RESUMEN
The neutron inelastic scattering of carbon-12, populating the Hoyle state, is a reaction of interest for the triple-alpha process. The inverse process (neutron upscattering) can enhance the Hoyle state's decay rate to the bound states of 12C, effectively increasing the overall triple-alpha reaction rate. The cross section of this reaction is impossible to measure experimentally but has been determined here at astrophysically-relevant energies using detailed balance. Using a highly-collimated monoenergetic beam, here we measure neutrons incident on the Texas Active Target Time Projection Chamber (TexAT TPC) filled with CO2 gas, we measure the 3α-particles (arising from the decay of the Hoyle state following inelastic scattering) and a cross section is extracted. Here we show the neutron-upscattering enhancement is observed to be much smaller than previously expected. The importance of the neutron-upscattering enhancement may therefore not be significant aside from in very particular astrophysical sites (e.g. neutron star mergers).
RESUMEN
The 12C(n, 2n)11C cross section was measured from just below threshold to 26.5 MeV using the Pelletron accelerator at Ohio University. Monoenergetic neutrons, produced via the 3H(d,n)4He reaction, were allowed to strike targets of polyethylene and graphite. Activation of both targets was measured by counting positron annihilations resulting from the ß+ decay of 11C. Annihilation gamma rays were detected, both in coincidence and singly, using back-to-back NaI detectors. The incident neutron flux was determined indirectly via 1H(n,p) protons elastically scattered from the polyethylene target. Previous measurements fall into upper and lower bands; the results of the present measurement are consistent with the upper band.
RESUMEN
The E1-E2 interference sign between the E(c.m.)=2.68-MeV E2 resonance and an underlying E1 strength has been measured for the first time. An E1-E2 asymmetry parameter of a=0.07±0.05 was extracted from the thick-target γ-ray yields of the narrow resonance at angles of 45° and 135°. The positive sign of a corresponded to constructive interference at forward angles and, further, allowed the interference between the resonance and an E2 background to be identified as constructive below the resonance energy. The E2-E2 interference was then used to evaluate the global S(E2) data within the vicinity of the resonance 2.5≤E(c.m.)≤3.0 MeV. An analysis of the global S(E2) data that agreed with the interference scenario has determined the E2-E2 interference scheme of the 4.34-MeV resonance and background, resulting in a value of S(E2)(300)=62(-6)(+9) keV b.
