Eikonal calculation of (p,3p) cross sections for neutron-rich nuclei

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel theoretical approach using eikonal calculations to predict (p,3p) reaction cross sections for medium-mass, neutron-rich nuclei at intermediate energies, aligning well with experimental data for some targets.

Contribution

It presents the first theoretical model for (p,3p) reactions on medium-mass nuclei, incorporating sequential quasifree collisions and eikonal propagation.

Findings

Reasonable agreement with experimental data for $^{12}$C target.

Overestimation by a factor of about 3 for neutron-rich $^{54}$Ca.

Similar overestimation trends as in previous knockout experiments.

Abstract

In this work, we present the first, to our knowledge, theoretical description of two-proton removal reactions with proton target $(p,3p)$ for medium-mass nuclei at intermediate energies and present cross sections for the different bound states of the residual nucleus with two fewer protons. The description of the reaction assumes two sequential ``quasifree'' collisions between the target and removed protons and considers eikonal propagation in between. The formalism is applied to the reactions $^{12}\mathrm{C}(p,3p)^{10}\mathrm{Be}$, $^{28}\mathrm{Mg}(p,3p)^{26}\mathrm{Ne}$ and $^{54}\mathrm{Ca}(p,3p)^{52}\mathrm{Ar}$, finding reasonable agreement to experimental data for the $^{12}$C target and an overestimation of a factor $\sim3$ for the more neutron-rich and $^{54}$Ca, which is similar to the results found in two-proton knockout experiments with $^9$Be and $^{12}$C targets.