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Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies

The simplicity of the beta decay process makes it a powerful tool for the investigation of the weak interaction and of nuclear structure. The two main operators involved, the Fermi (F) and Gamow-Teller (GT) operators, change just the isospin projection, and the isospin and spin projections of a nucl...

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Main Author: Steyn, Douw
Other Authors: Aschman, David
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Physics 2023
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access_status_str Open Access
author Steyn, Douw
author2 Aschman, David
author_browse Aschman, David
Steyn, Douw
author_facet Aschman, David
Steyn, Douw
author_sort Steyn, Douw
collection Thesis
description The simplicity of the beta decay process makes it a powerful tool for the investigation of the weak interaction and of nuclear structure. The two main operators involved, the Fermi (F) and Gamow-Teller (GT) operators, change just the isospin projection, and the isospin and spin projections of a nucleon respectively. Beta decay studies enable the extraction of the transition matrix elements to high precision. However, most GT transition rates deduced from beta decay measurements turn out to be smaller than the calculated single particle rates [1, 2, 3], a phenomenon that has become known as the quenching of GT strength. Beta decay studies are limited io radioactive nuclei in which the transitions are energetically possible. These are invariably between states of low excitation energy, and are also often relatively weak transitions. In addition, the calculation of the beta decay strengths is model-dependent. The model-dependence and uncertainties would be reduced if larger fractions of the total strength were analysed [4]. It is, however, possible to do so with the use of other probes of spin-isospin strength and to compare the results of these to those of beta decay. One such probe is the zero degree (p,n) reaction at intermediate energies [2, 5, 6]. Such a reaction is not subject to some of the limitations of beta decay in that any desired target nucleus may be probed and that the GT strength function may be investigated up to high excitation energies in the final nucleus. The essential similarity of the transition matrix elements of the two processes allows the measured (p,n) strengths to be converted to beta decay strengths.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/38667
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:28.055Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher Department of Physics
publisherStr Department of Physics
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/38667 Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies Steyn, Douw Aschman, David physics The simplicity of the beta decay process makes it a powerful tool for the investigation of the weak interaction and of nuclear structure. The two main operators involved, the Fermi (F) and Gamow-Teller (GT) operators, change just the isospin projection, and the isospin and spin projections of a nucleon respectively. Beta decay studies enable the extraction of the transition matrix elements to high precision. However, most GT transition rates deduced from beta decay measurements turn out to be smaller than the calculated single particle rates [1, 2, 3], a phenomenon that has become known as the quenching of GT strength. Beta decay studies are limited io radioactive nuclei in which the transitions are energetically possible. These are invariably between states of low excitation energy, and are also often relatively weak transitions. In addition, the calculation of the beta decay strengths is model-dependent. The model-dependence and uncertainties would be reduced if larger fractions of the total strength were analysed [4]. It is, however, possible to do so with the use of other probes of spin-isospin strength and to compare the results of these to those of beta decay. One such probe is the zero degree (p,n) reaction at intermediate energies [2, 5, 6]. Such a reaction is not subject to some of the limitations of beta decay in that any desired target nucleus may be probed and that the GT strength function may be investigated up to high excitation energies in the final nucleus. The essential similarity of the transition matrix elements of the two processes allows the measured (p,n) strengths to be converted to beta decay strengths. 2023-09-15T07:37:35Z 2023-09-15T07:37:35Z 1997 2023-09-14T13:46:20Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38667 eng application/pdf Department of Physics Faculty of Science
spellingShingle physics
Steyn, Douw
Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies
title_full Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies
title_fullStr Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies
title_full_unstemmed Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies
title_short Measurements of Gamow-Teller strength in medium mass nuclei using (p,n) reactions at intermediate energies
title_sort measurements of gamow teller strength in medium mass nuclei using p n reactions at intermediate energies
topic physics
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38667
work_keys_str_mv AT steyndouw measurementsofgamowtellerstrengthinmediummassnucleiusingpnreactionsatintermediateenergies