Work

Systematics of neutron emission

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Neutron physics is one of the oldest branches of the experimental nuclear physics, but the investigation of the spontaneous neutron emission from the ground state along the neutron dripline is still at its beginning, in spite of the crucial importance for nuclear astrophysics. The proton dripline is much better investigated and a systematics of spontaneous proton half lives corected by the centrifugal barrier (monopole transitions) is given by the Geiger–Nuttall law log 10 T ∼ χ , where χ ∼ ZQ −1/2 is the Coulomb parameter characterizing the outgoing Coulomb–Hankel wave in terms of the daughter charge Z and Q-value. Our purpose is to propose a similar simple systematics of spontaneous neutron half lives, but in terms of the nuclear reduced radius ρ = κR ∼ A 1/3 Q 1/2, characterizing the ‘neutral’ outgoing spherical Hankel wave. It turns out that the half life in emission of neutral particles is governed by the scaling law T ∼ ρ −2 ∼ A −2/3 Q −1 for monopole transitions. We evidence the important role of the angular momentum carried by the emitted neutron. The influence of the neutron wave function generated by a Woods–Saxon nuclear mean field is also analyzed.

Source: Journal of Physics G Nuclear and Particle Physics

DOI: 10.1088/1361-6471/add02e

Authors: DS Delion, S Ghinescu

Institutions: Academia Oamenilor de Știință din România, Horia Hulubei National Institute for R and D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, University of Bucharest

Language: English

Topic: Nuclear physics research studies

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,325

Funder: Ministerul Cercetării şi Inovării