Browsing by Author "Li, K. C. W."

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    Characterization of the proposed 4−α cluster state candidate in ¹⁶O
    (American Physical Society, 2017) Li, K. C. W.; Neveling, R.; Adsley, P.; Papka, P.; Smit, F. D.; Brummer, J. W.; Diget, C. Aa.; Freer, M.; Harakeh, M. N.; Kokalova, Tz.; Nemulodi, F.; Pellegri, L.; Rebeiro, B.; Swartz, J. A.; Triambak, S.; Van Zyl, J. J.; Wheldon, C.
    The 0¹⁶O(α,α′) reaction was studied at θlab=0∘ at an incident energy of Elab=200 MeV using the K600 magnetic spectrometer at iThemba LABS. Proton decay and α decay from the natural parity states were observed in a large-acceptance silicon strip detector array at backward angles. The coincident charged-particle measurements were used to characterize the decay channels of the 0⁺₆ state in ¹⁶O located at Ex=15.097(5) MeV. This state is identified by several theoretical cluster calculations to be a good candidate for the 4−α cluster state. The results of this work suggest the presence of a previously unidentified resonance at Ex≈15 MeV that does not exhibit a 0⁺ character. This unresolved resonance may have contaminated previous observations of the 0⁺₆ state.
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    Deformation dependence of the isovector giant dipole resonance : the neodymium isotopic chain revisited
    (Elsevier, 2018) Donaldson, L. M.; Bertulani, C. A.; Carter, J.; Nesterenko, V. O.; Von Neumann-Cosel, P.; Neveling, R.; Ponomarev, V. Yu; Reinhard, P. G.; Usman, I. T.; Adsley, P.; Brummer, J. W.; Buthelezi, E. Z.; Cooper, G. R. J.; Fearick, R. W.; Fortsch, S. V.; Fujita, H.; Fujita, Y.; Jingo, M.; Kleinig, W.; Kureba, C. O.; Kvasil, J.; Latif, M.; Li, K. C. W.; Mira, J. P.; Nemulodi, F.; Papka, P.; Pellegri, L.; Pietralla, N.; Richter, A.; Sideras-Haddad, E.; Smit, F. D.; Steyn, G. F.; Swartz, J. A.; Tamii, A.
    Proton inelastic scattering experiments at energy Ep=200MeV and a spectrometer scattering angle of 0° were performed on 144,146,148,150Nd and 152Sm exciting the IsoVector Giant Dipole Resonance (IVGDR). Comparison with results from photo-absorption experiments reveals a shift of resonance maxima towards higher energies for vibrational and transitional nuclei. The extracted photo-absorption cross sections in the most deformed nuclei, 150Nd and 152Sm, exhibit a pronounced asymmetry rather than a distinct double-hump structure expected as a signature of K-splitting. This behaviour may be related to the proximity of these nuclei to the critical point of the phase shape transition from vibrators to rotors with a soft quadrupole deformation potential. Self-consistent random-phase approximation (RPA) calculations using the SLy6 Skyrme force provide a relevant description of the IVGDR shapes deduced from the present data.
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    α clustering in ²⁸Si probed through the identification of high-lying 0⁺ states
    (American Physical Society, 2017) Adsley, P.; Jenkins, D. G.; Cseh, J.; Dimitriova, S. S.; Brummer, J. W.; Li, K. C. W.; Marin-Lambarri, D. J.; Lukyanov, K.; Kheswa, N. Y.; Neveling, R.; Papka, P.; Pellegri, L.; Pesudo, V.; Pool, L. C.; Riczu, G.; Smit, F. D.; Van Zyl, J. J.; Zemlyanaya, E.
    Background: Aspects of the nuclear structure of light α-conjugate nuclei have long been associated with nuclear clustering based on α particles and heavier α-conjugate systems such as ¹²C and ¹⁶O. Such structures are associated with strong deformation corresponding to superdeformed or even hyperdeformed bands. Superdeformed bands have been identified in ⁴⁰Ca and neighboring nuclei and find good description within shell model, mean-field, and α-cluster models. The utility of the α-cluster description may be probed further by extending such studies to more challenging cases comprising lighter α-conjugate nuclei such as ²⁴Mg, ²⁸Si, and ³²S. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to look for the number and energy of isoscalar 0⁺ states in ²⁸Si. These states are the potential bandheads for superdeformed bands in ²⁸Si corresponding to the exotic structures of ²⁸Si. Of particular interest is locating the 0⁺ bandhead of the previously identified superdeformed band in ²⁸Si. Methods: α-particle inelastic scattering from a natSi target at very forward angles including 0∘ has been performed at the iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences in South Africa. Scattered particles corresponding to the excitation energy region of 6 to 14 MeV were momentum-analysed in the K600 magnetic spectrometer and detected at the focal plane using two multiwire drift chambers and two plastic scintillators. Results: Several 0⁺ states have been identified above 9 MeV in ²⁸Si. A newly identified 9.71 MeV 0⁺ state is a strong candidate for the bandhead of the previously discussed superdeformed band. The multichannel dynamical symmetry of the semimicroscopic algebraic model predicts the spectrum of the excited 0⁺ states. The theoretical prediction is in good agreement with the experimental finding, supporting the assignment of the 9.71-MeV state as the bandhead of a superdeformed band. Conclusion: Excited isoscalar 0⁺ states in ²⁸Si have been identified. The number of states observed in the present experiment shows good agreement with the prediction of the multichannel dynamical symmetry.