Weakly Bound Neutron-Rich Nuclei and Cosmic Phenomena

TL;DR

This paper investigates the properties of neutron-rich nuclei using Coulomb breakup techniques to understand nuclear structure and astrophysical processes like nucleosynthesis and neutron star evolution.

Contribution

It provides new experimental insights into the ground-state wave-functions and shell gap melting in neutron-rich nuclei around N=20, with implications for astrophysics.

Findings

Evidence for shell gap melting at N=20, 28

Measurement of threshold strength and gamma-ray spectra

Preliminary electromagnetic excitation results of $^{32}$Mg

Abstract

The single particle and bulk properties of the neutron-rich nuclei constrain fundamental issues in nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics like the limits of existence of quantum many body systems (atomic nuclei), the equation of state of neutron-rich matter, neutron star, nucleosynthesis, evolution of stars, neutron star merging etc.. The state of the art of Coulomb breakup of the neutron-rich nuclei has been used to explore those properties. Unambiguous information on detailed components of the ground-state wave-function along with quantum numbers of the valence neutron of the nuclei have been obtained from the measurement of threshold strength along with the $\gamma$-rays spectra of the core following Coulomb breakup. The shape of this threshold strength is a finger-print of the quantum numbers of the nucleon. We investigated the ground-state properties of the neutron-rich Na, Mg, Al nuclei around N $\sim$ 20 using this method at GSI, Darmstadt. Very clear evidence has been observed for melting and merging of long cherished magic shell gaps at N = 20, 28. The evanescent neutron-rich nuclei imprint their existence in stellar explosive scenarios (r-process etc.). Coulomb dissociation (CD) is one of the important indirect measurements of the capture cross-section which may provide valuable input to the model for star evolution process, particularly the r-process. Some valuable bulk properties of the neutron-rich nuclei like the density dependent symmetry energy,neutron skin etc. play a key role in understanding cosmic phenomena and these properties have been studied via electromagnetic excitation. Preliminary results of electromagnetic excitation of the neutron-rich nucleus, $^{32}$Mg are presented.