Gogny-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov plus quasiparticle random-phase approximation predictions of the M1 strength function and its impact on radiative neutron capture cross section.

Valuable theoretical predictions of nuclear dipole excitations in the whole chart are of great interest for different nuclear applications, including in particular nuclear astrophysics. Here we extend our large-scale calculations of the E1 γ-ray strength function, obtained in the framework of the axially- symmetric-deformed quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA) based on the finite-range D1M Gogny force, to the calculation of the M1 strength function. We compare our QRPA prediction of the M1 strength with available experimental data and show that a relatively good agreement is obtained provided the strength is shifted globally by about 2 MeV and increased by an empirical factor of 2. Predictions of the M1 strength function for spherical and deformed nuclei within the valley of ß stability as well as in the neutron-rich region are discussed. Its impact on the radiative neutron capture cross section is also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]