Direct Determination of Fission-Barrier Heights Using Light-Ion Transfer in Inverse Kinematics
Journal article, 2023
We demonstrate a new technique for obtaining fission data for nuclei away from β stability. These types of data are pertinent to the astrophysical r process, crucial to a complete understanding of the origin of the heavy elements, and for developing a predictive model of fission. These data are also important considerations for terrestrial applications related to power generation and safeguarding. Experimentally, such data are scarce due to the difficulties in producing the actinide targets of interest. The solenoidal-spectrometer technique, commonly used to study nucleon-transfer reactions in inverse kinematics, has been applied to the case of transfer-induced fission as a means to deduce the fission-barrier height, among other variables. The fission-barrier height of ^{239}U has been determined via the ^{238}U(d,pf) reaction in inverse kinematics, the results of which are consistent with existing neutron-induced fission data indicating the validity of the technique.
Author
S. A. Bennett
University of Manchester
K. Garrett
University of Manchester
D. K. Sharp
University of Manchester
S. J. Freeman
CERN
University of Manchester
A. G. Smith
University of Manchester
T. J. Wright
University of Manchester
B. P. Kay
Argonne National Laboratory
T. L. Tang
Argonne National Laboratory
Florida State University
I. A. Tolstukhin
Argonne National Laboratory
Y. Ayyad
Universidade de Santiagode Compostela
J. Chen
Argonne National Laboratory
P. J. Davies
University of York
A. Dolan
University of Liverpool
L. P. Gaffney
University of Liverpool
Andreas Martin Heinz
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics
C. R. Hoffman
Argonne National Laboratory
C. Müller-Gatermann
Argonne National Laboratory
R. D. Page
University of Liverpool
G. L. Wilson
Louisiana State University
Argonne National Laboratory
Physical Review Letters
0031-9007 (ISSN) 1079-7114 (eISSN)
Vol. 130 20 202501-Creation of heavy elements in neutron-star mergers
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (2020.0076), 2021-01-01 -- 2025-12-31.
Subject Categories
Subatomic Physics
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.202501
PubMed
37267578