arXiv subjects

Kevin Insik Hahn

Publications and source records attributed to Kevin Insik Hahn.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Experimental and theoretical studies of hyperfine structures in $^{21}$Na

We measured the hyperfine structure constants, $A(3s^2S_{1/2})$ and $A(3p^2P_{1/2})$, of the neutron-deficient isotope $^{21}\text{Na}$ using CLaSsy, a setup dedicated to collinear laser spectroscopy at RAON. The hyperfine structure constants of $^{21}\text{Na}$ were measured to be $103.6(10)_{\mathrm{stat}}(9)_{\mathrm{syst}}$ MHz for $A(3p^2P_{1/2})$ and $954.9(11)_{\mathrm{stat}}(25)_{\mathrm{syst}}$ MHz for $A(3s^2S_{1/2})$. A systematic comparison with the state-of-the-art ab-initio relativistic coupled cluster calculations shows the role of higher-order correlation effects such as triple excitations in $^{21}$Na. Furthermore, the measurement demonstrates a capability of the CLaSsy setup to conduct collinear laser spectroscopy experiments with a radioactive beam.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2026

Establishing the $^{40}$Ca$(p,p α)$ reaction at 392 MeV under quasi-free scattering conditions

The $(p,p α)$ reaction offers a direct means to probe preformed $α$-cluster structures in nuclei under quasi-free scattering conditions. Previous studies around 100 MeV provided valuable insights into $α$ clustering, but quantitative comparison with microscopic cluster wave functions remained limited due to strong distortion effects. At higher energies, the reaction mechanism becomes simpler and the distorted-wave impulse approximation (DWIA) provides a more reliable framework for quantitative analysis. In the present work, the $^{40}$Ca$(p,pα)$ reaction was measured at an incident energy of 392 MeV using the high-resolution Grand Raiden and LAS spectrometers at RCNP. Despite the small cross section in this energy region, the achieved resolution allowed clear separation of the ground and excited states of the residual $^{36}$Ar nucleus, and corresponding momentum distributions were extracted. DWIA calculations using a Woods-Saxon $α+ ^{36}$Ar bound-state wave function yielded an experimental spectroscopic factor of $ S_{\mathrm{FAC}}^{\mathrm{WS}} = 0.51 \pm 0.05 $, consistent with the previous result at 101.5 MeV $(0.52 \pm 0.23 )$. This agreement demonstrates that the reaction mechanism is well described across a wide energy range. The present study establishes the feasibility of high-precision $(p,pα)$ measurements at several hundred MeV and highlights their potential as a quantitative probe of $α$ clustering in medium-mass nuclei, forming the basis for systematic studies in both stable and unstable systems.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2024

12C+12C Reaction Rates and the Evolution of a Massive Star

Carbon fusion is important to understand the late stages in the evolution of a massive star. Astronomically interesting energy ranges for the 12C+12C reactions have been, however, poorly constrained by experiments. Theoretical studies on stellar evolution have relied on reaction rates that are extrapolated from those measured in higher energies. In this work, we update the carbon fusion reaction rates by fitting the astrophysical S-factor data obtained from direct measurements based on the Fowler, Caughlan, & Zimmerman (1975) formula. We examine the evolution of a 20 M_sun star with the updated 12C+12C reaction rates performing simulations with the MESA (Modules for Experiments for Stellar Astrophysics) code. Between 0.5 and 1 GK, the updated reaction rates are 0.35 to 0.5 times less than the rates suggested by Caughlan and Fowler (1988). The updated rates result in the increase of core temperature by about 7% and of the neutrino cooling by about a factor of three. Moreover, the carbon-burning lifetime is reduced by a factor of 2.7. The updated carbon fusion reaction rates lead to some changes in the details of the stellar evolution model, their impact seems relatively minor compared to other uncertain physical factors like convection, overshooting, rotation, and mass-loss history. The astrophysical S-factor measurements in lower energies have large errors below the Coulomb barrier. More precise measurements in lower energies for the carbon burning would be useful to improve our study and to understand the evolution of a massive star.

astro-ph.SR↗