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The possible production of the Θ{sup +} resonance in nucleon-nucleon and photon-nucleon interactions is considered. For measurable quantities, values at which the Θ{sup +} resonance can be observed are estimated.
On the basis of the first-collision model that relies on the nuclear spectral function and which includes incoherent processes involving charmonium production in proton–nucleon collisions, the photoproduction of J/ψ mesons on nuclei is considered at energies close to the threshold for their production on a nucleon. The absorption of final J/ψ mesons, their formation length, and the binding and Fermi motion of target nucleons are taken into account in this model along with the effect of the nuclear potential on these processes. The A dependences of the absolute and relative charmonium yields are calculated together with absolute and relative excitation functions under various assumptions on the magnitude of the cross section for J/ψN absorption, the J/ψ-meson formation length, and their inmedium modification. It is shown that, at energies above the threshold, these features are virtually independent of the formation length and the change in the J/ψ-meson mass in nuclear matter but are rather highly sensitive to the cross section for J/ψN interaction. The calculations performed in the present study can be used to determine the unknown cross section for J/ψ-meson absorption in nuclei from a comparison of their results with data expected from experiments in the Hall C of the CEBAF (USA) facility upgraded to the energy of 12 GeV. It is also shown that the absolute and relative excitation functions for J/ψ mesons in photon–nucleus reactions at subthreshold energies are sensitive to the change in the meson mass and, hence, carry information about the properties of charmonium in nuclear matter.
The coupling of photons with (ultra-) relativistic atomic nuclei is presented in two particular circumstances: very high electromagnetic fields and very short photon pulses. We consider a typical situation where the (bare) nuclei (fully stripped of electrons) are accelerated to energies ≃ 1 TeV per nucleon (according to the state of the art at LHC, for instance) and photon sources like petawatt lasers ≃ 1 eV-radiation (envisaged by ELI-NP project, for instance), or free-electron laser ≃ 10 keV-radiation, or synchrotron sources, etc. In these circumstances the nuclear scale energy can be attained, with very high field intensities. In particular, we analyze the nuclear transitions induced by the radiation, including both one- and two-photon proceses, as well as the polarization-driven transitions which may lead to giant dipole resonances. The nuclear (electrical) polarization concept is introduced. It is shown that the perturbation theory for photo-nuclear reactions is applicable, although the field intensity is high, since the corresponding interaction energy is low and the interaction time (pulse duration) is short. It is also shown that the description of the giant nuclear dipole resonance requires the dynamics of the nuclear electrical polarization degrees of freedom.
In the framework of the nuclear spectral function approach for incoherent primary photon-nucleon and secondary pion-nucleon production processes we study the inclusive {Lambda}(1520)-hyperon production in the interaction of 2-GeV photons with nuclei. In particular, the A and momentum dependences of the absolute and relative {Lambda}(1520)-hyperon yields are investigated in two scenarios for its in-medium width. Our model calculations show that the pion-nucleon production channel contributes appreciably to the {Lambda}(1520) creation at intermediate momenta both in light and heavy nuclei in the chosen kinematics and, hence, has to be taken into consideration on close examination of the dependences of the {Lambda}(1520)-hyperon yields on the target mass number with the aim to get information on its width in the medium. They also demonstrate that the A and momentum dependences of the absolute and relative {Lambda}(1520)-hyperon production cross sections at incident energy of interest are markedly sensitive to the {Lambda}(1520) in-medium width, which means that these observables may be an important tool to determine the above width.
In the fast-ignition scheme, very hard x-rays (hereinafter referred to as {gamma}-rays) are generated by Bremsstrahlung radiation from fast electrons. Significant backgrounds were observed around the deuterium-deuterium fusion neutron signals in the experiment in 2010. In this paper the backgrounds were studied in detail, based on Monte Carlo simulations, and they were confirmed to be {gamma}-rays from the target, scattered {gamma}-rays from the experimental bay walls ({gamma}{sup Prime }-rays), and neutrons generated by ({gamma}, n) reactions in either the target vacuum chamber or the diagnostic instruments ({gamma}-n neutrons).
Two new research facilities will be ready for operation very soon (MEGa-Ray at Liver-more National Laboratory) or start construction (ELI-Nuclear Physics in Bucharest), both providing highly brilliant {gamma} beams with so far unprecedented properties via Compton backscattering of laser photons from a high-quality, relativistic electron beam. With these intense, monochromatic {gamma} beams, a new era of photonuclear physics will be enabled. A new research campaign is proposed to exploit the unprecedented properties of these highly-brilliant, novel {gamma} beams on highly-selective studies of extremely deformed nuclei in the multiple-humped potential energy landscape of the actinides via photofission. With the unique {gamma} beam bandwidth of {Delta}E/E = 10{sup -3}, we can aim at resolving individual resonances which could never be achieved so far due to the limited {gamma} bandwidth of bremsstrahlung beams. Exploratory, non-bremsstrahlung photofission experiments are going to be performed very soon at the HI{gamma}S facility (Duke University, USA) to investigate the fine structure of the sub-barrier transmission resonances of the actinides.
This contribution is supposed to provide an introduction to the discussion of future research opportunities at the planned {gamma}-ray beam of the ELI-Nuclear Physics pillar. It contains a brief overview on the history of photonuclear science, some fundamental facts on photonuclear reactions at energies below 20 MeV, a few examples for recent photonuclear research, and a brief outlook to a future with ELI-NP.
Quasi-monochromatic photon beams generated by inverse Compton scattering of laser light with high energy electrons can be used for precise measurements of photoneutrons and resonant scattered {gamma} rays. Extremely high intensity and small energy spreading width of the photon beam expected at the ELI Nuclear Physics facility would increase the experimental sensitivities considerably. Possible photonuclear reaction measurements relevant to the p-process nucleosynthesis are discussed.
Electro-magnetic dipole transitions below the neutron separation energy in {sup 56}Fe have been measured by using a quasi-monochromatic, linearly polarized photon beam generated by the Compton scattering of laser light with high energy electrons. The parity of the resonant states in {sup 56}Fe was determined by the intensity asymmetry of resonant scattering {gamma} rays relative to the polarization plane of the incident photon beam. The total magnetic dipole strength of {approx}6{mu}{sup 2}{sub N} at the excitation energies between 6 and 10 MeV was obtained.
An indirect method referred to as the {gamma}-ray strength function method has been devised to determine radiative neutron capture cross sections for unstable nuclei along the valley of {beta}-stability. This method is based on the {gamma}-ray strength function which interconnects radiative neutron capture and photoneutron emission within the statistical model. The method was applied to several unstable nuclei such as {sup 93,95}Zr, {sup 107}Pd, and 121,123Sn. This method offers a versatile application extended to unstable nuclei far from the stability when combined with Coulomb dissociation experiments at RIKEN-RIBF and GSI.
{sup 99m}Tc, the daughter isotope of {sup 99}Mo, is the most commonly used radioisotope for nuclear medicine in the United States. Under the direction of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) are partnering with North Star Medical Technologies to demonstrate the viability of large-scale {sup 99}Mo production using electron accelerators. In this process, {sup 99}Mo is produced in an enriched {sup 100}Mo target through the {sup 100}Mo({gamma},n){sup 99}Mo reaction. Five experiments have been performed to date at ANL to demonstrate this process. This paper reviews the current status of these activities, specifically the design and performance of the helium gas target cooling system.
We consider a measurement of isobaric analog states (IAS) of 76As in 76Se as a method for measuring the Gamow-Teller (GT) strength important to constrain and possibly help normalize calculations of double beta ({beta}{beta}) decay matrix elements. We show that photo-nuclear reactions via IAS can provide valuable information about the parent and daughter states of {beta}{beta}-decay not currently available from measurements of charge exchange reactions. Several experiments have been proposed at the HI{open_square} Sfacility at the Triangle Nuclear Research Laboratory in Durham, NC, the first of which will measure the lowest 1{sup -}, 1{sup +} and 2{sup +} IAS in {sup 76}Se.
In this talk we shortly describe the physics contents of the GiBUU transport code, used to describe lepton scattering off nuclei. Particular attention will be given to validation of the GiBUU in pion-, electron- and photon-induced reactions, which serve as a benchmark for neutrino-induced ones. We mainly concentrate on those properties of benchmark reactions, which are relevant to the region of Shallow Inelastic Scattering (SIS). Our results in this region are presented for integrated and differential cross sections. Comparison with recent MINOS inclusive data, as well as predictions for the differential cross sections measurable in Minerνa and NoνA experiments are made.
We review our theoretical approach to neutral current photon emission on nucleons and nuclei in the few-GeV energy region, relevant for neutrino oscillation experiments. These reactions are dominated by the weak excitation of the Δ(1232) resonance but there are also important non-resonant contributions. We have also included terms mediated by nucleon excitations from the second resonance region. On nuclei, Pauli blocking, Fermi motion and the in-medium Δ resonance broadening have been taken into account for both incoherent and coherent reaction channels. With this model, the number and distributions of photon events at the MiniBooNE and T2K experiments have been obtained. We have also compared to the NOMAD upper limit at higher energies. The implications of our findings and future perspectives are discussed.
A survey of experimental results obtained by studying chiral effects in nucleus–nucleus collisions at various energies is presented. The entire body of these experimental results confirms indirectly a topologically nontrivial structure of the QCD vacuum and the possibility of a local violation of discrete QCD symmetries at finite temperature. A significant decrease in the asymmetry of the distribution of electrically charged particles with respect to the reaction plane in heavy-ion collisions in the energy range of √(sNN) GeVmay be indicative of a possible transition to the region where hadron states dominate over quark–gluon degrees of freedom in a mixed phase formed in nucleus–nucleus collisions at intermediate energies.
The photoproduction of J/ψ mesons off nuclei at the energies of 8 and 11 GeV, which are close to the threshold for their production on a free nucleon, is considered on the basis of the first-collisionmodel relying on the nuclear spectral function and including incoherent processes of charmonium production in photon–nucleon collisions. The model takes into account the absorption of final J/ψ mesons, the binding of target nucleons, and their Fermi motion, as well as the effect of the scalar J/ψ–nucleus potential (or the inmedium shift of the J/ψ-meson mass) on these processes. Under various assumptions on the magnitude of this shift, the momentum dependences of various observables, such as the relative transparency of carbon and gold nuclei and the J/ψ-meson yields, are calculated for meson production on these nuclei. The observables in question include the relative transparencies of these nuclei to J/ψ mesons and the absolute and relativemeson yields from them. It is shown that, at the energy of 11 GeV, which is above the threshold, the first observable is virtually independent of the in-medium change in the J/ψ-meson mass. At the same time, it is moderately sensitive to this change at the subthreshold energy of 8 GeV. On the other hand, it is shown that, at these photon energies, the absolute and relative values of the differential cross sections, especially for the the heavy nucleus of {sup 197} Au, in the momentum range of 4–6 GeV/с are highly sensitive to the in-medium change in the J/ψ-meson mass. Therefore, the present calculations can be used to determine the unknown shift of the J/ψ-meson mass in nuclei by means of comparing their results with data expected from experiments in Hall C at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF, USA) upgraded to the energy of 12 GeV.
We report on the results of the E06-014 experiment performed at Jefferson Lab in Hall A, where a precision measurement of the twist-3 matrix element $d_2$ of the neutron ($d_{2}^{n}$) was conducted. This quantity represents the average color Lorentz force a struck quark experiences in a deep inelastic electron scattering event off a neutron due to its interaction with the hadronizing remnants. This color force was determined from a linear combination of the third moments of the spin structure functions $g_1$ and $g_2$ on $^{3}$He after nuclear corrections had been applied to these moments. The kinematics included two average $Q^{2}$ bins of $3.2$ GeV$^{2}$ and $4.3$ GeV$^{2}$, and Bjorken-$x$ $0.25 \leq x \leq 0.90$ covering the DIS and resonance regions. We found $d_2^n$ to be small and negative for $ = 3.2$ GeV$^{2}$, and smaller for $ = 4.3$ GeV$^{2}$, consistent with a lattice QCD calculation. The twist-4 matrix element $f_{2}^{n}$ was extracted by combining our $d_{2}^{n}$ with the world data on $\Gamma_{1}^{n} = \int_{0}^{1} g_{1}^{n} dx$. We found $f_{2}^{n}$ to be roughly an order of magnitude larger than $d_{2}^{n}$. Utilizing the extracted $d_{2}^{n}$ and $f_{2}^{n}$ data, we separated the color force into its electric and magnetic components, $F_{E}^{y,n}$ and $F_{B}^{y,n}$, and found them to be equal and opposite in magnitude, in agreement with instanton model predictions but not with those from QCD sum rules. Additionally, we have extracted the neutron virtual photon-nucleon asymmetry $A_{1}^{n}$, the structure function ratio $g_{1}^{n}/F_{1}^{n}$, and the quark ratios $(\Delta u + \Delta \bar{u})/(u + \bar{u})$ and $(\Delta d + \Delta \bar{d})/(d + \bar{d})$. Lastly, these results were found to be consistent with DIS world data and with the prediction of the constituent quark model but at odds with those of perturbative QCD at large $x$.
We report a measurement of exclusive J/ψ and ψ(2s) photoproduction in Au+Au ultraperipheral collisions at √s NN = 200 GeV using the STAR detector. For the first time, (i) the ψ(2s) photoproduction in midrapidity at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider has been experimentally measured; (ii) nuclear suppression factors are measured for both the coherent and incoherent J/ψ production. At average photon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 25.0 GeV, the coherent and incoherent J/ψ cross sections of Au nuclei are found to be 71 ±10% and 36 ±7%, respectively, of that of free protons. The stronger suppression observed in the incoherent production provides a new experimental handle to study the initial-state parton density in heavy nuclei. As a result, data are compared with theoretical models quantitatively.