Engineering topics

Imai, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Imai, N..

4 records

DOE OSTI2022

In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of 32 Mg via direct reactions

Background: The nucleus 32 Mg (N=20 and Z=12) plays a central role in the so-called “island of inversion,” where in the ground states sd-shell neutrons are promoted to the fp-shell orbitals across the shell gap, resulting in the disappearance of the canonical neutron magic number N=20. Purpose: The primary goals of this work are to extend the level scheme of 32Mg, provide spin-parity assignments to excited states, and discuss the microscopic structure of each state through comparisons with theoretical calculations. Method: In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of 32 Mg was performed using two direct-reaction probes: one-neutron (two-proton) knockout reactions on 33 Mg ( 34 Si). Final-state exclusive cross sections and parallel momentum distributions were extracted from the experimental data and compared with eikonal-based reaction model calculations combined with shell-model overlap functions. Results: Owing to the remarkable selectivity of the one-neutron and two-proton knockout reactions, a significantly updated level scheme for 32 Mg, which exhibits negative-parity intruder and positive-parity normal states, was constructed. The experimental results were confronted with four different nuclear structure models. Conclusions: In some of these models, different aspects of 32 Mg and the transition into the island of inversion are well described. However, unexplained discrepancies remain, and, even with the help of these state-of-the-art theoretical approaches, the structure of this key nucleus is not yet fully captured.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Coexisting normal and intruder configurations in 32 Mg

Situated in the so-called “island of inversion,” the nucleus 32 Mg is considered as an archetypal example of the disappearance of magicity at N = 20. We report on high statistics in-beam spectroscopy of 32 Mg with a unique approach, in that two direct reaction probes with different sensitivities to the underlying nuclear structure are employed at the same time. More specifically, states in 32 Mg were populated by knockout reactions starting from 33 Mg and 34 Si, lying inside and outside the island of inversion, respectively. The momentum distributions of the reaction residues and the cross sections leading to the individual final states were confronted with eikonal-based reaction calculations, yielding a significantly updated level scheme for 32 Mg and spin-parity assignments. By fully exploiting observables obtained in this measurement, a variety of structures coexisting in 32 Mg was unraveled. Comparisons with theoretical predictions based on shell-model overlaps allowed for clear discrimination between different structural models, revealing that the complete theoretical description of this key nucleus is yet to be achieved.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2020

Experimental studies of the two-step scheme with an intense radioactive 132 Sn beam for next-generation production of very neutron-rich nuclei

The study of nuclei in the yet-unexplored, very neutron-rich, mid- to heavy-mass region of the nuclear chart, comprising perhaps half of all nuclei predicted to exist, is leading to new and/or upgraded facilities, as well as to research into the underlying production processes. In the present study, the usefulness of the two-step scheme, an alternate method to produce very neutron-rich nuclei, by a combination of an isotope-separation online (ISOL) system as a first step, and in-beam fragmentation of re-accelerated radioactive isotopes (RIs) as a second step, was investigated with a 132 Sn beam. In this work, very neutron-rich RIs around the neutron-rich neutron number N = 82 region were produced from the 278-MeV/nucleon 132 Sn beam impinging on a 5.97-mm Be target, and their production cross sections were measured. Yields were then estimated for the two-step scheme with the 132 Sn beam relative to the ones by a one-step scheme, in-flight fission of a 238 U beam, for 1-MW proton and 238 U beams at respective RI-beam facilities. This comparison suggests that the two-step scheme with the 132 Sn beam provides yields >40-times higher than those with the one-step scheme for the very neutron-rich N = 82 region. Moreover, by using various RI beams over the nuclear chart from ISOL, certain kinds of very neutron-rich RIs around the supernova r-process path can be produced with greater yields than by the one-step approach.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Structure of 30 Mg explored via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy

In the island of inversion, ground states of neutron-rich sd-shell nuclei exhibit strong admixtures of intruder configurations from the fp shell. The nucleus 30 Mg, located at the boundary of the island of inversion, serves as a cornerstone to track the structural evolution as one approaches this region. Spin-parity assignments for excited states in 30 Mg, especially negative-parity levels, have yet to be established. In the present work, the nuclear structure of 30Mg was investigated by in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy mainly focusing on firm spin-parity determinations. High-intensity rare-isotope beams of 31 Mg, 32 Mg, 34 Si, and 35 P bombarded a Be target to induce nucleon removal reactions populating states in 30 Mg. Gamma rays were detected by the state-of-the-art gamma-ray tracking array GRETINA. For the direct one-neutron removal reaction, final-state exclusive cross sections and parallel momentum distributions were deduced. Multi-nucleon removal reactions from different projectiles were exploited to gain complementary information. With the aid of the parallel momentum distributions, an updated level scheme with revised spin-parity assignments was constructed. Spectroscopic factors associated with each state were also deduced. Results were confronted with large-scale shell-model calculations using two different effective interactions, showing excellent agreement with the present level scheme. Furthermore, a marked difference in the spectroscopic factors indicates that the full delineation of the transition into the island of inversion remains a challenge for theoretical models.

20 ≤ A ≤ 38↗