Abstract: The precise determination of the neutron capture cross sections of Os-186 and Os-187 is important to define the s-process abundance of Os-187 at the formation of the solar system. This quantity can be used to evaluate the radiogenic component of the abundance of Os-187 due to the decay of the unstable Re-187 (t(1/2) = 41.2 Gyr) and from this to infer the time duration of the nucleosynthesis in our galaxy (Re/Os cosmochronometer). The neutron capture cross sections of Os-186, Os-187, and Os-188 have been measured at the CERN n_TOF facility from 1 eV to 1 MeV, covering the entire energy range of astrophysical interest. The measurement has been performed by time-of-flight technique using isotopically enriched samples and two C6D6 scintillation detectors for recording the prompt. rays emitted in the capture events. Maxwellian averaged capture cross sections have been determined for thermal energies between kT = 5 and 100 keV corresponding to all possible s-process scenarios. The estimated uncertainties for the values at 30 keV are 4.1, 3.3, and 4.7% for Os-186, Os-187, and Os-188, respectively.

Abstract: Heavy-ion reactions and other collective dynamical processes are frequently described by different theoretical approaches for the different stages of the process, like initial equilibration stage, intermediate locally equilibrated fluid dynamical stage, and final freeze-out stage. For the last stage, the best known is the Cooper-Frye description used to generate the phase space distribution of emitted, noninteracting particles from a fluid dynamical expansion or explosion, assuming a final ideal gas distribution, or (less frequently) an out-of-equilibrium distribution. In this work we do not want to replace the Cooper-Frye description, but rather clarify the ways of using it and how to choose the parameters of the distribution and, eventually, how to choose the form of the phase space distribution used in the Cooper-Frye formula. Moreover, the Cooper-Frye formula is used in connection with the freeze-out problem, while the discussion of transition between different stages of the collision is applicable to other transitions also. More recently, hadronization and molecular dynamics models have been matched to the end of a fluid dynamical stage to describe hadronization and freeze-out. The stages of the model description can be matched to each other on space-time hypersurfaces (just like through the frequently used freeze-out hypersurface). This work presents a generalized description of how to match the stages of the description of a reaction to each other, extending the methodology used at freeze-out, in simple covariant form which is easily applicable in its simplest version for most applications.

Abstract: A powerful method of investigating proton-unbound nuclear states by tracking their decay products in flight is discussed in detail. To verify the method, four known levels in F-15, Ne-16, and Na-19 were investigated by measuring the angular correlations between protons and the respective heavy-ion fragments stemming from the precursor decays in flight. The parent nuclei of interest were produced in nuclear reactions of one-neutron removal from Ne-17 and Mg-20 projectiles at energies of 410-450 A MeV. The trajectories of the respective decay products, O-14 + p + p and Ne-18 + p + p, were measured by applying a tracking technique with microstrip detectors. These data were used to reconstruct the angular correlations of the fragments, which provided information on energies and widths of the parent states. In addition for reproducing properties of known states, evidence for hitherto unknown excited states in F-15 and Ne-16 was found. This tracking technique has an advantage in studies of exotic nuclei beyond the proton drip line measuring the resonance energies and widths with a high precision although by using low-intensity beams and very thick targets.