Experimental Test of the Ratio Method for Nuclear-Reaction Analysis
S Ota1,2, P Capel3, G Christian4,5
1Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Nuclear Data Center, Upton, New York 11973-5000, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|June 18, 2025
Summary
Researchers tested a new method using nuclear reactions to study exotic nuclear halos. The results confirm theoretical predictions, offering a novel tool for nuclear structure research far from stability.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear physics
- Quantum mechanics
- Nuclear structure
Background:
- Nuclear halos are exotic quantal structures found in atomic nuclei.
- Studying these structures typically involves nuclear reactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally validate a new observable, the ratio of angular cross sections for breakup and scattering, as a probe of nuclear halo structure.
- To assess the reaction-process independence and sensitivity of this observable.
Main Methods:
- Experimental testing of the observable on the collision of Boron-11 (¹¹Be) on Carbon (C) at 22.8 MeV/nucleon.
- Analysis of existing experimental data for Lead (Pb) at 19.1 MeV/nucleon.
Main Results:
- The experimental results verified the theoretical predictions for the ratio of angular cross sections.
- The study confirmed the sensitivity of this ratio to the nuclear halo structure.
Conclusions:
- The ratio of angular cross sections is a reliable observable for studying nuclear halos.
- This finding establishes a new spectroscopic tool for investigating nuclear structure in exotic nuclei far from stability.
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