Investigation of the nuclear matter density distributions of the exotic 12 Be, 14 Be and 8 B nuclei by elastic proton scattering in inverse kinematics

The proton-nucleus elastic scattering at intermediate energies is a well-established method for the investigation of the nuclear matter distribution in stable nuclei and was recently applied also for the investigation of radioactive nuclei using the method of inverse kinematics. In the current experiment, the differential cross sections for proton elastic scattering on the isotopes $^{7,9,10,11,12,14}$Be and $^8$B were measured. The experiment was performed using the fragment separator at GSI, Darmstadt to produce the radioactive beams. The main part of the experimental setup was the time projection ionization chamber IKAR which was simultaneously used as hydrogen target and a detector for the recoil protons. Auxiliary detectors for projectile tracking and isotope identification were also installed. As results from the experiment, the absolute differential cross sections d$sigma$/d$t$ as a function of the four momentum transfer $t$ were obtained. In this work the differential cross sections for elastic p-$^{12}$Be, p-$^{14}$Be and p-$^{8}$B scattering at low $t$ ($t leq$~0.05~(GeV/c)$^2$) are presented. The measured cross sections were analyzed within the Glauber multiple-scattering theory using different density parameterizations, and the nuclear matter density distributions and radii of the investigated isotopes were determined. The analysis of the differential cross section for the isotope $^{14}$Be shows that a good description of the experimental data is obtained when density distributions consisting of separate core and halo components are used. The determined {it rms} matter radius is $3.11 pm 0.04 pm 0.13$~fm. In the case of the $^{12}$Be nucleus the results showed an extended matter distribution as well. For this nucleus a matter radius of $2.82 pm 0.03 pm 0.12$~fm was determined. An interesting result is that the free $^{12}$Be nucleus behaves differently from the core of $^{14}$Be and is much more extended than it. The data were also compared with theoretical densities calculated within the FMD and the few-body models. In the case of $^{14}$Be, the calculated cross sections describe the experimental data well while, in the case of $^{12}$Be there are discrepancies in the region of high momentum transfer. Preliminary experimental results for the isotope $^8$B are also presented. An extended matter distribution was obtained (though much more compact as compared to the neutron halos). A proton halo structure was observed for the first time with the proton elastic scattering method. The deduced matter radius is $2.60pm 0.02pm 0.26$~fm. The data were compared with microscopic calculations in the frame of the FMD model and reasonable agreement was observed. The results obtained in the present analysis are in most cases consistent with the previous experimental studies of the same isotopes with different experimental methods (total interaction and reaction cross section measurements, momentum distribution measurements). For future investigation of the structure of exotic nuclei a universal detector system EXL is being developed. It will be installed at the NESR at the future FAIR facility where higher intensity beams of radioactive ions are expected. The usage of storage ring techniques provides high luminosity and low background experimental conditions. Results from the feasibility studies of the EXL detector setup, performed at the present ESR storage ring, are presented.

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.

Isospin effect in the nuclear reaction induced by neutron-halo nuclei

We study the average property of the isospin effect of reaction induced by halo-neutron nuclei He-8 and He-10 in the intermediate energy heavy ion collisions using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model (IQMD). This study is based on the extended neutron density distribution for the halo-neutron nuclei, which includes the average property of the isospin effect-of reaction mechanism and loose inner structure. The extended neutron density distribution brings an important isospin. effect into the average property of reaction mechanism because the interaction potential and nucleon-nucleon(N-N) cross section in IQMD model depend sensitively on the density distribution of colliding system. In order to see clearly the average properties of reaction mechanism induced by halo-neutron nuclei we also compare the results for the neutron-halo colliding systems with those for the corresponding stable colliding systems under the same incident channel condition. We found that the extended density distribution for the neutron-halo projectile brings an important isospin effect to the reaction mechanism, which leads to the decrease of nuclear stopping R, yet induces obvious increase of the neutron-proton ratio of nucleon emissions and isospin fractionation ratio for all beam energies studied in this work, compared to the corresponding stable colliding system. In this case, nuclear stopping, the neutron-proton ratio of nucleon emissions and isospin fractionation ratio induced by halo-neutron nuclei can be used as possible probes for studying the average property of the isospin effect of reaction mechanism and extracting the information of symmetry potential and in-medium N-N cross section by the neutron-halo nuclei in heavy ion collisions.

Spatial characteristics of borromean, tango, samba and all-bound halo nuclei

We report a renormalized zero-range interaction approach to estimate the size of generic weakly bound three-body systems where two particles are identical. We present results for the neutron-neutron root-mean-square distances of the halo nuclei 6He, 11Li, 14Be and 20C, where the systems are taken as two halo neutrons with an inert point-like core. We also report an approach to obtain the neutron-neutron correlation function in halo nuclei. In this case, our results suggest a review of the corresponding experimental data analysis. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.

Materials properties from electron density distributions: Molecular magnetism and linear optical properties

The general goal of this thesis is correlating observable properties of organic and metal-organic materials with their ground-state electron density distribution. In a long-term view, we expect to develop empirical or semi-empirical approaches to predict materials properties from the electron density of their building blocks, thus allowing to rationally engineering molecular materials from their constituent subunits, such as their functional groups. In particular, we have focused on linear optical properties of naturally occurring amino acids and their organic and metal-organic derivatives, and on magnetic properties of metal-organic frameworks. For analysing the optical properties and the magnetic behaviour of the molecular or sub-molecular building blocks in materials, we mostly used the more traditional QTAIM partitioning scheme of the molecular or crystalline electron densities, however, we have also investigated a new approach, namely, X-ray Constrained Extremely Localized Molecular Orbitals (XC-ELMO), that can be used in future to extracted the electron densities of crystal subunits. With the purpose of rationally engineering linear optical materials, we have calculated atomic and functional group polarizabilities of amino acid molecules, their hydrogen-bonded aggregates and their metal-organic frameworks. This has enabled the identification of the most efficient functional groups, able to build-up larger electric susceptibilities in crystals, as well as the quantification of the role played by intermolecular interactions and coordinative bonds on modifying the polarizability of the isolated building blocks. Furthermore, we analysed the dependence of the polarizabilities on the one-electron basis set and the many-electron Hamiltonian. This is useful for selecting the most efficient level of theory to estimate susceptibilities of molecular-based materials. With the purpose of rationally design molecular magnetic materials, we have investigated the electron density distributions and the magnetism of two copper(II) pyrazine nitrate metal-organic polymers. High-resolution X-ray diffraction and DFT calculations were used to characterize the magnetic exchange pathways and to establish relationships between the electron densities and the exchange-coupling constants. Moreover, molecular orbital and spin-density analyses were employed to understand the role of different magnetic exchange mechanisms in determining the bulk magnetic behaviour of these materials. As anticipated, we have finally investigated a modified version of the X-ray constrained wavefunction technique, XC-ELMOs, that is not only a useful tool for determination and analysis of experimental electron densities, but also enables one to derive transferable molecular orbitals strictly localized on atoms, bonds or functional groups. In future, we expect to use XC-ELMOs to predict materials properties of large systems, currently challenging to calculate from first-principles, such as macromolecules or polymers. Here, we point out advantages, needs and pitfalls of the technique. This work fulfils, at least partially, the prerequisites to understand materials properties of organic and metal-organic materials from the perspective of the electron density distribution of their building blocks. Empirical or semi-empirical evaluation of optical or magnetic properties from a preconceived assembling of building blocks could be extremely important for rationally design new materials, a field where accurate but expensive first-principles calculations are generally not used. This research could impact the community in the fields of crystal engineering, supramolecular chemistry and, of course, electron density analysis.

Planar Edgeless Detectors for the TOTEM Experiment at the LHC

The TOTEM experiment at the LHC will measure the total proton-proton cross-section with a precision better than 1%, elastic proton scattering over a wide range in momentum transfer -t= p^2 theta^2 up to 10 GeV^2 and diffractive dissociation, including single, double and central diffraction topologies. The total cross-section will be measured with the luminosity independent method that requires the simultaneous measurements of the total inelastic rate and the elastic proton scattering down to four-momentum transfers of a few 10^-3 GeV^2, corresponding to leading protons scattered in angles of microradians from the interaction point. This will be achieved using silicon microstrip detectors, which offer attractive properties such as good spatial resolution (<20 um), fast response (O(10ns)) to particles and radiation hardness up to 10^14 "n"/cm^2. This work reports about the development of an innovative structure at the detector edge reducing the conventional dead width of 0.5-1 mm to 50-60 um, compatible with the requirements of the experiment.

Influence of the halo upon angular distributions for elastic scattering and breakup

The angular distributions for elastic scattering and breakup of halo nuclei are analysed using a near-side/far-side decomposition within the framework of the dynamical eikonal approximation. This analysis is performed for (11)Be impinging on Pb at 69 MeV/nucleon. These distributions exhibit very similar features. In particular they are both near-side dominated, as expected from Coulomb-dominated reactions. The general shape of these distributions is sensitive mostly to the projectile-target interactions, but is also affected by the extension of the halo. This suggests the elastic scattering not to be affected by a loss of flux towards the breakup channel. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the total reaction cross section for the mirror nuclei N-12 and B-12

The mirror nuclei N-12 and B-12 are separated by the Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL) at HIRFL from the breakup of 78.6 MeV/u N-14 on a Be target. The total reaction cross-sections of N-12 at 34.9 MeV/u and B-12 at 54.4 MeV/u on a Si target have been measured by using the transmission method. Assuming N-12 consists of a C-11 core plus one halo proton, the excitation function of N-12 and B-12 on a Si target and a C target were calculated with the Glauber model. It can fit the experimental data very well. The characteristic halo structure for N-12 was found with a large diffusion of the protons density distribution.

Probing the symmetrical potential in nuclear reaction iinduced by neutron-halo nuclei

In terms of the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model (IQMD), important isospin effect in the halo-neutron nucleus induced reaction mechanism is. investigated, and consequently, the symmetrical potential form is extracted in the intermediate energy heavy ion collision. Because the interactive potential and in-medium nucleon-nucleon (N-N) cross section in the IQMD model sensitively depend on the density distribution of the colliding system, this type of study is much more based on the extended density distribution with a looser inner nuclear structure of the halo-neutron nucleus. Such a density distribution includes averaged characteristics of the isospin effect of the reaction mechanism and the looser inner nuclear structure. In order to understand clearly the isospin effect of the halo-neutron nucleus induced reaction mechanism, the effects caused by the neutron-halo nucleus and by the stable nucleus with the same mass are compared under the same condition of the incident channel. It is found that in the concerned beam energy region, the ratio of the emitted neutrons and protons and the ratio of the isospin fractionations in the neutron-halo nucleus case are considerably larger than those in the stable nucleus case. Therefore, the information of the symmetry potential in the heavy ion collision can be extracted through such a procedure.

Average property of isospin effects induced by neutron-halo nuclei

We study the average property of the isospin effects of reaction mechanism induced by neutron-halo nuclei within the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model. We find that the extended neutron density distribution for the neutron-halo projectile brings an important isospin effect into the reaction mechanism, which induces the decrease of nuclear stopping R; however, it induces the obvious increases of the neutron-proton ratio of nucleon emissions (n/p)(nucl) for all of the beam energies in this work, compared to the same mass stable colliding system.

Close correlation between the reaction mechanism and inner structure of loosely halo-nuclei

It was based on the comparisons of the variance properties of fragment multiplicities FM's and nuclear stoppings R's for the neutron-halo colliding system with those of FZ's and R's for the proton-halo colliding system with the increases of beam energy in more detail, the closely correlations between the reaction mechanism and the inner structures of halo-nuclei is found. From above comparisons it is found that the variance properties of fragment multiplicities and nuclear stopping with the increases of beam energy are quite different for the neutron-halo and proton-halo colliding systems, such as the effects of loosely bound neutron-halo structure on the fragment multiplicities and nuclear stopping are obviously larger than those for the proton-halo colliding system. This is due to that the structures of halo-neutron nucleus Li-11 is more loosely than that of the proton-halo nucleus Al-23 in this paper. In this case, the fragment multiplicity and nuclear stopping of halo nuclei may be used as a possible probe for studying the reaction mechanism and the correlation between the reaction mechanism and the inner structure of halo-nuclei.

Sub-barrier fusion of two-neutron halo nuclei

The tunneling of composite systems, where breakup may occur during the barrier penetration process, is considered in connection with the fusion of halo-like radioactive, neutron- and proton-rich nuclei, on heavy targets. The large amount of recent and new data clearly indicates that breakup hinders the fusion at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier. However, clear evidence for enhancement due to halo properties seems to over ride the breakup hindrance at lower energies, owing, to a large extent, to the extended matter density distribution. In particular we report here that at sub-barrier energies the fusion cross section of the Borromean two-neutron halo nucleus (6)He with the actinide nucleus (238)U is significantly enhanced as compared to the fusion of a similar projectile with no halo. This conclusion differs from that of the original work, where it was claimed that no such enhancement ensues. This sub-barrier fusion enhancement is also observed in the (6)He + (209)Bi system. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CLUSTER MODEL FOR REACTIONS INDUCED BY WEAKLY BOUND AND/OR EXOTIC HALO NUCLEI WITH MEDIUM-MASS TARGETS

An experimental overview of reactions induced by the stable, but weakly-bound nuclei (6)Li, (7)Li and (9)Be, and by the exotic, halo nuclei (6)He, (8)B, (11)Be and (17)F On medium-mass targets, such as (58)Ni, (59)Co or (64)Zn, is presented. Existing data on elastic scattering, total reaction cross sections, fusion, breakup and transfer channels are discussed in the framework of a CDCC approach taking into account the breakup degree of freedom.