pulse laser, very efficiently bunches of 232Th with solid-state density can be generated from a Th layer, placed beneath a deuterated polyethylene foil, both forming the production target. Th ions laser-accelerated to about 7 MeV/u will pass through a thin CH2 layer placed in front of a thicker second Th foil closely behind the production target and disintegrate into light and heavy fission fragments. In addition, light ions (d,C) from the CD2 production target will be accelerated as well to about 7 MeV/u, inducing the fission process of 232Th also in the second Th layer. The laser-accelerated ion bunches with solid-state density, which are about 10^14 times more dense than classically accelerated ion bunches, allow for a high probability that generated fission products can fuse again. In contrast to classical radioactive beam facilities, where intense but low-density radioactive beams are merged with stable targets, the novel fission-fusion process draws on the fusion between neutron-rich, short-lived, light fission fragments both from beam and target. The high ion beam density may lead to a strong collective modification of the stopping power in the target, leading to significant range enhancement. Using a high-intensity laser as envisaged for the ELI-Nuclear Physics project in Bucharest (ELI-NP), estimates promise a fusion yield of about 10^3 ions per laser pulse in the mass range of A=180-190, thus enabling to approach the r-process waiting point at N=126.
The 1789 keV level in 30Mg was identified as the first excited 0^+ state by measuring its E0 transition to the ground state. The measured small value of rho^2(E0,0^+_2 --> 0^+_1) = 5.7(14) x 10^-3 implies a very small mixing of competing configuratio
ns with largely different intrinsic quadrupole deformation near N=20. Axially symmetric Beyond-Mean-Field configuration mixing calculations identify the ground state of 30Mg to be based on neutron configurations below the N=20 shell closure, while the excited 0^+ state mainly consists of a two neutrons excitated into the nu1 f_{7/2} orbital. Using a two-level model, a mixing amplitude of 0.08(4) can be derived.
