Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Probing the limits of statistical neutron capture for the r process: Experimental constraints on 141Cs nuclear level densities |
| Authors: |
B. Greaves, D. Mücher, A. Spyrou, S. Goriely, D. Rochman, H.C. Berg, D.L. Bleuel, J.A. Clark, C. Dembski, P.A. Deyoung, E. Good, C.M. Harris, A.J. Koning, A.C. Larsen, S.N. Liddick, S.M. Lyons, M. Markova, M.J. Mogannam, G. Owens-Fryar, A. Palmisano-Kyle, A.L. Richard, E.K. Ronning, D. Santiago-Gonzalez, G. Savard, M.K. Smith, A. Sweet, A. Tsantiri |
| Source: |
Physics Letters B, Vol 871, Iss , Pp 139992- (2025) |
| Publisher Information: |
Elsevier, 2025. |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
LCC:Physics |
| Subject Terms: |
Nuclear level density, Statistical capture, β-Oslo method, R process, Physics, QC1-999 |
| Description: |
The r-process abundance peaks, particularly near mass number A ∼ 130, reflect underlying nuclear structure effects such as closed neutron shells, yet modeling the nucleosynthesis in this region remains hindered by uncertain neutron-capture rates. These rates are especially sensitive to nuclear level densities (NLDs) and γ-ray strength functions of neutron-rich nuclei, where experimental data are scarce. We present the first experimental constraint on the NLD of 141Cs using the β-Oslo method, extending sensitivity to the neutron-rich regime near the N=82 closed shell. Our data allow for critical calibration of microscopic NLD models and reveal that 141Cs lies near the limit of statistical model applicability. Using this experimental input, we evaluate radiative neutron-capture rates across neighboring isotones using both Hauser–Feshbach (HF) and High Fidelity Resonance (HFR) models. Our results show order-of-magnitude rate increases for nuclei along the N=86 line, signaling a transition to resonance-dominated capture in this region. These findings underscore the importance of constraining NLDs to improve r-process reaction network predictions, particularly in environments where the validity of statistical models breaks down. |
| Document Type: |
article |
| File Description: |
electronic resource |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
0370-2693 |
| Relation: |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325007506; https://doaj.org/toc/0370-2693 |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.physletb.2025.139992 |
| Access URL: |
https://doaj.org/article/5efeb8f555b54aed9ee799343388a467 |
| Accession Number: |
edsdoj.5efeb8f555b54aed9ee799343388a467 |
| Database: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |