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Exploring laser-driven neutron sources for neutron capture cascades and the production of neutron-rich isotopes
- Source :
- Phys. Rev. C 103, 014602 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- The production of neutron-rich isotopes and the occurrence of neutron capture cascades via laser-driven (pulsed) neutron sources are investigated theoretically. The considered scenario involves the interaction of a laser-driven neutron beam with a target made of a single type of seed nuclide. We present a comprehensive study over $95$ seed nuclides in the range $3\le Z \le 100$ from $^7_3$Li to $^{255}_{100}$Fm. For each element, the heaviest sufficiently-long-lived (half life $> 1$ h) isotope whose data is available in the recent ENDF-B-VIII.0 neutron sublibrary is considered. We identify interesting seed nuclides with good performance in the production of neutron-rich isotopes where neutron capture cascades may occur. The effects of the neutron number per pulse, the neutron-target interaction size and the number of neutron pulses are also analyzed. Our results show the possibility of observing up to $4$ successive neutron capture events leading to neutron-rich isotopes with $4$ more neutrons than the original seed nuclide. This hints at new experimental possibilities to produce neutron-rich isotopes and simulate neutron capture nucleosynthesis in the laboratory. With several selected interesting seed nuclides in the region of the branching point of the $s$-process ($^{126}_{51}$Sb, $^{176}_{71}$Lu and $^{187}_{75}$Re) or the waiting point of the $r$-process (Lu, Re, Os, Tm, Ir and Au), we expect that laser-driven experiments can shed light on our understanding of nucleosynthesis.<br />Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 1 table; discussions added; accepted for publication in Physical Review C
- Subjects :
- Nuclear Theory
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Journal :
- Phys. Rev. C 103, 014602 (2021)
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.2004.07953
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.103.014602