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P. Mohr

Publications and source records attributed to P. Mohr.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2010

High-energy break-up of 6Li as a tool to study the Big-Bang nucleosynthesis reaction 2H(alpha,gamma)6Li

The recently claimed observations of non-negligible amounts of 6Li in old halo stars have renewed interest in the Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) of 6Li. One important ingredient in the predicted BBN abundance of 6Li is the low-energy 2H(alpha,gamma)6Li cross section. Up to now, the only available experimental result for this cross section showed an almost constant astrophysical S-factor below 400 keV, contrary to theoretical expectations. We report on a new measurement of the 2H(alpha,gamma)6Li reaction using the break-up of 6Li at 150 A MeV. Even though we cannot separate experimentally the Coulomb contribution from the nuclear one, we find clear evidence for Coulomb-nuclear interference by analyzing the scattering-angular distributions. This is in-line with our theoretical description which indicates a drop of the S_24-factor at low energies as predicted also by most other models. Consequently, we find even lower upper limits for the calculated primordial 6Li abundance than before.

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arXiv2010

Total reaction cross sections from elastic alpha-nucleus scattering angular distributions around the Coulomb barrier

The total reaction cross section $σ_{\rm{reac}}$ is a valuable measure for the prediction of $α$-induced reaction cross sections within the statistical model and for the comparison of scattering of tightly bound projectiles to weakly bound and exotic projectiles. Here we provide the total reaction cross sections $σ_{\rm{reac}}$ derived from our previously published angular distributions of $α$-elastic scattering on $^{89}$Y, $^{92}$Mo, $^{112,124}$Sn, and $^{144}$Sm at energies around the Coulomb barrier.

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arXiv2010

Comparison of 120Sn(6He,6He)120Sn and 120Sn(alpha,alpha)120Sn elastic scattering and signatures of the 6He neutron halo in the optical potential

Cross sections of $^{120}$Sn($α$,$α$)$^{120}$Sn elastic scattering have been extracted from the $α$ particle beam contamination of a recent $^{120}$Sn($^6$He,$^6$He)$^{120}$Sn experiment. Both reactions are analyzed using systematic double folding potentials in the real part and smoothly varying Woods-Saxon potentials in the imaginary part. The potential extracted from the $^{120}$Sn($^6$He,$^6$He)$^{120}$Sn data may be used as the basis for the construction of a simple global $^6$He optical potential. The comparison of the $^6$He and $α$ data shows that the halo nature of the $^6$He nucleus leads to a clear signature in the reflexion coefficients $η_L$: the relevant angular momenta $L$ with $η_L \gg 0$ and $η_L \ll 1$ are shifted to larger $L$ with a broader distribution. This signature is not present in the $α$ scattering data and can thus be used as a new criterion for the definition of a halo nucleus.

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arXiv2010

Modification of nuclear transitions in stellar plasma by electronic processes: K-isomers in 176Lu and 180Ta under s-process conditions

The influence of the stellar plasma on the production and destruction of K-isomers is studied for the examples 176Lu and 180Ta. Individual electromagnetic transitions are enhanced predominantly by nuclear excitation by electron capture, whereas the other mechanisms of electron scattering and nuclear excitation by electron transition give only minor contributions. It is found that individual transitions can be enhanced significantly for low transition energies below 100 keV. Transitions with higher energies above 200 keV are practically not affected. Although one low-energy transition in 180Ta is enhanced by up to a factor of 10, the stellar transition rates from low-K to high-K states via so-called intermediate states in 176Lu and 180Ta do not change significantly under s-process conditions. The s-process nucleosynthesis of 176Lu and 180Ta remains essentially unchanged.

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arXiv2009

Low-energy $^3$He($α$,$α$)$^3$He elastic scattering and the $^3$He($α$,$γ$)$^7$Be reaction

The cross sections of the $^3$He($α$,$α$)$^3$He and $^3$He($α$,$γ$)$^7$Be reactions are studied at low energies using a simple two-body model in combination with a double-folding potential. At very low energies the capture cross section is dominated by direct s-wave capture. However, at energies of several MeV the d-wave contribution increases, and the theoretical capture cross section depends sensitively on the strength of the L=2 potential. Whereas the description of the L=2 elastic phase shift requires a relatively weak potential strength, recently measured capture data can only be described with a significantly enhanced L=2 potential. A simultaneous description of the new experimental capture data and the elastic phase shifts is not possible within this model. Because of the dominating extranuclear capture, this conclusion holds in general for most theoretical models.

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arXiv2009

Properties of the 5- state at 839 keV in 176Lu and the s-process branching at A = 176

The s-process branching at mass number A = 176 depends on the coupling between the high-K ground state and a low-lying low-K isomer in 176Lu. This coupling is based on electromagnetic transitions via intermediate states at higher energies. The properties of the lowest experimentally confirmed intermediate state at 839 keV are reviewed, and the transition rate between low-K and high-K states under stellar conditions is calculated on the basis of new experimental data for the 839 keV state. Properties of further candidates for intermediate states are briefly analyzed. It is found that the coupling between the high-K ground state and the low-K isomer in 176Lu is at least one order of magnitude stronger than previously assumed leading to crucial consequences for the interpretation of the 176Lu/176Hf pair as an s-process thermometer.

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arXiv2008

Benchmark on neutron capture extracted from $(d,p)$ reactions

Direct neutron capture reactions play an important role in nuclear astrophysics and applied physics. Since for most unstable short-lived nuclei it is not possible to measure the $(n, γ)$ cross sections, $(d,p)$ reactions have been used as an alternative indirect tool. We analyze simultaneously $^{48}{\rm Ca}(d,p)^{49}{\rm Ca}$ at deuteron energies $2, 13, 19$ and 56 MeV and the thermal $(n,γ)$ reaction at 25 meV. We include results for the ground state and the first excited state of $^{49}$Ca. From the low-energy $(d,p)$ reaction, the neutron asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) is determined. Using this ANC, we extract the spectroscopic factor (SF) from the higher energy $(d,p)$ data and the $(n, γ)$ data. The SF obtained through the 56 MeV $(d,p)$ data are less accurate but consistent with those from the thermal capture. We show that to have a similar dependence on the single particle parameters as in the $(n, γ)$, the (d,p) reaction should be measured at 30 MeV.

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arXiv2008

New reaction rate for 16O(p,gamma)17F and its influence on the oxygen isotopic ratios in massive AGB stars

The 16O(p,gamma)17F reaction rate is revisited with special emphasis on the stellar temperature range of T=60-100 MK important for hot bottom burning in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We evaluate existing cross section data that were obtained since 1958 and, if appropriate, correct published data for systematic errors that were not noticed previously, including the effects of coincidence summing and updated effective stopping powers. The data are interpreted by using two different models of nuclear reactions, that is, a potential model and R-matrix theory. A new astrophysical S-factor and recommended thermonuclear reaction rates are presented. As a result of our work, the 16O(p,gamma)17F reaction has now the most precisely known rate involving any target nucleus in the mass A >= 12 range, with reaction rate errors of about 7% over the entire temperature region of astrophysical interest (T=0.01-2.5 GK). The impact of the present improved reaction rate with its significantly reduced uncertainties on the hot bottom burning in AGB stars is discussed. In contrast to earlier results we find now that there is not clear evidence to date for any stellar grain origin from massive AGB stars.

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arXiv2007

Photoactivation at a clinical LINAC: The 197Au(gamma,n)196Au reaction slightly above threshold

The properties of a clinical LINAC are investigated for a study of photoactivation cross sections slightly above the neutron threshold. As an example, the photoactivation of a tiny amount of gold by the 197Au(gamma,n)196Au reaction has been measured. The derived photon intensity is at least comparable to conventional and widely used photon sources. In combination with its extremely stable operation, a clinical LINAC ensures that photoactivation studies can be performed for a wide number of targets with very limited beamtime.

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arXiv2007

Photon-induced Nucleosynthesis: Current Problems and Experimental Approaches

Photon-induced reactions play a key role in the nucleosynthesis of rare neutron-deficient p-nuclei. The paper focuses on (gamma,alpha), (gamma,p), and (gamma,n) reactions which define the corresponding p-process path. The relation between stellar reaction rates and laboratory cross sections is analyzed for photon-induced reactions and their inverse capture reactions to evaluate various experimental approaches. An improved version S_C(E) of the astrophysical S-factor is suggested which is based on the Coulomb wave functions. S_C(E) avoids the apparent energy dependence which is otherwise obtained for capture reactions on heavy nuclei. It is found that a special type of synchrotron radiation available at SPring-8 that mimics stellar blackbody radiation at billions of Kelvin is a promising tool for future experiments. By using the blackbody synchrotron radiation, sufficient event rates for (gamma,alpha) and (gamma,p) reactions in the p-process path can be expected. These experiments will provide data to improve the nuclear parameters involved in the statistical model and thus reduce the uncertainties of nucleosynthesis calculations.

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arXiv2006

Survival of Nature's Rarest Isotope 180Ta under Stellar Conditions

The nucleosynthesis of nature's rarest isotope 180Ta depends sensitively on the temperature of the astrophysical environment because of depopulation of the long-living isomeric state via intermediate states to the short-living ground state by thermal photons. Reaction rates for this transition have been measured in the laboratory. These ground state rates understimate the stellar rates dramatically because under stellar conditions intermediate states are mainly populated by excitations from thermally excited states in 180mTa. Full thermalization of 180Ta is already achieved for typical s-process temperatures around kT = 25 keV. Consequently, for the survival of 180Ta in the s-process fast convective mixing is required which has to transport freshly synthesized 180Ta to cooler regions. In supernova explosions 180Ta is synthesized by photon- or neutrino-induced reactions at temperatures above T9 = 1 in thermal equilibrium; independent of the production mechanism, freeze-out from thermal equilibrium occurs at kT approx 40 keV, and only 35 +- 4 % of the synthesized 180Ta survive in the isomeric state.

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arXiv2005

Low-Energy Direct Capture in the 16O(alpha,gamma)20Ne Reaction

The cross section of the 16O(a,g)20Ne capture reaction is analyzed at low energies where the direct capture mechanism is dominant. For temperatures below T9 = 0.2 the resulting astrophysical reaction rate is about a factor of two higher than in a recent compilation whereas the energy dependence of the astrophysical S-factor and the branching ratios to the 20Ne bound states are very similar to previous calculations. The validity of the widely used detailed balance theorem for the inverse 20Ne(g,a)16O photodisintegration rate is confirmed for the special case of high-lying first excited states.

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arXiv2005

Photo-disintegration cross section measurements on $^{186}$W, $^{187}$Re and $^{188}$Os: Implications for the Re-Os cosmochronology

Cross sections of the $^{186}$W, $^{187}$Re, $^{188}$Os($γ,n$) reactions were measured using quasi-monochromatic photon beams from laser Compton scattering (LCS) with average energies from 7.3 to 10.9 MeV. The results are compared with the predictions of Hauser-Feshbach statistical calculations using four different sets of input parameters. In addition, the inverse neutron capture cross sections were evaluated by constraining the model parameters, especially the $E1$ strength function, on the basis of the experimental data. The present experiment helps to further constrain the correction factor $F_σ$ for the neutron capture on the 9.75 keV state in $^{187}$Os. Implications of $F_σ$ to the Re-Os cosmochronology are discussed with a focus on the uncertainty in the estimate of the age of the Galaxy.

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arXiv2005

Relation between the 16O(alpha,gamma)20Ne reaction and its reverse 20Ne(gamma,alpha)16O reaction in stars and in the laboratory

The astrophysical reaction rates of the 16O(a,g)20Ne capture reaction and its inverse 20Ne(g,a)16O photodisintegration reaction are given by the sum of several narrow resonances and a small direct capture contribution at low temperatures. Although the thermal population of low lying excited states in 16O and 20Ne is extremely small, the first excited state in 20Ne plays a non-negligible role for the photodisintegration rate. Consequences for experiments with so-called quasi-thermal photon energy distributions are discussed.

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arXiv2005

Elastic alpha-scattering of 112Sn and 124Sn at astrophysically relevant energies

The cross sections for the elastic scattering reactions {112,124}Sn(a,a){112,124}Sn at energies above and below the Coulomb barrier are presented and compared to predictions for global alpha-nucleus potentials. The high precision of the new data allows a study of the global alpha-nucleus potentials at both the proton and neutron-rich sides of an isotopic chain. In addition, local alpha-nucleus potentials have been extracted for both nuclei, and used to reproduce elastic scattering data at higher energies. Predictions from the capture cross section of the reaction 112Sn(a,g)116Te at astrophysically relevant energies are presented and compared to experimental data.

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arXiv2004

s-process branching at 185W revised

The neutron capture cross section of the unstable s-process branching nucleus 185W has been derived from experimental data of the inverse 186W(g,n)185W photodisintegration taken with monochromatic photon beams from laser Compton scattering. The result of sigma = 553 +- 60 mb at kT = 30 keV leads to a relatively high effective neutron density in the classical s-process of N_n = 4.7 \times 10^8 cm^-3. A realistic model for the s-process in thermally pulsing AGB stars overestimates the abundance of 186Os significantly because of the relatively small neutron capture cross section of 185W.

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arXiv2004

The (n,g) cross sections of short-living s-process branching points

An experimental method to determine the (n,g) cross section of short-living s-process branching points using data of the inverse (g,n) reaction is presented. The method was used to observe the branching point nucleus 95Zr because the elemental abundance patterns corresponding to this branching point cannot be reproduced by full stellar models and a possible error source is the neutron capture cross section of 95Zr. The analysis of the experiment is still under progress, we will outline the current status in this manuscript.

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