Neutron capture cross section ofC14of astrophysical interest studied by Coulomb breakup ofC15

Abstract

The neutron capture reaction on 14 C leading to the 15 C ground state, which plays an important role in various nucleosynthesis processes, has been studied using the Coulomb breakup of 15 C on a Pb target at 68 MeV/nucleon. The breakup cross section has been converted into the energy-dependent neutron capture cross section using the principle of detailed balance. The energy spectrum shows typical p-wave neutron capture characteristics, which is explained by the fact that the ground state of 15 C possesses a strong single-particle s-wave component and a moderate-sized neutron halo structure. The capture cross section for the 14 C(n, γ ) 15 C reaction derived from the present experiment has been found to be consistent with the most recent data, directly measured using a 14 C target. This result assures the validity of the Coulomb breakup method in deriving the neutron capture cross section for neutron-rich nuclei.

Nuclear astrophysics with radioactive beams

“…The neutron momentum vector was extracted from the hit position of the neutron and its TOF. The spectral shape and amplitude was found to be consistent with similar data taken at higher beam energies at GSI [342]. The deduced direct capture cross-section agrees with the most recent direct capture measurement and demonstrates that the Coulomb breakup with a neutron in the exit channel is a useful tool to derive the radiative capture cross-section.…”

“…Recently, the neutron capture reaction on 14 C has been explored using Coulomb dissociation of 15 C → 14 C + n at 69 MeV/nucleon in the field of a 224 mg/cm 2 Pb target at RIKEN [342]. The 14 C residues were analyzed with a magnetic spectrometer that used a drift chamber and plastic scintillator hodoscopes.…”

The eikonal model of reactions involving exotic nuclei; Roy Glauber's legacy in today's nuclear physics

“…[10] and (right) Ref. [18]. The good agreement with experiment confirms the few-body structure of the one-neutron halo projectiles.…”

Radiative neutron capture on carbon-14 in effective field theory

“…In astrophysical scenarios involving inhomogeneous Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, the slow 14 C(n, γ) 15 C reaction acts as a bottle neck in the production of heavier nuclei A > 14 [2,3]. The 14 C(n, γ) 15 C cross section has been measured in direct capture experiments [4][5][6] , and also extracted indirectly from Coulomb dissociation data [7][8][9][10]. Interpretation of Coulomb dissociation data for the capture rate requires careful treatment of the parent 15 C and daughter 14 C nuclei in the strong Coulomb field of a heavy nucleus besides the nuclear interactions [11][12][13].…”