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arXiv · 2502.10306

Neutron capture measurements for s-process nucleosynthesis; A review about CERN n_TOF developments and contributions

Abstract

This article presents a review about the main CERN n\_TOF contributions to the field of neutron-capture experiments of interest for $s$-process nucleosynthesis studies over the last 25 years, with special focus on the measurement of radioactive isotopes. A few recent capture experiments on stable isotopes of astrophysical interest are also discussed. Results on $s$-process branching nuclei are appropriate to illustrate how advances in detection systems and upgrades in the facility have enabled increasingly challenging experiments and, as a consequence, have led to a better understanding and modeling of the $s$-process mechanism of nucleosynthesis. New endeavors combining radioactive-ion beams from ISOLDE for the production of radioisotopically pure samples for activation experiments at the new NEAR facility at n\_TOF are briefly discussed. On the basis of these new exciting results, also current limitations of state-of-the-art TOF and activation techniques will be depicted, thereby showing the pressing need for further upgrades and enhancements on both facilities and detection systems. A brief account of the potential technique based on inverse kinematics for direct neutron-capture measurements is also presented.

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C. Domingo-Pardo, O. Aberle, V. Alcayne, G. Alpar, M. Al Halabi, S. Amaducci, V. Babiano, M. Bacak, J. Balibrea-Correa, J. Bartolomé, A. P. Bernardes, B. Bernardino Gameiro, E. Berthoumieux, R. Beyer, M. Birch, M. Boromiza, D. Bosnar, B. Brusasco, M. Caamaño, A. Cahuzac, F. Calviño, M. Calviani, D. Cano-Ott, A. Casanovas, D. M. Castelluccio, D. Catlett, F. Cerutti, G. Cescutti, E. Chiaveri, G. Claps, P. Colombetti, N. Colonna, P. Console Camprini, G. Cortés, M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, L. Cosentino, S. Cristallo, A. D'Ottavi, G. de la Fuente Rosales, S. F. Dellmann, M. Diakaki, M. Di Castro, A. Di Chicco, M. Dietz, E. Dupont, I. Durán, Z. Eleme, M. Eslami, S. Fargier, B. Fernández-Domínguez, P. Finocchiaro, W. Flanagan, V. Furman, A. Gandhi, F. García-Infantes, A. Gawlik-Ramiega, G. Gervino, S. Gilardoni, E. González-Romero, S. Goula, E. Griesmayer, C. Guerrero, F. Gunsing, C. Gustavino, J. Heyse, W. Hillman, D. G. Jenkins, E. Jericha, A. Junghans, Y. Kadi, K. Kaperoni, I. Kelly, M. Kokkoris, Y. Kopatch, M. Krtička, N. Kyritsis, C. Lederer-Woods, J. Lerendegui-Marco, A. Manna, T. Martínez, M. Martínez-Cañada, A. Masi, C. Massimi, P. Mastinu, M. Mastromarco, E. A. Maugeri, A. Mazzone, E. Mendoza, A. Mengoni, V. Michalopoulou, P. M. Milazzo, J. Moldenhauer, R. Mucciola, E. Musacchio González, A. Musumarra, A. Negret, E. Odusina, D. Papanikolaou, N. Patronis, J. A. Pavón-Rodríguez. 2025-02-14. Neutron capture measurements for s-process nucleosynthesis; A review about CERN n_TOF developments and contributions. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.10306

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