Mid Term Review

Breakup systematics of 9Be on light to medium mass targets

Mr Ian Carter
Department Nuclear Physics

Breakup of weakly bound and radioactive nuclei is a major current research interest, specifically in gaining insight into the role this process plays in fusion. Understanding reactions involving unstable weakly bound nuclei is closely linked to stable weakly bound nuclei due to similarities in breakup mechanisms. The above-barrier suppression of complete fusion in reactions with weakly bound stable nuclei is now a well-established result. Recent studies have moved towards quantifying the link between above-barrier suppression of complete fusion and sub-barrier breakup. Measurements of breakup of 9Be in interactions with heavy targets (Z=82 to 62) Rafiei et al., PRC81, 024601 (2010), showed breakup following neutron transfer dominates the total breakup yield. A distinction between prompt breakup (occurring in < 10-22 sec) and delayed breakup could be made in the measurements, with only the former linked to suppression of complete fusion.
In this presentation, research into sub-barrier breakup of 9Be in interactions with 124Sn, 89Y, and 64Zn at sub-barrier energies will be presented. The three-body reconstructed Q-value and relative energy (Erel) of the breakup fragments were combined to reveal the full dynamics of the breakup mechanisms.
In common with 9Be, neutron transfer is also a dominant reaction mechanism for the reactions of n-rich beams of light nuclei, such as 6He and 11Be. A radioactive beam capability has recently been developed at the Australian National University based on a superconducting solenoid. A brief outline of this facility, which uniquely makes use of two position-sensitive parallel plate gas detectors for tracking and on-line identification of 6He nuclei, will be presented. This facility will be used to investigate reactions of short lived radioactive light nuclei.

Date & time

Thu 20 Mar 2014, 11am–12.30pm

Location

Nuclear Physics Seminar Room

Audience

Staff, students and public welcome

Contact

(02)61252083