Analysis of two-nucleon transfer reactions in the 20Ne + 116Cd system at 306 MeV

TL;DR

This study investigates two-nucleon transfer reactions in the 20Ne + 116Cd system at 306 MeV, combining experimental measurements with theoretical models to understand nuclear structure and reaction mechanisms relevant to double-beta decay.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of two-nucleon transfer reactions at intermediate energies, integrating experimental data with advanced theoretical calculations to elucidate reaction mechanisms and nuclear structure effects.

Findings

Theoretical models successfully reproduce experimental cross sections.

Couplings with inelastic channels significantly affect two-proton transfer.

Sequential and direct processes both contribute to the reaction mechanism.

Abstract

Background: Heavy-ion induced two-nucleon transfer reactions are powerful tools to reveal peculiar aspects of the atomic nucleus, such as pairing correlations, single-particle and collective degrees of freedom, and more. Also, these processes are in competition with the direct meson exchange in the double charge exchange reactions, which have recently attracted great interest due to their possible connection to neutrinoless double-beta decay. In this framework, the exploration of two-nucleon transfer reactions in the 20Ne+116Cd collision at energies above the Coulomb barrier is particularly relevant since the 116Cd nucleus is a candidate for the double-beta decay. Methods: We measured the excitation energy spectra and absolute cross sections for the two reactions using the MAGNEX large acceptance magnetic spectrometer to detect the ejectiles. We performed direct coupled reaction channels and sequential distorted wave Born approximation calculations using the double folding S\~ao Paulo potential to model the initial and final state interactions. The spectroscopic amplitudes for two- and singleparticle transitions were derived by different nuclear structure approaches: microscopic large-scale shell model, interacting boson model-2 and quasiparticle random phase approximation. Results: The calculations are able to reproduce the experimental cross sections for both two-neutron and twoproton transfer reactions. The role of couplings with the inelastic channels are found to be important in the two-proton transfer case. A competition between the direct and the sequential process is found in the reaction mechanism. For the two-proton transfer case, the inclusion of the 1g7/2 and 2d5/2 orbitals in the model space is crucial.