Production mechanism of neutron-rich nuclei around $N=126$ in multi-nucleon transfer reaction $^{132}$Sn + $^{208}$Pb

TL;DR

This study uses a time-dependent Hartree-Fock approach to analyze multi-nucleon transfer reactions between $^{132}$Sn and $^{208}$Pb, revealing mechanisms and cross sections for producing neutron-rich nuclei around $N=126$.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed theoretical framework combining TDHF and statistical decay models to predict production cross sections of neutron-rich nuclei in heavy-ion collisions.

Findings

Neutron stripping and proton pick-up are favored transfer channels.

Fission decay significantly affects nuclei with $Z>82$.

Final cross sections are sensitive to incident energy.

Abstract

Time-dependent Hartree-Fock approach in three dimensions is employed to study the multi-nucleon transfer reaction $^{132}$Sn + $^{208}$Pb at various incident energies above the Coulomb barrier. Probabilities for different transfer channels are calculated by using particle-number projection method. The results indicate that neutron stripping (transfer from the projectile to the target) and proton pick-up (transfer from the target to the projectile) are favored. Deexcitation of the primary fragments are treated by using the state-of-art statistical code GEMINI++. Primary and final production cross sections of the target-like fragments (with $Z=77$ to $Z=87$) are investigated. The results reveal that fission decay of heavy nuclei plays an important role in the deexcitation process of nuclei with $Z>82$. It is also found that the final production cross sections of neutron-rich (deficient) nuclei slightly (strongly) depend on the incident energy.