Neutron and proton diffusion in fusion reactions for the synthesis of superheavy nuclei

The restriction of the one dimensional (1D) master equation (ME) with the mass number of the projectile-like fragment as a variable is studied, and a two-dimensional (2D) master equation with the neutron and proton numbers as independent variables is set up, and solved numerically. Our study showed that the 2D ME can describe the fusion process well in all projectile-target combinations. Therefore the possible channels to synthesize super-heavy nuclei can be studied correctly in wider possibilities. The available condition for employing 1D ME is pointed out.

Cross-correlation of excitation functions for different fragments and different scattering angles in Al-27(F-19, x)y reactions

Excitation functions have been measured for different projectile-like fragments produced in Al-27(F-19,x)y reactions at incident energies from 110.25 to 118.75 MeV in 250 keV steps. Strong cross section fluctuations of the excitation functions are observed. The cross- correlation coefficients of the excitation functions for different atomic number Z and for different scattering angle theta(cm) have been deduced. These coefficients are much larger than the statistical theoretical calculated ones. This indicates that there are strong correlations between different exit channels in the dissipative heavy ion Collision of Al-27(F-19,x)y.

Surface erosion of GaN bombarded by highly charged Pb-208(q+)-Ions

Surface change of gallium nitride specimens after bombardment by highly charged Pbq+-ions (q = 25, 35) at room temperature is studied by means of atomic force microscopy. The experimental results reveal that the surface of GaN specimens is significantly etched and erased. An unambiguous step-up is observed. The erosion depth not only strongly depends on the charge state of ions, but also is related to the incident angle of Pbq+-ions and the ion dose. The erosion depth of the specimens in 60 incidence (tilted incidence) is significantly deeper than that of the normal incidence. The erosion behaviour of specimens has little dependence on the kinetic energy of ion (E-k = 360, 700 keV). On the other hand, surface roughness of the irradiated area is obviously decreased due to erosion compared with the un-irradiated area. A fiat terrace is formed.

Induction of cytogenetic adaptive response in spermatogonia and spermatocytes by pre-exposure of mouse testis to low-dose C-12(6+) ions

To investigate the effects of pre-exposure of mouse testis to low-dose C-12(6+) ions on cytogenetics of spermatogonia and spermatocytes induced by subsequent high-dose irradiation. the testes of outbred Kun-Ming strain mice were irradiated with 0.05 Gy of C-12(6+) ions as the pre-exposure dose, and then irradiated with 2 Gy as challenging dose at 4 h after per-exposure. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARPs) activity and PARP-1 protein expression were respectively measured by using the enzymatic and Western blot assays at 4 h after irradiation; chromosomal aberrations in spermatogonia and spermatocytes were analyzed by the air-drying method at 8 h after irradiation. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations and significant reductions of PARP activity and PARP-1 expression level in the mouse testes irradiated with 2 Gy of C-12(6+) ions. However, pre-exposure of mouse testes to a low dose of C-12(6+) ions significantly increased PARPs activity and PARP-1 expression and alleviated the harmful effects induced by a subsequent high-dose irradiation. PARP activity inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) treatment blocked the effects of PARP-1 on cytogenetic adaptive response induced by low-dose C-12(6+) ion irradiation. The data suggest that pre-exposure of testes to a low dose of heavy ions can induce cytogenetic adaptive response to subsequent high-dose irradiation. The increase of PARP-1 protein induced by the low-dose ionizing irradiation may be involved in the mechanism of these observations. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Configuration of the valence neutrons of B-17

The reaction cross section of B-17 on C-12 target at (43.7 +/- 2.4) MeV/u has been measured at the Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL). The root-mean-square matter radius (R-rms) was deduced to be (2.92 +/- 0.10) fm, while the R-rms of the core and the valence neutron distribution are 2.28 fm and 5.98 fm respectively. Assuming a "core plus 2n" structure in B-17, the mixed configuration of (2s(1/2)) and (1d(5/2)) of the valence neutrons is studied and the s-wave spectroscopic factor is found to be (80 +/- 21)%.

Strangeness production process pp -> nK(+)Sigma(+) within resonance model

We explore production mechanism and final state interaction in the pp -> nK(+)Sigma(+) channel based on the inconsistent experimental data published respectively by COSY-11 and COSY-ANKE. The scattering parameter a > 0 for n Sigma(+) interaction is favoured by large near-threshold cross section within a nonrelativistic parametrization investigation, and a strong n Sigma(+) interaction comparable to pp interaction is also indicated. Based on this analysis we calculate the contribution from resonance Delta*(1920) through pi(+) exchange within resonance model, and the numerical result suggests a rather small near-threshold total cross section, which is consistent with the COSY-ANKE data. With an additional sub-threshold resonance Delta*(1620), the model gives a much better description to the rather large near-threshold total cross section published by COSY-11

Study on charge equilibration time of highly charged ions in carbon foils

Charge state distribution of 0.8MeV/u uranium ions after transmission through a thin carbon foil has been studied. It is observed that the charge state distribution is equilibrated after the uranium ions have passed through a 15 mu g/cm(2) carbon foil. The equilibrated average charge state is 33.72 and the charge equilibration time of uranium ions in carbon foil is less than 5.4fs.

Assessment of DNA damage of Lewis lung carcinoma cells irradiated by carbon ions and X-rays using alkaline comet assay

DNA damage and cell reproductive death determined by alkaline comet and clonogenic survival assays were examined in Lewis lung carcinoma cells after exposure to 89.63 MeV/u carbon ion and 6 MV X-ray irradiations, respectively. Based on the survival data, Lewis lung carcinoma cells were verified to be more radiosensitive to the carbon ion beam than to the X-ray irradiation. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) value, which was up to 1.77 at 10% survival level, showed that the DNA damage induced by the high-LET carbon ion beam was more remarkable than that induced by the low-LET X-ray irradiation. The dose response curves of '' Tail DNA (%)'' (TD) and "Olive tail moment" (OTM) for the carbon ion irradiation showed saturation beyond about 8 Gy. This behavior was not found in the X-ray curves. Additionally, the carbon ion beam produced a lower survival fraction at 2 Gy (SF2) value and a higher initial Olive tail moment 2 Gy (OTM2) than those for the X-ray irradiation. These results suggest that carbon ion beams having high-LET values produced more severe cell reproductive death and DNA damage in Lewis lung carcinoma cells in comparison with X-rays and comet assay might be an effective predictive test even combining with clonogenic assay to assess cellular radio sensitivity

Formation of superheavy nuclei in cold fusion reactions

Within the concept of the dinuclear system (DNS), a dynamical model is proposed for describing the formation of superheavy nuclei in complete fusion reactions by incorporating the coupling of the relative motion to the nucleon transfer process. The capture of two heavy colliding nuclei, the formation of the compound nucleus, and the de-excitation process are calculated by using an empirical coupled channel model, solving a master equation numerically and applying statistical theory, respectively. Evaporation residue excitation functions in cold fusion reactions are investigated systematically and compared with available experimental data. Maximal production cross sections of superheavy nuclei in cold fusion reactions with stable neutron-rich projectiles are obtained. Isotopic trends in the production of the superheavy elements Z=110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and 120 are analyzed systematically. Optimal combinations and the corresponding excitation energies are proposed.

Differential isospin-fractionation in dilute asymmetric nuclear matter

The differential isospin-fractionation (IsoF) during the liquid-gas phase transition in dilute asymmetric nuclear matter is studied as a function of nucleon momentum. Within a self-consistent thermal model it is shown that the neutron/proton ratio of the gas phase becomes smaller than that of the liquid phase for energetic nucleons, although the gas phase is overall more neutron-rich. Clear indications of the differential IsoF consistent with the thermal model predictions are demonstrated within a transport model for heavy-ion reactions. Future comparisons with experimental data will allow us to extract critical information about the momentum dependence of the isovector strong interaction.

Possible way to synthesize superheavy element Z=117

Within the framework of the dinuclear system model, the production of superheavy element Z = 117 in possible projectile-target combinations is analysed systematically. The calculated results show that the production cross sections are strongly dependent on the reaction systems. Optimal combinations, corresponding excitation energies and evaporation channels are proposed, such as the isotopes Bk-248,Bk-249 in Ca-48 induced reactions in 3n evaporation channels and the reactions Sc-45+Cm-246,Cm-248 in 3n and 4n channels, and the system V-51+Pu-244 in 3n channel.

The equation of state study in UU collisions at CSR, Lanzhou

The cooling storage ring, to be built at Lanzhou, will be able to deliver heavy ion beams up to uranium up to 0.52 GeV/u. It is expected to make considerable contribution to nuclear EOS study in the high net baryon-density region. With a relativistic transport model, we performed simulations for U+U collisions with different orientations. It is shown that by combining the forward neutron multiplicity and an event-wise elliptic flow selection, it is possible to identify the tip - tip and body - body head-on collisions. The effective identification of these two extreme configurations will allow us to study the EOS at the highest baryon density in the U+U collisions.

Exotic behaviour of angular dispersion of weakly bound nucleus F-17 at small angles

The differential cross sections of F-17 and O-17 elastic scattering products on Pb-208 have been measured at the Radioactive Ion Beam Line at Lanzhou (RIBLL). Two angular dispersion plots of ln(d sigma/d theta) versus theta 2 are obtained from the angular distribution of the elastic scattering differential cross sections. The angular dispersion plot exhibits a clear turning point for F-17 in the range of small scattering angles 6 degrees-20 degrees due to its exotic structure, but for O-17, the turning point is not observed in the same angular range. The experimental results have been compared with previous data of other groups. Systematical analysis on the available data supports the above conclusion that there is an exotic behaviour of the angular dispersion plot of weakly bound nuclei with halo or skin structure as compared with that of the ordinary nuclei near stable line. Therefore the turning point of the angular dispersion plot appears at small angle for weakly bound nuclei with halo or skin structure, and can be used as a new probe to investigate the halo and skin phenomena of weakly bound nuclei.

Production cross sections of superheavy nuclei based on dinuclear system model

The barrier distribution function method is introduced in the dinuclear system model in the calculation of the transmission probability, which is the first stage in the synthesis of superheavy nuclei. Dynamical deformation and averaging collision orientations are considered in the calculation of the fusion probability by solving master equation numerically. Survival probability with respect to xn evaporation channel (x = 1-5) in the de-excitation process of the thermal compound nucleus is calculated, in which the level density of the Fermi-gas model is used. Production cross sections of a series of superheavy nuclei formed in the reactions taken magic and deformed nuclei as target in Ca-48 induced reactions are studied systematically. The calculated results are in good agreement with available experimental data. Isotopic dependence of the production cross sections in the reactions Ca-48 + Pu is analyzed.

Melatonin modulates acute testicular damage induced by carbon ions in mice

The present study was performed to obtain evidence of the radioprotective function of melatonin at different administration levels on carbon ion-induced mouse testicular damage. Outbred Kun-Ming strain mice were divided into six groups, each composed of eight animals: control group, melatonin alone group, irradiation group and three melatonin plus irradiation-treated groups. An acute study was carried out to determine alterations in DNA-single strand break, cell apoptosis, and oxidative stress parameters as well as histopathology in mouse testis 24 h after whole-body irradiation with a single dose of 4 Gy Tie results showed that pre-treatment and post-treatment with high-dose melatonin (10 mg/kg) both significantly alleviated carbon ion-induced acute testicular damage, a greater radioprotective effect being observed in the pre-treatment group. On the other hand, low-dose melatonin (1 mg/kg) had a limited radioprotective effect on irradiation-induced degeneration and DNA lesions in mouse testis. Taken together, the data suggest that prophylactic treatment with a higher dose of melatonin is probably advisable to protect against the effects of heavy-ion irradiation.