Modification of C-doped a-SiO2 after Swift Heavy-Ion Irradiation

Amorphous SiO2 (a-SiO2) thin films were thermally grown on single-crystalline silicon. These a-SiO2/Si samples were first implanted (C-doped) with 100-keV carbon ion at room temperature (RT) at a dose of 5.0 x 10(17) C-ions/cm(2) and were then irradiated at RT by using 853 MeV Pb ions at closes of 5.0 x 10(11), 1.0 x 10(12), 2.0 x 10(12) and 5.0 x 10(12) Pb-ions/cm(2), respectively. The microstructures and the photoluminescence (PL) properties of these samples induced by Pb ions were investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We found that high-energy Pb-ion irradiation could induce the formation of a new phase and a change in the PL property of C-doped a-SiO2/Si samples. The relationship between the observed phenomena and the ion irradiation parameters is briefly discussed.

Preformation of clusters in heavy nuclei and cluster radioactivity

Within the preformed cluster model approach, the values of the preformation factors have been deduced from the experimental cluster decay half-lives assuming that the decay constant of the heavy-ion emission is the product of the assault frequency, the preformation factor and the penetrability. The law according to which the preformation factors follow a simple dependence on the mass of the cluster was confirmed. Then predictions for some of the most possible cluster decays are provided.

Low-lying states of heavy nuclei within the nucleon pair approximation

In this article we perform systematic calculations on low-lying states of 33 nuclei with A=202-212, using the nucleon pair approximation of the shell model. We use a phenomenological shell-model Hamiltonian that includes single-particle energies, monopole and quadrupole pairing interactions, and quadrupole-quadrupole interactions. The building blocks of our model space include one J=4 valence neutron pair, and one J=4,6,8 valence proton pair, in addition to the usual S and D pairs. We calculate binding energies, excitation energies, electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole moments of low-lying states, and E2 transition rates between low-lying states. Our calculated results are reasonably consistent with available experimental data. The calculated quadrupole moments and magnetic moments, many of which have not yet been measured for these nuclei, are useful for future experimental measurements.

Analytic expressions for alpha particle preformation in heavy nuclei

Experimental alpha decay energies and half-lives are investigated systematically to extract alpha particle preformation in heavy nuclei. Formulas for the preformation factors are proposed that can be used to guide microscopic studies on preformation factors and perform accurate calculations of the alpha decay half-lives. There is little evidence for the existence of an island of long stability of superheavy nuclei.

Systematic study of the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in heavy-ion collisions with the same neutron/proton ratio but different masses

A systematic study of the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in heavy-ion collisions with the same neutron/proton ratio but different masses can help single out effects of the nuclear mean field on pion production. Based on simulations using the IBUU04 transport model, it is found that the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio in head-on collisions of Ca-48 + Ca-48, Sn-124 + Sn-124, and Au-197 + Au-197 at beam energies from 0.25 to 0.6 GeV/nucleon increases with increasing the system size or decreasing the beam energies. A comprehensive analysis of the dynamical isospin fractionation and the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio as well as their time evolution and spatial distributions demonstrates clearly that the pi(-)/pi(+) ratio is an effective probe of the high-density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy.

Cluster preformation in heavy nuclei and radioactivity half-lives

Various cluster radioactivities of heavy nuclei have been investigated by using the unified fission model (UFM). The cluster preformation factors have been extracted by employing the UFM connected with the experimental half-lives, and the relationship of preformation probability between the cluster and alpha-particle has been discussed in detail. In addition, the cluster preformation probability has been studied in the framework of statistical physics. Some useful predictions on the cluster emission half-lives are provided for future experiments.

EC/beta(+) decay of six medium-heavy nuclei

Previous experimental results of (EC+beta(+)) decay for the medium-heavy nuclei reported by our group since 1996, including Er-153, Yb-157, Fr-209, Ce-128, Ce-130, and Pr-128 have been briefly summarized. The observed low-lying states in their daughter nuclei have been reviewed in a systematic way and compared with different model calculations. Finally, some questions have been put forward for further study and discussion.

Alpha decay half-lives of heavy nuclei within a generalized liquid drop model

Theoretical alpha-decay half-lives of the heaviest nuclei are calculated using the experimental Q value. The barriers in the quasi-molecular shape path is determined within a Generalized Liquid Drop Model (GLDM) and the WKB approximation is used. The results are compared with calculations using the Density-Dependent, M3Y (DDM3Y) effective interaction and the Viola-Seaborg-Sobiczewski (VSS) formulae. The calculations provide consistent estimates for the half-lives of the a decay chains of these superheavy elements. The experimental data stand between the GLDM calculations and VSS ones in the most time.

Average property of fragmentation reaction and momentum dissipation induced by halo-nuclei in heavy ion collisions

We study systematically the average property of fragmentation reaction and momentum dissipation induced by halo-nuclei in intermediate energy heavy ion collisions for different colliding systems and different beam energies within the isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model (IQMD). This study is based on the extended halo-nucleus density distributions, which indicates the average property of loosely inner halo nucleus structure, because the interaction potential and in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section in IQMD model depend on the density distribution. In order to study the average properties of fragmentation reaction and momentum dissipation induced by halo-nuclei we also compare the results for the halo-nuclear colliding systems with those for corresponding stable colliding systems with same mass under the same incident channel condition. We find that the effect of extended halo density distribution on the fragment multiplicity and nuclear stopping (momentum dissipation) are important for the different beam energies and different colliding systems. For example the extended halo density distributions increase the fragment multiplicity but decrease the nuclear stopping for all of incident channel conditions in this paper.

DETERMINING THE DENSITY DEPENDENCE OF THE NUCLEAR SYMMETRY ENERGY USING HEAVY-ION REACTIONS

We review recent progress in the determination of the subsaturation density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy from heavy-ion collisions as well as the theoretical progress in probing the high density behavior of the symmetry energy in heavy-ion reactions induced by high energy radioactive beams. We further discuss the implications of these results for the nuclear effective interactions and the neutron skin thickness of heavy nuclei.

Neutron-proton bremsstrahlung from intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions as a probe of the nuclear symmetry energy?

Hard photons from neutron-proton bremsstrahlung in intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions are examined as a potential probe of the nuclear symmetry energy within a transport model. Effects of the symmetry energy on the yields and spectra of hard photons are found to be generally smaller than those due to the currently existing uncertainties of both the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections and the photon production probability in the elementary process pn -> pn gamma. Very interestingly, nevertheless, the ratio of hard photon spectra R-1/2(gamma) from two reactions using isotopes of the same element is not only approximately independent of these uncertainties but also quite sensitive to the symmetry energy. For the head-on reactions of Sn-132 + Sn-124 and Sn-112 + Sn-112 at E-beam/A = 50 MeV, for example, the R-1/2(gamma) displays a rise up to 15% when the symmetry energy is reduced by about 20% at rho = 1.3 rho(0) which is the maximum density reached in these reactions. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nuclear stopping and compression in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

The nuclear stopping and the radial flow are investigated with an isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics (IQMD) model for Ni + Ni and Pb + Pb from 0.4 to and 1.2 GeV/u. The expansion velocity as well as the degree of nuclear stopping are higher in the heavier system at all energies. The ratio between the flow energy and the total available energy in center of mass of the colliding systems exhibits a positive correlation to the degree of nuclear stopping. The maximum density (rho(max)) achieved in the compression is comparable to the hydrodynamics prediction only if the non-zero collision time effect is taken into account in the later. Due to the partial transparency, the growing of the maximum density achieved in the central region of the fireball with the increase of beam energy becomes gradually flat in the 1 GeV/u energy regime. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamical analysis on heavy-ion fusion reactions near Coulomb barrier

The shell correction is proposed in the improved isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics (Im-IQMD) model, which plays an important role in heavy-ion fusion reactions near Coulomb barrier. By using the ImIQMD model, the static and dynamical fusion barriers, dynamical barrier distribution in the fusion reactions are analyzed systematically. The fusion and capture excitation functions for a series of reaction systems are calculated and compared with experimental data. It is found that the fusion cross sections for neutron-rich systems increase obviously, and the strong shell effects of two colliding nuclei result in a decrease of the fusion cross sections at the sub-barrier energies. The lowering of the dynamical fusion barriers favors the enhancement of the sub-barrier fusion cross sections, which is related to the nucleon transfer and the neck formation in the fusion reactions.

A method on theoretical simulation of chromosome breaks in cells exposed to heavy ions

Background. The aim of this study is to assess an easy and quick method on simulating chromosome breaks in cells exposed to heavy charged particles. Methods. The theoretical value of chromosome break was calculated, and the validated comparison with the experimental value by using a premature chromosome condensation technique was done. Results. A good consistence was found to be appeared between the theoretical and experimental value. Conclusions. This suggested that a higher relative biological effectiveness of heavy ions was closely correlated with its physical characteristics and besides, a safe approach on predicting chromosome breaks in cells exposed to heavy ions at off-line environment come to be considered. Furthermore, three key factors influencing the theoretical simulation was investigated and discussed.

Outline of the progress in the study of radioactive nuclear physics and super-heavy nuclei

We briefly introduce the current status and progress in the field of radioactive ion beam physics and the study of super-heavy nuclei. Some important problems and research directions are outlined, such as the sub-barrier fusion reaction, the direct reaction at Fermi energy and high energies, the property of nuclei at drip-lines, new magic numbers and new collective motion modes for unstable nuclei and the synthesis and study of the super-heavy nuclei.