Population of 13Be in Nucleon-Exchange Reactions
Research Advisor: Dr. Paul DeYoung
Neutron-unbound nuclei are traditionally formed by the removal of one or more nucleons from a fast beam of ions. This method often results in a background, which is difficult to separate from the particle of interest. Nucleon-removal entrance-channels also require the ion beam to be more massive than the particle of interest, which presents the additional challenges of the beam being unstable, difficult to make, and low in intensity. In an effort to avoid these obstacles, the present work was done with a more unorthodox entrance-channel called nucleon-exchange. At the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), a 71 MeV/u 13B beam impinged on a 47 mg/cm2 thick target of 9Be. As a result numerous reactions occurred, including the population of 13Be through the nucleon-exchange entrance-channel. The 13Be nuclei decayed to 12Be and one neutron in approximately 10-21 seconds. The resulting neutrons were detected by either the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) or the Large multi-Institution Scintillator Array (LISA), while the 12Be nuclei were directed through an array of charged particle detectors by a 4T superconducting sweeper magnet. The four-momentum vectors of the fragment nucleus and the neutron were calculated to determine the decay energy of 13Be. Monte-Carlo simulations consistent with results from previous analyses of 13Be were satisfactorily fit to the decay-energy spectrum. Additionally, the cross-section for the nucleon-exchange entrance-channel was determined to be consistent with the theoretical prediction.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. PHY-1306074.