|
n_TOF Collaboration(Barbagallo, M. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2016). Be-7(n,alpha)He-4 Reaction and the Cosmological Lithium Problem: Measurement of the Cross Section in a Wide Energy Range at n_TOF at CERN. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(15), 152701–7pp.
Abstract: The energy-dependent cross section of the (7)Bed(n,alpha)He-4 reaction, of interest for the so-called cosmological lithium problem in big bang nucleosynthesis, has been measured for the first time from 10 meV to 10 keV neutron energy. The challenges posed by the short half-life of Be-7 and by the low reaction cross section have been overcome at nTOF thanks to an unprecedented combination of the extremely high luminosity and good resolution of the neutron beam in the new experimental area (EAR2) of the nTOF facility at CERN, the availability of a sufficient amount of chemically pure Be-7, and a specifically designed experimental setup. Coincidences between the two alpha particles have been recorded in two Si-Be-7-Si arrays placed directly in the neutron beam. The present results are consistent, at thermal neutron energy, with the only previous measurement performed in the 1960s at a nuclear reactor. The energy dependence reported here clearly indicates the inadequacy of the cross section estimates currently used in BBN calculations. Although new measurements at higher neutron energy may still be needed, the n_TOF results hint at a minor role of this reaction in BBN, leaving the long-standing cosmological lithium problem unsolved.
|
|
|
Goigoux, T. et al, Algora, A., Guadilla, V., Montaner-Piza, A., Morales, A. I., Orrigo, S. E. A., et al. (2016). Two-Proton Radioactivity of Kr-67. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(16), 162501–6pp.
Abstract: In an experiment with the BigRIPS separator at the RIKEN Nishina Center, we observed two-proton (2p) emission from Kr-67. At the same time, no evidence for 2p emission of Ge-59 and Se-63, two other potential candidates for this exotic radioactivity, could be observed. This observation is in line with Q value predictions which pointed to Kr-67 as being the best new candidate among the three for two-proton radioactivity. Kr-67 is only the fourth 2p ground-state emitter to be observed with a half-life of the order of a few milliseconds. The decay energy was determined to be 1690(17) keV, the 2p emission branching ratio is 37(14)%, and the half-life of Kr-67 is 7.4(30) ms.
|
|
|
LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., Ruiz Valls, P., et al. (2016). Search for Structure in the B-s(0)pi(+/-) Invariant Mass Spectrum. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(15), 152003–9pp.
Abstract: The B-s(0)pi(+/-) invariant mass distribution is investigated in order to search for possible exotic meson states. The analysis is based on a data sample recorded with the LHCb detector corresponding to 3 fb(-1) of pp collision data at root s 7 and 8 TeV. No significant excess is found, and upper limits are set on the production rate of the claimed X(5568) state within the LHCb acceptance. Upper limits are also set as a function of the mass and width of a possible exotic meson decaying to the B-s(0)pi(+/-) final state. The same limits also apply to a possible exotic meson decaying through the chain B-s(*0)pi(+/-), B-s(*0) -> B-s(0) gamma where the photon is excluded from the reconstructed decays.
|
|
|
T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Cervera-Villanueva, A., Novella, P., Izmaylov, A., Sorel, M., & Stamoulis, P. (2016). Measurement of Coherent pi(+) Production in Low Energy Neutrino-Carbon Scattering. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(9), 192501–7pp.
Abstract: We report the first measurement of the flux-averaged cross section for charged current coherent pi(+) production on carbon for neutrino energies less than 1.5 GeV, and with a restriction on the final state phase space volume in the T2K near detector, ND280. Comparisons are made with predictions from the Rein-Sehgal coherent production model and the model by Alvarez-Ruso et al., the latter representing the first implementation of an instance of the new class of microscopic coherent models in a neutrino interaction Monte Carlo event generator. We observe a clear event excess above background, disagreeing with the null results reported by K2K and SciBooNE in a similar neutrino energy region. The measured flux-averaged cross sections are below those predicted by both the Rein-Sehgal and Alvarez-Ruso et al. models.
|
|
|
Podolyak, Z. (2016). Role of the Delta Resonance in the Population of a Four-Nucleon State in the Fe-56 -> Fe-54 Reaction at Relativistic Energies. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(22), 222302–6pp.
Abstract: The Fe-54 nucleus was populated from a Fe-56 beam impinging on a Be target with an energy of E/A = 500 MeV. The internal decay via gamma-ray emission of the 10(+) metastable state was observed. As the structure of this isomeric state has to involve at least four unpaired nucleons, it cannot be populated in a simple two-neutron removal reaction from the Fe-56 ground state. The isomeric state was produced in the low-momentum (-energy) tail of the parallel momentum (energy) distribution of Fe-54, suggesting that it was populated via the decay of the Delta(0) resonance into a proton. This process allows the population of fournucleon states, such as the observed isomer. Therefore, it is concluded that the observation of this 10(+) metastable state in Fe-54 is a consequence of the quark structure of the nucleons.
|
|