arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T. Kawano.
A recent article (D.A. Brown, et al., Phys. Rev. C98 024616 (2018)) rproposed a modification of the cross section formula used in practical calculations of compound nucleus reactions. We discuss the main concepts and approximations of statistical reaction theory and conclude that the standard practical implementations of the cross section formula remain the preferred choice.
Black-hole binary (BHB) systems comprise a stellar-mass black hole and a closely orbiting companion star. Matter is transferred from the companion to the black hole, forming an accretion disk, corona and jet structures. The resulting release of gravitational energy leads to emission of X-rays. The radiation is affected by special/general relativistic effects, and can serve as a probe of the properties of the black hole and surrounding environment, if the accretion geometry is properly identified. Two competing models describe the disk-corona geometry for the hard spectral state of BHBs, based on spectral and timing measurements. Measuring the polarization of hard X-rays reflected from the disk allows the geometry to be determined. The extent of the corona differs between the two models, affecting the strength of relativistic effects (e.g., enhancement of polarization fraction and rotation of polarization angle). Here, we report observational results on linear polarization of hard X-ray (19-181 keV) emission from a BHB, Cygnus X-1, in the hard state. The low polarization fraction, <8.6% (upper limit at 90% confidence level), and the alignment of the polarization angle with the jet axis show that the dominant emission is not influenced by strong gravity. When considered together with existing spectral and timing data, our result reveals that the accretion corona is either an extended structure, or is located far from the black hole in the hard state of Cygnus X-1.
Background: Spontaneous fission events emit prompt neutrons correlated with one another in emission angle and energy. Purpose: We explore the relationship in energy and angle between correlated prompt neutrons emitted from 252Cf spontaneous fission. Methods: Measurements with the Chi-Nu array provide experimental data for coincident neutrons tagged with a fission chamber signal with 10 degree angular resolution and 1 ns timing resolution for time-of-flight energy calculations. The experimental results are compared to simulations produced by the fission event generators CGMF, FREYA, and MCNPX-POLIMI IPOL(1)=1. Results: We find that the measurements and the simulations all exhibit anisotropic neutron emission, though differences exist between fission event generators. Conclusions: This work shows that the dependence of detected neutron energy on the energy of a neutron detected in coincidence, although weak, is non-negligible, indicating that there may be correlations in energy between two neutrons emitted in the same fission event.
The strong deformation present immediately after scission has consequences for the angular momentum population of the fragments as well as the angular distribution of their decay radiation. We find that the usual spin-cutoff parameterization describes very well the angular momentum distribution associated with the deformation of the fragments at the scission point. Depending on the deformation, its contribution can comparable to the thermal contribution to the angular momentum of the newly formed fragments. The $M$-distribution of the angular momentum is highly polarized and gives rise to large anisotropies in the subsequent gamma cascade. We treat in detail a typical gamma cascade in a daughter nucleus, following usual model assumptions except for the anisotropy of the initial state. In principle, the observed anisotropy can provide information on the relative amounts of deformation and thermal energy present at the scission point.
Neutron star mergers offer unique conditions for the creation of the heavy elements and additionally provide a testbed for our understanding of this synthesis known as the $r$-process. We have performed dynamical nucleosynthesis calculations and identified a single isotope, $^{254}$Cf, which has a particularly high impact on the brightness of electromagnetic transients associated with mergers on the order of 15 to 250 days. This is due to the anomalously long half-life of this isotope and the efficiency of fission thermalization compared to other nuclear channels. We estimate the fission fragment yield of this nucleus and outline the astrophysical conditions under which $^{254}$Cf has the greatest impact to the light curve. Future observations in the middle-IR which are bright during this regime could indicate the production of actinide nucleosynthesis.
The linear polarisation fraction and angle of the hard X-ray emission from the Crab provide unique insight into high energy radiation mechanisms, complementing the usual imaging, timing and spectroscopic approaches. Results have recently been presented by two missions operating in partially overlapping energy bands, PoGO+ (18-160 keV) and AstroSat CZTI (100-380 keV). We previously reported PoGO+ results on the polarisation parameters integrated across the light-curve and for the entire nebula-dominated off-pulse region. We now introduce finer phase binning, in light of the AstroSat CZTI claim that the polarisation fraction varies across the off-pulse region. Since both missions are operating in a regime where errors on the reconstructed polarisation parameters are non-Gaussian, we adopt a Bayesian approach to compare results from each mission. We find no statistically significant variation in off-pulse polarisation parameters, neither when considering the mission data separately nor when they are combined. This supports expectations from standard high-energy emission models.
We present $β$-delayed neutron emission and $β$-delayed fission calculations for heavy, neutron-rich nuclei using the coupled Quasi-Particle Random Phase Approximation plus Hauser-Feshbach (QRPA+HF) approach. From the initial population of a compound nucleus after $β$-decay, we follow the statistical decay taking into account competition between neutrons, $γ$-rays, and fission. We find a region of the chart of nuclides where the probability of $β$-delayed fission is $\sim100$%, that likely prevents the production of superheavy elements in nature. For a subset of nuclei near the neutron dripline, neutron multiplicity and the probability of fission are both large, leading to the intriguing possibility of multi-chance $β$-delayed fission, a new decay mode for extremely neutron-rich heavy nuclei. In this new decay mode, $β$-decay can be followed by multiple neutron emission leading to subsequent daughter generations which each have a probability to fission. We explore the impact of $β$-delayed fission in rapid neutron capture process ($r$-process) nucleosynthesis in the tidal ejecta of a neutron star--neutron star merger and show that it is a key fission channel that shapes the final abundances near the second $r$-process peak.
Detailed information on the fission process can be inferred from the observation, modeling and theoretical understanding of prompt fission neutron and $γ$-ray~observables. Beyond simple average quantities, the study of distributions and correlations in prompt data, e.g., multiplicity-dependent neutron and \gray~spectra, angular distributions of the emitted particles, $n$-$n$, $n$-$γ$, and $γ$-$γ$~correlations, can place stringent constraints on fission models and parameters that would otherwise be free to be tuned separately to represent individual fission observables. The FREYA~and CGMF~codes have been developed to follow the sequential emissions of prompt neutrons and $γ$-rays~from the initial excited fission fragments produced right after scission. Both codes implement Monte Carlo techniques to sample initial fission fragment configurations in mass, charge and kinetic energy and sample probabilities of neutron and $γ$~emission at each stage of the decay. This approach naturally leads to using simple but powerful statistical techniques to infer distributions and correlations among many observables and model parameters. The comparison of model calculations with experimental data provides a rich arena for testing various nuclear physics models such as those related to the nuclear structure and level densities of neutron-rich nuclei, the $γ$-ray~strength functions of dipole and quadrupole transitions, the mechanism for dividing the excitation energy between the two nascent fragments near scission, and the mechanisms behind the production of angular momentum in the fragments, etc. Beyond the obvious interest from a fundamental physics point of view, such studies are also important for addressing data needs in various nuclear applications. (See text for full abstract.)
Statistical reaction theories such as Hauser-Feshbach assume that branching ratios follow Bohr's compound nucleus hypothesis by factorizing into independent probabilities for different channels. Corrections to the factorization hypothesis are known in both nuclear theory and quantum transport theory, particularly an enhanced memory of the entrance channel. We apply the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble to study a complementary suppression of exit channel branching ratios. The effect can be large enough to provide information on the number of exit channels. The effect is demonstrated for the branching ratios of neutron-induced reactions on a $^{235}$U target.
Strong magnetic fields, synchrotron emission, and Compton scattering are omnipresent in compact celestial X-ray sources. Emissions in the X-ray energy band are consequently expected to be linearly polarized. X-ray polarimetry provides a unique diagnostic to study the location and fundamental mechanisms behind emission processes. The polarization of emissions from a bright celestial X-ray source, the Crab, is reported here for the first time in the hard X-ray band (~20-160 keV). The Crab is a complex system consisting of a central pulsar, a diffuse pulsar wind nebula, as well as structures in the inner nebula including a jet and torus. Measurements are made by a purpose-built and calibrated polarimeter, PoGO+. The polarization vector is found to be aligned with the spin axis of the pulsar for a polarization fraction, PF = (20.9 $\pm$ 5.0)%. This is higher than that of the optical diffuse nebula, implying a more compact emission site, though not as compact as, e.g., the synchrotron knot. Contrary to measurements at higher energies, no significant temporal evolution of phase-integrated polarisation parameters is observed. The polarization parameters for the pulsar itself are measured for the first time in the X-ray energy band and are consistent with observations at optical wavelengths.
Radiative neutron capture is an important nuclear reaction whose accurate description is needed for many applications ranging from nuclear technology to nuclear astrophysics. The description of such a process relies on the Hauser-Feshbach theory which requires the nuclear optical potential, level density and $γ$-strength function as model inputs. It has recently been suggested that the M1 scissors mode may explain discrepancies between theoretical calculations and evaluated data. We explore statistical model calculations with the strength of the M1 scissors mode estimated to be dependent on the nuclear deformation of the compound system. We show that the form of the M1 scissors mode improves the theoretical description of evaluated data and the match to experiment in both the fission product and actinide regions. Since the scissors mode occurs in the range of a few keV $\sim$ a few MeV, it may also impact the neutron capture cross sections of neutron-rich nuclei that participate in the rapid neutron capture process of nucleosynthesis. We comment on the possible impact to nucleosynthesis by evaluating neutron capture rates for neutron-rich nuclei with the M1 scissors mode active.
The Workshop on Nuclear Data Needs and Capabilities for Basic Science was held at the University of Notre Dame on 10-11 August 2016. The purpose of this targeted workshop was to assemble and prioritize the needs of the nuclear physics research community for data sets, services and capabilities in areas including nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, neutrino physics and nuclear theory. An overview of nuclear data needs and capabilities identified at this meeting are summarized in the present document.
Polarimetric observations of celestial sources in the hard X-ray band stand to provide new information on emission mechanisms and source geometries. PoGO+ is a Compton scattering polarimeter (20-150 keV) optimised for the observation of the Crab (pulsar and wind nebula) and Cygnus X-1 (black hole binary), from a stratospheric balloon-borne platform launched from the Esrange Space Centre in summer 2016. Prior to flight, the response of the polarimeter has been studied with polarised and unpolarised X-rays allowing a Geant4-based simulation model to be validated. The expected modulation factor for Crab observations is found to be $M_{\mathrm{Crab}}=(41.75\pm0.85)\%$, resulting in an expected Minimum Detectable Polarisation (MDP) of $7.3\%$ for a 7 day flight. This will allow a measurement of the Crab polarisation parameters with at least $5σ$ statistical significance assuming a polarisation fraction $\sim20\%$ $-$ a significant improvement over the PoGOLite Pathfinder mission which flew in 2013 and from which the PoGO+ design is developed.
The emission of prompt fission $γ$ rays within a few nanoseconds to a few microseconds following the scission point is studied in the Hauser-Feshbach formalism applied to the deexcitation of primary excited fission fragments. Neutron and $γ$-ray evaporations from fully accelerated fission fragments are calculated in competition at each stage of the decay, and the role of isomers in the fission products, before $β$-decay, is analyzed. The time evolution of the average total $γ$-ray energy, average total $γ$-ray multiplicity, and fragment-specific $γ$-ray spectra, is presented in the case of neutron-induced fission reactions of $^{235}$U and $^{239}$Pu, as well as spontaneous fission of $^{252}$Cf. The production of specific isomeric states is calculated and compared to available experimental data. About 7% of all prompt fission $γ$ rays are predicted to be emitted between 10 nsec and 5 $μ$sec following fission, in the case of $^{235}$U and $^{239}$Pu $(n_{\rm th},f)$ reactions, and up to 3% in the case of $^{252}$Cf spontaneous fission. The cumulative average total $γ$-ray energy increases by 2 to 5% in the same time interval. Finally, those results are shown to be robust against significant changes in the model input parameters.
A model to calculate particle-induced reaction cross sections with statistical Hauser-Feshbach theory including direct reactions is given. The energy average of scattering matrix from the coupled-channels optical model is diagonalized by the transformation proposed by Engelbrecht and Weidenmüller. The ensemble average of $S$-matrix elements in the diagonalized channel space is approximated by a model of Moldauer [Phys.Rev.C {\bf 12}, 744 (1975)] using newly parametrized channel degree-of-freedom $ν_a$ to better describe the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (GOE) reference calculations. Moldauer approximation is confirmed by a Monte Carlo study using randomly generated $S$-matrix, as well as the GOE three-fold integration formula. The method proposed is applied to the $^{238}$U(n,n') cross section calculation in the fast energy range, showing an enhancement in the inelastic scattering cross sections.
We have measured the linear polarisation of hard X-ray emission from the Crab in a previously unexplored energy interval, 20-120 keV. The introduction of two new observational parameters, the polarisation fraction and angle stands to disentangle geometrical and physical effects, thereby providing information on the pulsar wind geometry and magnetic field environment. Measurements are conducted using the PoGOLite Pathfinder - a balloon-borne polarimeter. Polarisation is determined by measuring the azimuthal Compton scattering angle of incident X-rays in an array of plastic scintillators housed in an anticoincidence well. The polarimetric response has been characterised prior to flight using both polarised and unpolarised calibration sources. We address possible systematic effects through observations of a background field. The measured polarisation fraction for the integrated Crab light-curve is ($18.4^{+9.8}_{-10.6}$)%, corresponding to an upper limit (99% credibility) of 42.4%, for a polarisation angle of ($149.2\pm16.0)^\circ$.
Using a random-matrix approach and Monte-Carlo simulations, we generate scattering matrices and cross sections for compound-nucleus reactions. In the absence of direct reactions we compare the average cross sections with the analytic solution given by the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (GOE) triple integral, and with predictions of statistical approaches such as the ones due to Moldauer, to Hofmann, Richert, Tepel, and Weidenmüller, and to Kawai, Kerman, and McVoy. We find perfect agreement with the GOE triple integral and display the limits of validity of the latter approaches. We establish a criterion for the width of the energy-averaging interval such that the relative difference between the ensemble-averaged and the energy-averaged scattering matrices lies below a given bound. Direct reactions are simulated in terms of an energy-independent background matrix. In that case, cross sections averaged over the ensemble of Monte-Carlo simulations fully agree with results from the Engelbrecht-Weidenmüller transformation. The limits of other approximate approaches are displayed.
In the 50 years since the advent of X-ray astronomy there have been many scientific advances due to the development of new experimental techniques for detecting and characterising X-rays. Observations of X-ray polarisation have, however, not undergone a similar development. This is a shortcoming since a plethora of open questions related to the nature of X-ray sources could be resolved through measurements of the linear polarisation of emitted X-rays. The PoGOLite Pathfinder is a balloon-borne hard X-ray polarimeter operating in the 25 - 240 keV energy band from a stabilised observation platform. Polarisation is determined using coincident energy deposits in a segmented array of plastic scintillators surrounded by a BGO anticoincidence system and a polyethylene neutron shield. The PoGOLite Pathfinder was launched from the SSC Esrange Space Centre in July 2013. A near-circumpolar flight was achieved with a duration of approximately two weeks. The flight performance of the Pathfinder design is discussed for the three Crab observations conducted. The signal-to-background ratio for the observations is shown to be 0.25$\pm$0.03 and the Minimum Detectable Polarisation (99% C.L.) is (28.4$\pm$2.2)%. A strategy for the continuation of the PoGOLite programme is outlined based on experience gained during the 2013 maiden flight.