Empirical formalism for the production of neutron-rich nuclei using fragmentation of medium heavy neutron-rich Rare Isotope Beam

TL;DR

This paper introduces an empirical formalism based on the abrasion-ablation model to accurately predict neutron-rich nuclei production cross-sections in projectile fragmentation, validated against existing data and used for future predictions.

Contribution

It presents a new empirical formalism that improves prediction accuracy for neutron-rich nuclei production in fragmentation reactions, especially using unstable neutron-rich projectiles.

Findings

The formalism accurately reproduces experimental cross-sections for 132Sn and 129Xe.

Using unstable 132Sn enhances production cross-sections of neutron-rich isotopes.

Predictions indicate feasible production of neutron-rich nuclei like 144Xe and 146Cs in upcoming facilities.

Abstract

We report here an empirical formalism for predicting the cross-sections of neutron-rich nuclei produced in fragmentation of relativistic \b{eta}-unstable neutron-rich projectiles in the mid-mass region. The formalism is based on the abrasion-ablation picture of the projectile fragmentation reaction. It has been shown that the formalism can accurately reproduce the experimental cross-section data for nuclei produced in the fragmentation of 132Sn. The formalism, it is shown, can also reproduce the experimental cross-sections of neutron-rich nuclei produced in the fragmentation of 129Xe fairly accurately. The formalism is used to bring out the advantage in the production cross-sections of neutron-rich isotopes, especially the more neutron-rich ones; that one can expect by using unstable doubly magic neutron-rich projectile 132Sn as compared to comparatively less neutron-rich unstable projectile 128Sn and also 124Sn, the isotope which is most neutron-rich among the stable isotopes of Sn (tin). The formalism is used to predict the cross-sections of neutron-rich nuclei produced in the fragmentation reaction of unstable 144Xe and 146Cs, which are expected to be produced with sufficient intensity in the upcoming RIB facilities and in the existing RIB facilities after beam intensity upgrade.