Search

The question of whether charge-changing interactions can be used to probe point-proton radii of nuclei remains unanswered. Charge-changing cross sections, σcc, were systematically investigated using stable and unstable nuclear beams of intermediateenergy. The ratios of the experimental σcc values to the calculated ones obtained from a phenomenological Glauber-type model analysis are found to be nearly constant in a broad range of Z/N for light neutron-rich nuclei. This enables the determination of density distributions, i.e., the radii of protons tightly bound in nuclei. To test the applicability of the present method to all nuclei in the nuclear chart, extensive measurements were performed for medium-mass nuclei ranging from Z = 18 to 32. The present study suggests the potential capability of a new experimental approach for exploring exotic nuclei.

The inelastic (IE) component of the reaction product, which is produced through charge-exchange reactions at relativistic energies of E ~ 1 GeV/u, is one of the hopeful probes used to study the nuclear medium effect on Δ excitation. In the present study, the longitudinal-momentum (PL) distribution of 56Co, produced by bombarding C-and CH2-target with a primary beam of 56Fe at E=500 MeV/u, was observed by means of the spectrometer at HIMAC facility. The IE peak of 56Co, produced from H and C targets, was successfully observed in energy transfer spectrum. The behaviors of the IE peaks are consistent with those observed in previous experiments. A remarkable reduction of the energy transfer for the IE process was also observed with C target compared with H target. The present results have shown the feasibility to investigate the energy transfer in charge-exchange reactions for heavy reaction system at the energy down to 500 MeV/u.

Interaction cross sections (σI) for 22−35Na isotopes from the stability line to the vicinity of the neutron drip line have been measured at around 240 MeV/nucleon. The σI for 33−35Na were measured for the first time. Enhancement in cross sections is clearly observed from the systematics for stable nuclei, for isotopes with large mass numbers. From the known values of the nuclear-deformation parameters β2 of 22−31Na, these enhancement can be mainly ascribed to the nuclear deformation. Large enhancement in heavier isotopes suggest that these nuclei are strongly deformed. The root-mean-square (RMS) nuclear matter radii were deduced from the σI by using Glauber-type calculation. Furthermore, a monotonic growth of the neutron-skin thickness has been deduced with increasing neutron number for Na isotopes.

Reaction cross sections (σR) for 24–38Mg on C targets at the energies of around 240 MeV/nucleon have been measured precisely at RIBF, RIKEN for the purpose of obtaining the crucial information on the changes of nuclear structure in unstable nuclei, especially around the so-called “island of inversion” region. In the island of inversion region, which includes neutron-rich Ne, Na, and Mg isotopes, the vanishing of the N = 20 magic number for neutrons have been discussed along with nuclear deformation. The present result suggest deformation features of Mg isotopes and shows a large cross section of weakly-bound nucleus 37Mg, which could be caused by a neutron halo formation.

The differential cross sections of the 9Be + α inelastic scattering at 30 MeV were measured at the tandem of Tsukuba University. All the known states of 9Be up to energies ~ 12 MeV were observed and decomposed into three rotational bands, each of them having a cluster structure consisting of a 8Be core plus a valence neutron in one of the sub-shells: p3/2−, s1/2+ and p1/2−. Existence of a neutron halo in the positive parity states was confirmed.