Cross section measurements at NFS

Cross section measurements are the crucial input parameters for data evaluations and nuclear reaction model development.

A key ingredient in nuclear models is the optical potential describing interactions of a nucleon with a nucleus.

Data on elastic scattering is needed to form the optical potential. Light-ion production is another ingredient, and, last-not-least, knowledge of reference cross-sections is needed.

The Nuclear reactions research group is working with the Neutrons For Science (NFS) facility at the GANIL accelerator laboratory. The plan is to make measurements of

• light-ion production in neutron induced reaction with various target nuclei
• elastic (n,p) and (n,d) scattering
• fission fragment angular distributions

with a setup called Medley.

An arrangement of eight three-element detectors is mounted inside a scattering chamber. The chamber is evacuated during experimental runs.

Detection is based on DE-DE-E technique, using silicon surface barrier and CsI detectors. An optional collimator can be mounted in front of each telescope. The principle is shown in the figure below.

Selected publications

Our plans for use of the Medley setup (previously at TSL) at NFS are described in these documents:

Letter of Intent 1 (pdf)
Letter of Intent 2 (pdf)

The following publications describe Medley as previously used:

R. Bevilacqua et al.
Medley spectrometer for light ions in neutron induced reactions at 175 MeV
Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2011.04.036

S. Pomp, R. Bevilacqua et al.
A Medley with over ten years of (mostly) light-ion production measurements at The Svedberg Laboratory
EPJ Web of Conferences Volume 8, 2010 doi: 10.1051/epjconf/20100807013