arXiv subjects

V. E. Oberacker

Publications and source records attributed to V. E. Oberacker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2016

Fusion and quasifission dynamics in the reactions $^{48}$Ca+$^{249}$Bk and $^{50}$Ti+$^{249}$Bk using TDHF

Background: Synthesis of superheavy elements (SHE) with fusion-evaporation reactions is strongly hindered by the quasifission (QF) mechanism which prevents the formation of an equilibrated compound nucleus and which depends on the structure of the reactants. New SHE have been recently produced with doubly-magic $^{48}$Ca beams. However, SHE synthesis experiments with single-magic $^{50}$Ti beams have so far been unsuccessful. Purpose: In connection with experimental searches for $Z=117,119$ superheavy elements, we perform a theoretical study of fusion and quasifission mechanisms in $^{48}$Ca,$^{50}$Ti+$^{249}$Bk reactions in order to investigate possible differences in reaction mechanisms induced by these two projectiles. Methods: The collision dynamics and the outcome of the reactions are studied using unrestricted time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) calculations as well as the density-constrained TDHF method to extract the nucleus-nucleus potentials and the excitation energy in each fragment. Results: Nucleus-nucleus potentials, nuclear contact times, masses and charges of the fragments, as well as their kinetic and excitation energies strongly depend on the orientation of the prolate $^{249}$Bk nucleus. Long contact times associated with fusion are observed in collisions of both projectiles with the side of the $^{249}$Bk nucleus, but not on collisions with its tip. The energy and impact parameter dependences of the fragment properties, as well as their mass-angle and mass-total kinetic energy correlations are investigated. Conclusions: Entrance channel reaction dynamics are similar with both $^{48}$Ca and $^{50}$Ti projectiles. Both are expected to lead to the formation of a compound nucleus by fusion if they have enough energy to get in contact with the side of the $^{249}$Bk target.

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arXiv2016

Sensitivity of the fusion cross section to the density dependence of the symmetry energy

It is the aim of this paper to discuss the impact of nuclear fusion on the EOS. This is a timely subject given the expected availability of increasingly exotic beams at rare isotope facilities\,\cite{balantekin2014}. In practice, we focus on $^{48}$Ca+$^{48}$Ca fusion. We employ three different approaches to calculate fusion cross-sections for a set of energy density functionals with systematically varying nuclear matter properties. Fusion calculations are performed using frozen densities, using a dynamic microscopic method based on density-constrained time-dependent Hartree-Fock (DC-TDHF) approach, as well as direct TDHF study of above barrier cross-sections. For these studies, we employ a family of Skyrme parametrizations with systematically varied nuclear matter properties. We find a slight preference for forces which deliver a slope of symmetry energy of $L\approx 50$\,MeV that corresponds to a neutron-skin thickness of $^{48}$Ca of $R_\mathrm{skin}\!=\!(0.180\!-\!0.210)$\,fm.

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arXiv2015

Quasifission dynamics in TDHF

For light and medium mass systems the capture cross-section may be considered to be the same as that for complete fusion, whereas for heavy systems leading to superheavy formations the evaporation residue cross-section is dramatically reduced due to the quasifission (QF) and fusion-fission processes thus making the capture cross-section to be essentially the sum of these two cross-sections, with QF occurring at a much shorter time-scale. Consequently, quasifission is the primary reaction mechanism that limits the formation of superheavy nuclei. Within the last few years the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) approach has been utilized for studying the dynamics of quasifission. The study of quasifission is showing a great promise to provide insight based on very favorable comparisons with experimental data. In this article we will focus on the TDHF calculations of quasifission observables for the $^{48}$Ca+$^{249}$Bk system.

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arXiv2015

Dynamics of quasifission

Quasifission is the primary reaction mechanism that limits the formation of superheavy nuclei and consequently an important ingredient for choosing the best target-projectile combinations for the heavy element searches. Quasifission is characterized by nuclear contact-times that are much longer than those found in deep-inelastic reactions, resulting in a substantial mass and charge transfer. In this manuscript we employ the fully microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) theory to study quasifission. New results are presented for the $^{48}$Ca+$^{249}$Bk system.

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arXiv2015

Shape evolution and collective dynamics of quasifission in TDHF

Background: At energies near the Coulomb barrier, capture reactions in heavy-ion collisions result either in fusion or in quasifission. The former produces a compound nucleus in statistical equilibrium, while the second leads to a reseparation of the fragments after partial mass equilibration without formation of a compound nucleus. Extracting the compound nucleus formation probability is crucial to predict superheavy-element formation cross-sections. It requires a good knowledge of the fragment angular distribution which itself depends on quantities such as moments of inertia and excitation energies which have so far been somewhat arbitrary for the quasifission contribution. Methods: We investigate the evolution of the nuclear density in time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) calculations leading to quasifission. Our main goal is to extract ingredients of the formula used in the analysis of experimental angular distributions. These include the moment-of-inertia and temperature. We study the dependence of these quantities on various initial conditions of the reaction process. Results: The evolution of the moment of inertia is clearly non-trivial and depends strongly on the characteristics of the collision. The temperature rises quickly when the kinetic energy is transformed into internal excitation. Then, it rises slowly during mass transfer. Conclusions: Fully microscopic theories are useful to predict the complex evolution of quantities required in macroscopic models of quasifission.

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arXiv2015

Swelling of nuclei embedded in neutron-gas and consequences for fusion

Fusion of very neutron rich nuclei may be important to determine the composition and heating of the crust of accreting neutron stars. We present an exploratory study of the effect of the neutron-gas environment on the structure of nuclei and the consequences for pycnonuclear fusion cross-sections in the neutron drip region. We studied the formation and properties of Oxygen and Calcium isotopes embedded in varying neutron-gas densities. We observe that the formed isotope is the drip-line nucleus for the given effective interaction. Increasing the neutron-gas density leads to the swelling of the nuclear density. We have used these densities to study the effect of this swelling on the fusion cross-sections using the São-Paulo potential. At high neutron-gas densities the cross-section is substantially increased but at lower densities the modification is minimal.

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arXiv2015

Reduced quasifission competition in fusion reactions forming neutron-rich heavy elements

Measurements of mass-angle distributions (MADs) for Cr + W reactions, providing a wide range in the neutron-to-proton ratio of the compound system, (N/Z)CN, have allowed for the dependence of quasifission on the (N/Z)CN to be determined in a model-independent way. Previous experimental and theoretical studies had produced conflicting conclusions. The experimental MADs reveal an increase in contact time and mass evolution of the quasifission fragments with increasing (N/Z)CN, which is indicative of an increase in the fusion probability. The experimental results are in agreement with microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations of the quasifission process. The experimental and theoretical results favor the use of the most neutron-rich projectiles and targets for the production of heavy and superheavy nuclei.

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arXiv2015

Density constrained TDHF

In this manuscript we provide an outline of the numerical methods used in implementing the density constrained time-dependent Hartree-Fock (DC-TDHF) method and provide a few examples of its application to nuclear fusion. In this approach, dynamic microscopic calculations are carried out on a three-dimensional lattice and there are no adjustable parameters, the only input is the Skyrme effective NN interaction. After a review of the DC-TDHF theory and the numerical methods, we present results for heavy-ion potentials $V(R)$, coordinate-dependent mass parameters $M(R)$, and precompound excitation energies $E^{*}(R)$ for a variety of heavy-ion reactions. Using fusion barrier penetrabilities, we calculate total fusion cross sections $σ(E_\mathrm{c.m.})$ for reactions between both stable and neutron-rich nuclei. We also determine capture cross sections for hot fusion reactions leading to the formation of superheavy elements.

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arXiv2014

Time-dependent HF approach to SHE dynamics

We employ the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) method to study various aspects of the reactions utilized in searches for superheavy elements. These include capture cross-sections, quasifission, prediction of $P_{\mathrm{CN}}$, and other interesting dynamical quantities. We show that the microscopic TDHF approach provides an important tool to shed some light on the nuclear dynamics leading to the formation of superheavy elements.

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arXiv2014

Dissipative dynamics in quasi-fission

Quasi-fission is the primary reaction mechanism that prevents the formation of superheavy elements in heavy-ion fusion experiments. Employing the time-dependent density functional theory approach we study quasi-fission in the systems $^{40,48}$Ca+$^{238}$U. Results show that for $^{48}$Ca projectiles the quasi-fission is substantially reduced in comparison to the $^{40}$Ca case. This partly explains the success of superheavy element formation with $^{48}$Ca beams. For the first time, we also calculate the repartition of excitation energies of the two fragments in a dynamic microscopic theory. The system is found in quasi-thermal equilibrium only for reactions with $^{40}$Ca. The differences between both systems are interpreted in terms of initial neutron to proton asymmetry of the colliding partners.

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arXiv2014

Sub-barrier enhancement of fusion as compared to a microscopic method in 18O+12C

Measurement of the energy dependence of the fusion cross-sec on at sub-barrier energies provides an important test for theoretical models of fusion. To extend the measurement of fusion cross-sections in the sub-barrier domain for the 18O+12C system. Use the new experimental data to confront microscopic calculations of fusion. Evaporation residues produced in fusion of 18O ions with 12C target nuclei were detected with good geometric efficiency and identified by measuring their energy and time-of-flight. Theoretical calculations with a density constrained time dependent Hartree-Fock (DC-TDHF) theory include for the first time the effect of pairing on the fusion cross-section. Comparison of the measured fusion excitation function with the predictions of the DC-TDHF calculations reveal that the experimental data exhibits a smaller decrease in cross-section with decreasing energy than is theoretically predicted. The larger cross-sections observed at the lowest energies measured indicate a larger tunneling probability for the fusion process. This larger probability can be associated with a smaller, narrower fusion barrier than presently included in the theoretical calculations.

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arXiv2014

Microscopic study of the effect of intrinsic degrees of freedom on fusion

Fusion cross-sections are computed for the $^{40}$Ca$+^{40}$Ca system over a wide energy range with two microscopic approaches where the only phenomenological input is the Skyrme energy density functional. The first method is based on the coupled-channels formalism, using the bare nucleus-nucleus potential calculated with the frozen Hartree-Fock technique and the deformation parameters of vibrational states computed with the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) approach. The second method is based on the density-constrained TDHF method to generate nucleus-nucleus potentials from TDHF evolution. Both approaches incorporate the effect of couplings to internal degrees of freedoms in different ways. The predictions are in relatively good agreement with experimental data.

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arXiv2014

Eulerian Rotations of Deformed Nuclei for TDDFT Calculations

We discuss three practical methods for performing Eulerian rotations of Slater determinants in a three-dimensional Cartesian geometry. In addition to the straightforward application of the active form of the quantum mechanical rotation operator, we introduce two methods using a passive position-space rotation followed by an active spin-space rotation, one after variation and the other before variation. These methods can be used to initialize reactions involving deformed nuclei where a particular alignment of the deformed nuclei with respect to the collision axis is desired. We show that doing the rotation before the variation is the most efficient way of generating such initial states.

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arXiv2014

Fusion using time-dependent density-constrained DFT

We present results for calculating fusion cross-sections using a new microscopic approach based on a time-dependent density-constrained DFT calculations. The theory is implemented by using densities and other information obtained from TDDFT time-evolution of the nuclear system as constraint on the density for DFT calculations.

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arXiv2014

Energy dependence of potential barriers and its effect on fusion cross-sections

Couplings between relative motion and internal structures are known to affect fusion barriers by dynamically modifying the densities of the colliding nuclei. The effect is expected to be stronger at energies near the barrier top, where changes in density have longer time to develop than at higher energies. Quantitatively, modern TDHF calculations are able to predict realistic fusion thresholds. However, the evolution of the potential barrier with bombarding energy remains to be confronted with the experimental data. The aim is to find signatures of the energy dependence of the barrier by comparing fusion cross-sections calculated from potentials obtained at different bombarding energies with the experimental data. This comparison is made for the $^{40}$Ca+$^{40}$Ca and $^{16}$O+$^{208}$Pb systems. Fusion cross-sections are computed from potentials calculated with the density-constrained TDHF method. The couplings decrease the barrier at low-energy in both cases. A deviation from the Woods-Saxon nuclear potential is also observed at the lowest energies. In general, fusion cross-sections around a given energy are better reproduced by the potential calculated at this energy. The coordinate-dependent mass plays a crucial role for the reproduction of sub-barrier fusion cross-sections. Effects of the energy dependence of the potential can be found in experimental barrier distributions only if the variation of the barrier is significant in the energy-range spanned by the distribution. It appears to be the case for $^{16}$O+$^{208}$Pb but not for $^{40}$Ca+$^{40}$Ca. These results show that the energy dependence of the barrier predicted in TDHF calculations is realistic. This confirms that the TDHF approach can be used to study the couplings between relative motion and internal degrees of freedom in heavy-ion collisions.

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arXiv2013

Microscopic Calculation of Fusion: Light to Heavy Systems

The density-constrained time-dependent Hartree-Fock (DC-TDHF) theory is a fully microscopic approach for calculating heavy-ion interaction potentials and fusion cross sections below and above the fusion barrier. We discuss recent applications of DC-TDHF method to fusion of light and heavy neutron-rich systems.

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arXiv2013

Microscopic study of $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O fusion

We perform a study of $^{16}$O+$^{16}$O fusion at above and below the interaction barrier energies using three-dimensional time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) calculations at above barrier energies and density-constrained TDHF calculations for the entire energy range. We discuss the variations of the experimental data at above the barrier energies. Calculations reasonably reproduce the observed energy-dependent broad oscillations in the fusion excitation functions. These oscillations result from overcoming $L$-dependent fusion barriers. The role of the coupling to low-lying octupole states is also discussed.

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arXiv2013

Confronting measured near and sub-barrier fusion cross-sections for 20O+12C with a microscopic method

Recently measured fusion cross-sections for the neutron-rich system 20O+12C are compared to dynamic, microscopic calculations using time-dependent density functional theory. The calculations are carried out on a three-dimensional lattice and performed both with and without a constraint on the density. The method has no adjustable parameters, and its only input is the Skyrme effective NN interaction. While the microscopic DC-TDHF calculations lie closer to the experimental data than standard fusion systematics they underpredict the experimental data significantly.

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