Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Nuclear optical potentials'

We present a detailed experimental investigation into Bose-Einstein condensates loaded into a one-dimensional optical standing wave at the Bragg condition. The main emphasis of this thesis is the experimental and theoretical investigation into Bragg spectroscopy performed on circularly accelerating Bose-Einstein condensates. The condensate undergoes circular micromotion in a magnetic time-averaged orbiting potential trap and the effect of this motion on the Bragg spectrum is analysed. A simple frequency modulation model is used to interpret the observed complex structure, and broadening effects are considered using numerical solutions to the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The second part of this thesis is an experimental investigation into the effect of nonlinearity on the non-adiabatic loading of a condensate into a optical lattice at the Brillouin zone boundary. Results of using a phase shifting technique to load a single Bloch band in the presence of strong interactions are presented. We observe a depletion of the condensed component, and we propose possible mechanisms for this result.

The Double-TOP trap is a new type of magnetic trap for neutral atoms, and is suitable for Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and evaporatively cooled atoms. It combines features from two other magnetic traps, the Time-averaged Orbiting Potential (TOP) and Ioffe-Pritchard traps, so that a potential barrier can be raised in an otherwise parabolic potential. The cigar-like cloud of atoms (in the single-well configuration) is divided halfway along its length when the barrier is lifted. A theoretical model of the trap is presented. The double-well is characterised by the barrier height and well separation, which are weakly coupled. The accessible parameter space is found by considering experimental limits such as noise, yielding well separations from 230 [mu]m up to several millimetres, and barrier heights from 65 pK to 28 [mu]K (where the energies are scaled by Boltzmann�s constant). Potential experiments for Bose-Einstein condensates in this trap are considered. A Double-TOP trap has been constructed using the 3-coil style of Ioffe-Pritchard trap. Details of the design, construction and current control for these coils are given. Experiments on splitting thermal clouds were carried out, which revealed a tilt in the potential. Two independent BECs were simultaneously created by applying evaporative cooling to a divided thermal cloud. The Double-TOP trap is used to form a linear collider, allowing direct imaging of the interference between the s and d partial waves. By jumping from a double to single-well trap configuration, two ultra-cold clouds are launched towards a collision at the trap bottom. The available collision energies are centred on a d-wave shape resonance so that interference between the s and d partial waves is pronounced. Absorption imaging allows complete scattering information to be collected, and the images show a striking change in the angular distribution of atoms post-collision. The results are compared to a theoretical model, verifying that the technique is a useful new way to study cold collisions.

Une bonne compréhension et une bonne capacité de prédiction de la section efficace de diffusion de neutron est essentielle à un grand nombre de technologies nucléaires, parmi lesquelles les réacteurs à fission. Pour les noyaux déformés, le calcul des observables de diffusion de nucléon pour la voie élastique et les premiers états excités de basse énergie requiert l'utilisation de calcul en voies couplées. Des potentiels optique et de transition phénoménologiques locaux sont le plus couramment utilisés dans les analyses par voies couplées, mais leur précision en dehors de leur domaine d'ajustement est imprévisible. Des approches microscopiques sont en cours de développement pour augmenter les capacités prédictives et résoudre les problèmes d'extrapolation. Un potentiel obtenu microscopiquement est non local, et de récentes études ont souligné l'importance de traiter explicitement cette non localité sans passer par une procédure de localisation. Notre but dans ce travail est d'étudier dans une approche microscopique, sans paramètre ajustable, l'impact de la non localité des potentiels sur les observables de diffusion de nucléon sur noyau cible. Pour ce faire, nous étudions la diffusion de neutron avec la matrice G de Melbourne qui représente l'interaction entre le projectile et un nucléon de la cible, et nous utilisons la RPA pour décrire la structure de la cible dans le cadre de nos premières applications sur le ⁹⁰Zr. Pour pouvoir étudier aussi des noyaux déformés, nous menons notre étude dans le cadre des voies couplées. La première partie de ce document contient la dérivation, faite dans un cadre unique et cohérent, des équations couplées pour la diffusion de nucléons et des potentiels microscopiques obtenues avec la matrice G de Melbourne et une description de la cible via la RPA. La deuxième partie est dédiée à la présentation des codes que nous avons développés durant ce projet de thèse : MINOLOP pour le calcul de potentiels microscopiques à partir de la matrice G de Melbourne et d'informations de structure données sous la forme d'une densité à 1 corps, et ECANOL pour la résolution des équations en voies couplées avec des potentiels non locaux en entrée. Enfin, nous présentons nos premières applications basées sur ces deux codes : l'étude d'émission de pré-équilibre due à des excitations à 2 phonons dans le ⁹⁰Zr
A good understanding and prediction capacity of neutron scattering cross sections is crucial to many nuclear technologies, among which all kinds of reactors based on fission process. For deformed nuclei, the computation of scattering observables for the elastic channel and the first, low-lying excited states requires coupled channel calculations. Local, phenomenological optical and macroscopic transition potentials are the most commonly used in coupled channel analyses, but their accuracy outside of their fitting range remains unpredictable. Microscopic approaches are being developed in order to improve prediction power and solve the extrapolation issue. Potentials obtained microscopically are nonlocal, and recent studies have emphasized the importance of treating explicitly this nonlocality, without using a localization procedure. Our goal in the present work is to study in a quantum framework with no adjustable parameter, the impact of the nonlocality of potentials on scattering observables of nucleon-nucleus reactions. To achieve this we study neutron scattering with the Melbourne G matrix, which represents the interaction between the projectile and one nucleon of the target, and we describe the target’s structure using the RPA for our first applications to ⁹⁰Zr. In order to be able to study also deformed nuclei, we do our study in the coupled channel framework. The first part of this paper is dedicated to the derivation in a unique, consistent scope of coupled equations for nucleon-nucleus scattering and of the potentials obtained with the Melbourne G matrix and RPA structure input. Secondly, we describe the codes which we wrote during this Ph.D. project: MINOLOP for the computation of microscopic potentials using the Melbourne G matrix and structure inputs given in terms of a 1-body density, and ECANOL for the resolution of coupled channel equations using nonlocal potentials as input. Eventually, we present our first applications using these two codes to study pre-equilibrium emissions due to 2-phonon excitations in ⁹⁰Zr

A computer code was written to calculate elastic scattering cross sections using the Klein-Gordon equation. The reason for writing this code is because existing codes do not include relativistic kinematics and therefore are only valid for lower energies. This code was used to analyze alpha particle and pion scattering at relativistic energies upon different target nuclei and to find a relativistic potential for a system at a given energy. The target particles in the alpha study were 12C, 40,42,44,48Ca and other alphas. The pions were incident upon 12C and 40Ca. Optical potentials of different forms were used to compare with previous analyses and the experimental data. The potentials found in this study could be useful to understand the physics underlying other processes such as inelastic and particle transfer reactions. The computer code can be used to extend elastic scattering calculations to angles where data does not exist which can then be compared to future experiments. The code could also be used to create a database of potentials for several systems to study the effects of changing charge, mass or energy of the system.

Data on elastic scattering of 96 MeV neutrons from 56Fe, 89Y and 208Pb in the angular interval 10-70° are presented. The previously published data on 208Pb have been extended, as a new method has been developed to obtain additional information at the most forward angles. The results are compared with phenomenological and microscopic optical potentials. The theory predictions are in general in good agreement with the experimental data. A study of the deviation of the zero-degree cross section from Wick's limit has been performed. The data on 208Pb are in agreement with Wick's limit, while those on lighter nuclei overshoot the limit significantly. A novel analysis method has been developed to obtain the inelastic neutron emission cross sections from the existing 56Fe data. The method is based on folding a trial spectrum with the response of the detector setup. The data cover the angular interval 26-65° and an excitation energy range of 0-45 MeV, ranges hitherto not studied. The results are compared with nuclear model predictions and found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.

Ce memoire presente les procedures experimentales que nous avons developpees dans le but d'etudier l'influence de l'aimantation sur les proprietes physiques de l'helium 3 liquide, pur ou en solution dans de l'helium 4. La premiere partie est consacree a la description de l'ensemble experimental. Le refrigerateur a dilution (amagnetique) que nous avons construit autorise une etude dans une gamme de temperature comprise entre 200 mk et 500 mk. Pour refroidir nos echantillons polarises en un temps inferieur au temps de relaxation nucleaire longitudinal t#1, nous avons developpe un interrupteur de chaleur base sur la difference de conductivite thermique entre l'helium 4 liquide et gazeux. Nous parvenons ainsi a preparer de l'helium 3 liquide a 250 mk, dont le taux initial de polarisation est de 30%. Nous decrivons dans une deuxieme partie le principe de la mesure du potentiel chimique de l'helium 4, variable necessaire a la connaissance des proprietes thermodynamiques des melanges polarises. Nous avons reussi a preparer un tel systeme a une temperature de 500 mk, pour une concentration en helium 3 de 2% et un taux de polarisation de 16%. La caracterisation par resonance magnetique nucleaire pulsee a revele d'une part un t#1 superieur a une heure, et d'autre part une tres longue duree de vie du signal de precession de l'aimantation transverse. Dans une troisieme partie, nous analysons un processus physique observe lors de nos experiences, l'effet hevac dans les melanges helium 3-helium 4

Observation de l'apparition de modes oscillants amortis, ondes de spin, pour la diffusion d'aimantation dans l'helium 3 gazeux polarise par pompage optique, dans l'intervalle 2-6k; bon accord entre les mesures du coefficient caracterisant la surtension de ces ondes et des calculs numeriques ab initio a partir du potentiel interatomique he-he. Mise au point d'une technique de condensation rapide de **(3)he oriente permettant d'obtenir un echantillon liquide a spin polarise; etude rmn de l'aimantation du systeme liquide-gaz a l'equilibre

Radioactive decay of nuclei via emission of ??-particles is studied using three different theoretical approaches, viz: the quasi-bound state wavefunction approach (QSWA), the superasymmetric ??ssion model (SAFM) and the semiclassical approximation (QCA). The half-lives of the radioactive nuclei, calculated using these methods, are compared with each other and with available experimental data. The resonance wavefunction is obtained by numerically integrating the Schrödinger equation with outgoing boundary conditions. The sensitivity of the calculated decay widths to two particular parameter sets of the Woods-Saxon (WS) optical potentials are studied. Double folding (DF) model calculations to obtain the bare ??-nucleus potential have been carried out with the Reid M3Y effective nucleon-nucleon (NN) interactions. The exchange part of the interaction was taken to be of zero-range pseudo-potential and the density dependence of the NN interaction is accounted for. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using both even-even and odd-mass spherical nuclei.
Physics
MSC (PHYSICS)