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Fougeres, C. et al, & Domingo-Pardo, C. (2023). Search for Na-22 in novae supported by a novel method for measuring femtosecond nuclear lifetimes. Nat. Commun., 14(1), 4536–7pp.
Abstract: Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions in stellar binary systems, and important sources of Al-26 and Na-22. While ? rays from the decay of the former radioisotope have been observed throughout the Galaxy, Na-22 remains untraceable. Its half-life (2.6 yr) would allow the observation of its 1.275 MeV ?-ray line from a cosmic source. However, the prediction of such an observation requires good knowledge of its nucleosynthesis. The Na-22(p, ?)Mg-23 reaction remains the only source of large uncertainty about the amount of Na-22 ejected. Its rate is dominated by a single resonance on the short-lived state at 7785.0(7) keV in Mg-23. Here, we propose a combined analysis of particle-particle correlations and velocity-difference profiles to measure femtosecond nuclear lifetimes. The application of this method to the study of the Mg-23 states, places strong limits on the amount of Na-22 produced in novae and constrains its detectability with future space-borne observatories. The authors report a particle-particle correlation and velocity-difference profile method to measure nuclear lifetime. The results obtained for excited states of 23Mg are used to constrain the production of 22Na in the astrophysical novae explosions.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Tarrío, D. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Giubrone, G., & Tain, J. L. (2023). Neutron-induced fission cross sections of Th-232 and U-233 up to 1 GeV using parallel plate avalanche counters at the CERN n_TOF facility. Phys. Rev. C, 107(4), 044616–21pp.
Abstract: The neutron-induced fission cross sections of Th-232 and U-233 were measured relative to U-235 in a wide neutron energy range up to 1 GeV (and from fission threshold in the case of Th-232, and from 0.7 eV in case of U-233), using the white-spectrum neutron source at the CERN Neutron Time-of-Flight (nTOF) facility. Parallel plate avalanche counters (PPACs) were used, installed at the Experimental Area 1 (EAR1), which is located at 185 m from the neutron spallation target. The anisotropic emission of fission fragments were taken into account in the detection efficiency by using, in the case of U-233, previous results available in EXFOR, whereas in the case of Th-232 these data were obtained from our measurement, using PPACs and targets tilted 45 degrees with respect to the neutron beam direction. Finally, the obtained results are compared with past measurements and major evaluated nuclear data libraries. Calculations using the high-energy reaction models INCL++ and ABLA07 were performed and some of their parameters were modified to reproduce the experimental results. At high energies, where no other neutron data exist, our results are compared with experimental data on proton-induced fission. Moreover, the dependence of the fission cross section at 1 GeV with the fissility parameter of the target nucleus is studied by combining those ( p, f) data with our (n, f) data on Th-232 and U-233 and on other isotopes studied earlier at nTOF using the same experimental setup.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Sosnin, N. V. et al.), Babiano-Suarez, V., Caballero, L., Domingo-Pardo, C., Ladarescu, I., & Tain, J. L. (2023). Measurement of the 77Se(n,gamma) cross section up to 200 keV at the n_TOF facility at CERN. Phys. Rev. C, 107(6), 065805–9pp.
Abstract: The 77Se(n,gamma) reaction is of importance for 77Se abundance during the slow neutron capture process in massive stars. We have performed a new measurement of the 77Se radiative neutron capture cross section at the Neutron Time-of-Flight facility at CERN. Resonance capture kernels were derived up to 51 keV and cross sections up to 200 keV. Maxwellian-averaged cross sections were calculated for stellar temperatures between kT = 5 keV and kT = 100 keV, with uncertainties between 4.2% and 5.7%. Our results lead to substantial decreases of 14% and 19% in 77Se abundances produced through the slow neutron capture process in selected stellar models of 15M0 and 2M0, respectively, compared to using previous recommendation of the cross section.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Patronis, N. et al), Babiano-Suarez, V., Balibrea Correa, J., Domingo-Pardo, C., Ladarescu, I., & Lerendegui-Marco, J. (2023). Status report of the n_TOF facility after the 2nd CERN long shutdown period. EPJ Tech. Instrum., 10(1), 13–10pp.
Abstract: During the second long shutdown period of the CERN accelerator complex (LS2, 2019-2021), several upgrade activities took place at the nTOF facility. The most important have been the replacement of the spallation target with a next generation nitrogen-cooled lead target. Additionally, a new experimental area, at a very short distance from the target assembly (the NEAR Station) was established. In this paper, the core commissioning actions of the new installations are described. The improvement in the nTOF infrastructure was accompanied by several detector development projects. All these upgrade actions are discussed, focusing mostly on the future perspectives of the n_TOF facility. Furthermore, some indicative current and future measurements are briefly reported.
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Clement, E. et al, Domingo-Pardo, C., & Gadea, A. (2023). Spectroscopic quadrupole moments in 124Xe. Phys. Rev. C, 107(1), 014324–8pp.
Abstract: Background: The Xe isotopic chain with four valence protons above the Z = 50 shell closure is an ideal laboratory for the study of the evolution of nuclear deformation. At the N = 82 shell closure, 136Xe presents all characteristics of a doubly closed shell nucleus with a spherical shape. In the very neutron-deficient isotopes close to N = 50, the alpha-decay chain of Xe was investigated to probe the radioactive decay properties near the drip-line and the magicity of 100Sn. Additionally, the Xe isotopes present higher order symmetries in the nuclear deformation such as the octupole degree of freedom near N = 60 and N = 90 or O(6) symmetry in stable isotopes.Purpose: The relevance of the O(6) symmetry has been investigated by measuring the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the first excited states in 124Xe. In the O(6) symmetry limit, the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of collective states is expected to be null.Method: A stable 124Xe beam with energies of 4.03A MeV and 4.11A MeV was used to bombard a natW target at the GANIL facility. Excited states were populated via the safe Coulomb excitation reaction. The collision of the heavy ions with a large Z at low energy make this reaction sensitive to the diagonal E2 matrix element of the excited states. The recoils were detected in the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer and the gamma rays in the AGATA tracking array. The least squares fitting code GOSIA was used for the analysis to extract both E2 and M1 transitional and E2 diagonal matrix elements.Results: The rotational ground state band was populated up to the 8+1 state as well as the 2+2 and 4+2 states. Using high precision spectroscopic data to constrain the GOSIA fit, the spectroscopic quadrupole moments of the 2+1 , 4+1 , and 6+1 states were determined for the first time. Conclusions: The spectroscopic quadrupole moments were found to be negative, large, and constant in the ground state band underlining the prolate axially deformed ground state band of 124Xe. The present experimental data confirm that the is broken in 124Xe.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Domingo-Pardo, C. et al), Babiano-Suarez, V., Balibrea-Correa, J., Caballero, L., Ladarescu, I., Lerendegui-Marco, J., et al. (2023). Advances and new ideas for neutron-capture astrophysics experiments at CERN n_TOF. Eur. Phys. J. A, 59(1), 8–11pp.
Abstract: This article presents a few selected developments and future ideas related to the measurement of (n, gamma ) data of astrophysical interest at CERN n_TOF. The MC-aided analysis methodology for the use of low-efficiency radiation detectors in time-of-flight neutron-capture measurements is discussed, with particular emphasis on the systematic accuracy. Several recent instrumental advances are also presented, such as the development of total-energy detectors with gamma- ray imaging capability for background suppression, and the development of an array of small-volume organic scintilla tors aimed at exploiting the high instantaneous neutron-flux of EAR2. Finally, astrophysics prospects related to the intermediate i neutron-capture process of nucleosynthesis are discussed in the context of the new NEAR activation area.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Lederer-Woods, C. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2022). Ge-74(n, gamma) cross section below 70 keV measured at n_TOF CERN. Eur. Phys. J. A, 58(12), 239–9pp.
Abstract: Neutron capture reaction cross sections on Ge-74 are of importance to determine Ge-74 production during the astrophysical slow neutron capture process. We present new resonance data on Ge-74(n, gamma ) reactions below 70 keV neutron energy. We calculate Maxwellian averaged cross sections, combining our data below 70 keV with evaluated cross sections at higher neutron energies. Our stellar cross sections are in agreement with a previous activation measurement performed at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe by Marganiec et al., once their data has been re-normalised to account for an update in the reference cross section used in that experiment.
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Mendoza, E., Alcayne, V., Cano-Ott, D., Gonzalez-Romero, E., Martinez, T., de Rada, A. P., et al. (2023). Neutron capture measurements with high efficiency detectors and the Pulse Height Weighting Technique. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 1047, 167894–16pp.
Abstract: Neutron capture cross section measurements in time-of-flight facilities are usually performed by detecting the prompt 7-rays emitted in the capture reactions. One of the difficulties to be addressed in these measurements is that the emitted 7-rays may change with the neutron energy, and therefore also the detection efficiency. To deal with this situation, many measurements use the so called Total Energy Detection (TED) technique, usually in combination with the Pulse Height Weighting Technique (PHWT). With it, it is sought that the detection efficiency depends only on the total energy of the 7-ray cascade, which does not vary much with the neutron energy. This technique was developed in the 1960s and has been used in many neutron capture experiments to date. One of the requirements of the technique is that 7-ray detectors have a low efficiency. This has meant that the PHWT has been used with experimental setups with low detection efficiencies. However, this condition does not have to be fulfilled by the experimental system as a whole. The main goal of this work is to show that it is possible to measure with a high efficiency detection system that uses the PHWT, and how to analyze the measured data.
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Phong, V. H. et al, Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Morales, A. I., Rubio, B., et al. (2022). Beta-Delayed One and Two Neutron Emission Probabilities South-East of Sn-132 and the Odd-Even Systematics in r-Process Nuclide Abundances. Phys. Rev. Lett., 129(18), 172701–7pp.
Abstract: The beta-delayed one- and two-neutron emission probabilities (P-1n and P-2n) of 20 neutron-rich nuclei with N >= 82 have been measured at the RIBF facility of the RIKEN Nishina Center. P-1n of Ag-130;131, Cd-133;134, In-135;136, and (138;13)9Sn were determined for the first time, and stringent upper limits were placed on P-2n for nearly all cases. beta-delayed two-neutron emission (beta 2n) was unambiguously identified in Cd-133 and In-135;136, and their P-2n were measured. Weak beta 2n was also detected from Sn-137;138. Our results highlight the effect of the N = 82 and Z = 50 shell closures on beta-delayed neutron emission probability and provide stringent benchmarks for newly developed macroscopic-microscopic and self-consistent global models with the inclusion of a statistical treatment of neutron and. emission. The impact of our measurements on r-process nucleosynthesis was studied in a neutron star merger scenario. Our P-1n and P-2n have a direct impact on the
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Balibrea-Correa, J., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Ladarescu, I., Guerrero, C., Rodriguez-Gonzalez, T., Jimenez-Ramos, M. C., et al. (2022). Hybrid in-beam PET- and Compton prompt-gamma imaging aimed at enhanced proton-range verification. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 137(11), 1258–18pp.
Abstract: We report on a hybrid in-beam PET and prompt-gamma Compton imaging system aimed at quasi real-time ion-range verification in proton-therapy treatments. Proof-of-concept experiments were carried out at the radiobiology beam line of the CNA cyclotron facility using a set of two synchronous Compton imagers and different target materials. The time structure of the 18 MeV proton beam was shaped with a series of beam-on and beam-off intervals, thereby mimicking a pulsed proton beam on a long time scale. During beam-on intervals, Compton imagingwas performed utilizing the high energy. -rays promptly emitted from the nuclear reactions occurring in the targets. In the course of the beam-off intervals in situ positron-emission tomography was accomplished with the same imagers using the beta+ decay of activated nuclei. The targets used were stacks of different materials covering also various proton ranges and energies. A systematic study on the performance of these two complementary imaging techniques is reported and the experimental results interpreted on the basis ofMonte Carlo calculations. The results demonstrate the possibility to combine both imaging techniques in a concomitant way, where high-efficiency prompt-gamma imaging is complemented with the high spatial accuracy of PET. Empowered by these results we suggest that a pulsed beam with a suitable duty cycle, in conjunction with in situ Compton- and PET-imaging may help to attain complementary information and quasi real-time range monitoring with high accuracy.
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