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de Oliveira Santos, F.

Publications and source records attributed to de Oliveira Santos, F..

5 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Experimental Determination of 𝛼 Widths of 21 Ne Levels in the Region of Astrophysical Interest: New 17 O +𝛼 Reaction Rates and Impact on the Weak 𝑠 Process

The efficiency of the weak 𝑠 process in low-metallicity rotating massive stars depends strongly on the rates of the competing 17 O ⁑(𝛼,𝑛)⁒ 20 Ne and 17 O ⁑(𝛼,𝛾)⁒ 21 Ne reactions that determine the potency of the 16 O neutron poison. Their reaction rates are poorly known in the astrophysical energy range of interest for core helium burning in massive stars because of the lack of spectroscopic information (partial widths, spin parities) for the relevant states in the compound nucleus 21 Ne . In this Letter, we report on the first experimental determination of the 𝛼-particle spectroscopic factors and partial widths of these states using the 17 O ⁑( 7 Li, 𝑑)⁒ 21 Ne 𝛼-transfer reaction. With these the 17 O ⁑(𝛼, 𝑛)⁒ 20 Ne and 17 O ⁑(𝛼, 𝛾)⁒ 21 Ne reaction rates were evaluated with uncertainties reduced by a factor more than 3 with respect to previous evaluations and the present 17 O ⁑(𝛼, 𝑛)⁒ 20 Ne reaction rate is more than 20 times larger. Finally, the present (𝛼, 𝑛)/(𝛼, 𝛾) rate ratio favors neutron recycling and suggests an enhancement of the weak 𝑠 process in the Zr-Nd region by more than 1.5 dex in metal-poor rotating massive stars.

direct reactions↗
DOE OSTI2023

First observation of 28 O

Subjecting a physical system to extreme conditions is one of the means often used to obtain a better understanding and deeper insight into its organization and structure. In the case of the atomic nucleus, one such approach is to investigate isotopes that have very different neutron-to-proton ($N/Z$) ratios than in stable nuclei. Light, neutron-rich isotopes exhibit the most asymmetric $N/Z$ ratios and those lying beyond the limits of binding, which undergo spontaneous neutron emission and exist only as very short-lived resonances (about 10 -21 s), provide the most stringent tests of modern nuclear-structure theories. Here we report on the first observation of 28 O and 27 O through their decay into 24 O and four and three neutrons, respectively. The 28 O nucleus is of particular interest as, with the $Z$ = 8 and $N$ = 20 magic numbers, it is expected in the standard shell-model picture of nuclear structure to be one of a relatively small number of so-called β€˜doubly magic’ nuclei. Furthermore, both 27 O and 28 O were found to exist as narrow, low-lying resonances and their decay energies are compared here to the results of sophisticated theoretical modelling, including a large-scale shell-model calculation and a newly developed statistical approach. In both cases, the underlying nuclear interactions were derived from effective field theories of quantum chromodynamics. Finally, it is shown that the cross-section for the production of 28 O from a 29 F beam is consistent with it not exhibiting a closed $N$ = 20 shell structure.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

New narrow resonances observed in the unbound nucleus F 15

The structure of the unbound 15 F nucleus is investigated using the inverse kinematics resonant scattering of a radioactive 14 O beam impinging on a CH 2 target. The analysis of 1 H( 14 O,p) 14 O and 1 H( 14 O,2p) 13 N reactions allowed the confirmation of the previously observed narrow 1/2 - resonance, near the two-proton decay threshold, and the identification of two new narrow 5/2 - and 3/2 - resonances. The newly observed levels decay by 1p emission to the ground of 14 O, and by sequential 2p emission to the ground state (g.s.) of 13 N via the 1 - resonance of 14 O. Gamow shell model (GSM) analysis of the experimental data suggests that the wave functions of the 5/2 - and 3/2 - resonances may be collectivized by the continuum coupling to nearby 2p- and 1p- decay channels. Finally, the observed excitation function 1 H( 14 O, p) 14 O and resonance spectrum in 15 F are well reproduced in the unified framework of the GSM.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Extending the Southern Shore of the Island of Inversion to F 28

Detailed spectroscopy of the neutron-unbound nucleus 28 F has been performed for the first time following proton/neutron removal from 29 Ne/ 29 F beams at energies around 230 MeV / nucleon . The invariant-mass spectra were reconstructed for both the 27 F(*) + n and 26 F(*) + 2n coincidences and revealed a series of well-defined resonances. A near-threshold state was observed in both reactions and is identified as the 28 F ground state, with S n ( 28 F) = -199(6) keV, while analysis of the 2n decay channel allowed a considerably improved S n ( 27 F) = 162(60) keV to be deduced. Comparison with shell-model predictions and eikonal-model reaction calculations have allowed spin-parity assignments to be proposed for some of the lower-lying levels of 28 F. Importantly, in the case of the ground state, the reconstructed 27 F + n momentum distribution following neutron removal from 29 F indicates that it arises mainly from the 1p 3/2 neutron intruder configuration. Finally, this demonstrates that the island of inversion around N = 20 includes 28 F, and most probably 29 F, and suggests that 28 O is not doubly magic.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗