Low-Energy Magnetic Dipole Radiation in Open-Shell Nuclei

γ-ray strength function for astrophysical applications in the IAEA-CRP

The γ-ray strength function (γSF) is a nuclear quantity that governs photoabsorption in (γ, n) and photoemission in (n, γ) reactions. Within the framework of the γ-ray strength function method, we use (γ, n) cross sections as experimental constraints on the γSF from the Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov plus quasiparticle-random phase approximation based on the Gogny D1M interaction for E1 and M1 components. The experimentally constrained γSF is further supplemented with the zero-limit M1 and E1 strengths to construct the downward γSF with which (n, γ) cross sections are calculated. We investigate (n, γ) cross sections in the context of astrophysical applications over the nickel and barium isotopic chains along the s-process path.

Decoherence of collective motion in warm nuclei

Collective states in cold nuclei are represented by a wave function that assigns coherent phases to the participating nucleons. The degree of coherence decreases with excitation energy above the yrast line because of coupling to the increasingly dense background of quasiparticle excitations. The consequences of decoherence are discussed, starting with the well studied case of rotational damping. In addition to superdeformed bands, a highly excited oblate band is presented as a new example of screening from rotational damping. Suppression of pair correlation leads to incoherent thermal M1 radiation, which appears as an exponential spike (LEMAR) at zero energy in the γ strength function of spherical nuclei. In deformed nuclei a Scissors Resonance appears and LEMAR changes to damped magnetic rotation, which is interpreted as partial restoration of coherence.