Study of $^{124}$Sn+$^{136}$Xe fusion-evaporation: analysis of a rare-event experiment

TL;DR

This study investigates fusion-evaporation reactions in the $^{124}$Sn+$^{136}$Xe system using a high-intensity beam and advanced detection techniques, setting upper limits on the production cross sections of certain Rf isotopes.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed statistical analysis and upper limit estimates for fusion-evaporation cross sections in this symmetric system.

Findings

No significant decay events detected.

Upper limit cross sections for $^{257}$Rf, $^{258}$Rf, and $^{259}$Rf established.

Beam rejection achieved at the order of 5×10^8.

Abstract

Fusion-evaporation in the $^{124}$Sn+$^{136}$Xe system is studied using a high intensity xenon beam provided by the Ganil accelerator and the LISE3 wien filter for the selection of the products. Due to the mass symmetry of the entrance system, the rejection of the beam by the spectrometer was of the order of $5times10^8$. We have thus performed a detailed statistical analysis to estimate random events and to infer the fusion-evaporation cross sections. No signicant decay events were detected and upper limit cross sections of 172 pb, 87 pb and 235 pb were deduced for the synthesis of $^{257}$Rf, $^{258}$Rf and $^{259}$Rf, respectively.