Single and double polarization observables for kaon photoproduction on the deuteron are studied theoretically with modern hyperon-nucleon forces. The kinematical region of the kaon scattered forward with large momentum is thoroughly investigated where either the quasifree scattering leading to the kaon and hyperon or the final-state interaction between hyperon and nucleon are expected. The quasifree scatterings show characteristic peaks in the inclusive cross sections. The final-state interaction effects are significant, especially around the $\Lambda N$ and $\Sigma N$ thresholds. The double polarization $C_z$ is found to be sensitive to the final-state interaction effects. Precise data would help to clarify the property of the $\Lambda N\text{−}\Sigma N$ interaction and also help to extract the information on the elementary amplitude from the quasifree scattering region.

The transition levels at the top of the two ${}^{237}\mathrm{Np}$ fission barriers were obtained for the first time by means of the so-called semimicroscopic combined method, which we have developed and implemented. To overcome the difficulties in dealing with large nuclear deformations, we used our developed BARRIER code, which calculates single-particle spectra in a deformed Woods-Saxon potential using a coordinate system based on Cassini ovaloids as nuclear shape parametrization. The results enabled us to describe the experimentally observed near-barrier photofission cross-section structures for ${}^{237}\mathrm{Np}$, as well as a subbarrier shelf, the latter being consistently interpreted in terms of the accumulation of levels at the top of the inner and outer double fission barrier of ${}^{237}\mathrm{Np}$.

η mesons emitted from the photoproduction off protons were measured for $0.70⩽E_{\gamma }⩽1.15$ GeV. The $\gamma p\to \eta p$ reaction process was separated from the $\pi \eta p$ final state by the momentum difference of η mesons for $E_{\gamma }⩾930$ MeV. The angular distributions obtained and the excitation function of the $\gamma p\to \eta p$ reaction are essentially in good agreement with previously reported ones and are well explained by η-MAID calculations. For the $\gamma p\to \pi \eta N$ reaction, the cross section increases monotonically with increasing photon energy, and it almost reaches the value of the $\gamma p\to \eta p$ reaction at $E_{\gamma }~1.15$ GeV. The momentum distributions are compared with kinematic calculations. It is suggested that the sequential decay process through the $P_{33}$(1232) resonance [$\gamma p\to \eta P_{33}(1232)\to \pi \eta N$] contributes to the $\gamma p\to \pi \eta N$ reaction, in addition to the sequential process $\gamma p\to \pi S_{11}(1535)\to \pi \eta N$ and/or π and η emissions without intermediate nucleon resonances.

Supernarrow dibaryons (SNDs) have been searched for by the $\mathit{pd}\to \mathit{ppX}$ and $\mathit{pd}\to \mathit{pdX}$ reactions at $E_p=295$ MeV over a mass range of 1898 to 1953 MeV, where three candidates of SNDs were found at the Moscow Meson Factory. The experiment was carried out at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics using a two-arm magnetic spectrometer system and a liquid deuterium target. A good mass resolution of 1 MeV and a low background condition were achieved. No resonance structure was observed in the missing mass spectra. Upper limits of the SND production cross section were determined.

A new scheme for testing nuclear matter equations of state (EoSs) at high densities using constraints from neutron star (NS) phenomenology and a flow data analysis of heavy-ion collisions is suggested. An acceptable EoS shall not allow the direct Urca process to occur in NSs with masses below $1.5M_{\odot }$, and also shall not contradict flow and kaon production data of heavy-ion collisions. Compact star constraints include the mass measurements of $2.1\pm 0.2M_{\odot }$ ($1\sigma$ level) for PSR J0751+1807 and of $2.0\pm 0.1M_{\odot }$ from the innermost stable circular orbit for 4U 1636–536, the baryon mass—gravitational mass relationships from Pulsar B in J0737–3039 and the mass-radius relationships from quasiperiodic brightness oscillations in 4U 0614+09 and from the thermal emission of RX J1856–3754. This scheme is applied to a set of relativistic EoSs which are constrained otherwise from nuclear matter saturation properties. We demonstrate on the given examples that the test scheme due to the quality of the newly emerging astrophysical data leads to useful selection criteria for the high-density behavior of nuclear EoSs.

We calculate higher order corrections for the three-nucleon system up to next-to-next-to-leading within an effective field theory with contact interactions alone. We employ a subtraction formalism previously developed and for which it has been shown that no new three-body force counterterm is needed for complete renormalization up to this order. We give results for the neutron-deuteron phaseshifts and the triton binding energy. Our results are in very good agreement with experimental results and calculations using realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials.

The half-lives of newly observed α-emitters ${}^{105}\mathrm{Te}$ and ${}^{109}\mathrm{Xe}$ [Seweryniak et al., Phys. Rev. C 73, 061301(R) (2006); Liddick et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 082501 (2006)] are investigated by the density-dependent cluster model. The half-lives of α-emitters close to the $N=Z$ line are also studied in a unified framework where the influence of the nuclear deformation is properly taken into account. Good agreement between model and data is obtained and some possible α-emitters are suggested for future experiments.

${}^{13}\mathrm{N}$($p,\gamma$)${}^{14}\mathrm{O}$ is one of the key reactions in the hot CNO cycle which occurs at stellar temperatures around $T_9⩾0.1$. Up to now, some uncertainties still exist for the direct capture component in this reaction, thus an independent measurement is of importance. In present work, the angular distribution of the ${}^{13}\mathrm{N}$($d,n$)${}^{14}\mathrm{O}$ reaction at $E_{c.m.}=8.9$ MeV has been measured in inverse kinematics, for the first time. Based on the distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA) analysis, the nuclear asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC), $C_{1,1/2}^{{}^{14}O}$, for the ground state of ${}^{14}\mathrm{O}$ $\to$${}^{13}\mathrm{N}$ + $p$ is derived to be $5.42\pm 0.48$ ${\mathrm{fm}}^{-1/2}$. The ${}^{13}\mathrm{N}$($p,\gamma$)${}^{14}\mathrm{O}$ reaction is analyzed with the $R$-matrix approach, its astrophysical $S$ factors and reaction rates at energies of astrophysical relevance are then determined with the ANC. The implications of the present reaction rates on the evolution of novae are then discussed with the reaction network calculations.

We present a fully correlated study of the six-body ${}_{\Lambda \Lambda }^6\mathrm{He}$ hypernucleus. The wave function involves all relevant dynamic correlations as well as the space-exchange correlation (SEC). Calculations for energy breakdown, $\Lambda \Lambda$-separation energy, nuclear core polarization, and point proton radius have been performed. The baryon density profiles have also been calculated. Effect of SEC on all these physical observables is found to be significant. The findings suggest that a study ignoring SEC would be deficient.

The static properties of some possible light and moderate kaonic nuclei, from C to Ti, are studied using relativistic mean-field theory. The $1s$ and $1p$ state binding energies of $K^{-}$ are in the ranges of $73~96$ and $22~63$ MeV, respectively. The binding energies of the $1p$ states increase monotonically with the nucleon number $A$. The upper limit widths of the $1s$ and $1p$ states are about $42\pm 14$ and $71\pm 10$ MeV, respectively. The lower limit widths of the $1s$ and $1p$ state: are about $12\pm 4$ and $21\pm 3$ MeV, respectively. If $V_0⩽30$ MeV, the discrete $K^{-}$ bound states should be identified in experiment. The shrinkage effect is found in the possible kaonic nuclei. The interior nuclear density increases obviously; the densest center density is about $2.1\hspace{1em}{\rho }_0$.

The energy of the first excited state in the neutron-rich $N=28$ nucleus ${}^{45}\mathrm{Cl}$ has been established via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy following proton removal. This energy value completes the systematics of the $E(1/2_1^{+})-E(3/2_1^{+})$ level spacing in odd-mass K, Cl, and P isotopes for $N=20\text{−}28$. The results are discussed in the framework of shell-model calculations in the $\mathit{sd}\text{−}\mathit{fp}$ model space. The contribution of the central, spin-orbit, and tensor components is discussed from a calculation based on a proton single-hole spectrum from $G$-matrix and $\pi +\rho$ meson exchange potentials. A composite model for the proton $0d_{3/2}-1s_{1/2}$ single-particle energy shift is presented.

The effects of ω meson self-coupling (OMSC) on the properties of finite nuclei and neutron stars are investigated within the framework of an effective field theory based relativistic mean-field (ERMF) model that includes the contributions from all possible mixed interactions between the scalar-isoscalar (σ), vector-isoscalar (ω), and vector-isovector (ρ) mesons up to the quartic order. For a realistic investigation, several parameter sets corresponding to different values of OMSC are generated by adjusting the remaining parameters of the ERMF model to fit the properties of the finite nuclei. Though all these parameter sets give equally good fit to the properties of the finite nuclei, only moderate values of OMSC are favored from the “naturalness” point of view. The equations of state for the symmetric nuclear and pure neutron matters resulting from the parameter sets, with the moderate values of OMSC are in close agreement with the ones obtained within the Dirac-Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation. For such parameter sets, the limiting mass for the neutron stars composed of β-stable matter is $~1.9M_{\odot }$. It is found that the direct Urca process can occur in the neutron stars with “canonical” mass of $1.4M_{\odot }$ only for the moderate and higher values of OMSC. Some other interesting properties for the neutron stars are also discussed.

The effect of adding the higher-multipole deformations ${\beta }_6$ and ${\beta }_8$, and the octupole deformation ${\beta }_3$ (in addition to quadrupole and hexadecapole deformations ${\beta }_2$ and ${\beta }_4$), on the distribution of barriers in orientation degrees of freedom is studied for a “compact” configuration of spherical-plus-deformed or deformed-plus-deformed nuclei in hot fusion reactions. Though ${\beta }_3$ is known to be nonzero for only a few nuclei, its role toward compactness of hot fusion reactions is found to be as important as that of ${\beta }_4$. With ${\beta }_3$ included, depending on its sign and magnitude, the belly-to-belly compact, bbc (or equatorial compact, ec), configuration due to ${\beta }_4$ changes to not-belly-to-belly compact, nbbc (or not-equatorial compact, nec), and vice versa. Similarly, ${\beta }_6$ is found to be as important as ${\beta }_3$ and/or ${\beta }_4$ for spherical-plus-deformed nuclei, but is rather insignificant for collisions involving deformed-plus-deformed nuclei. On the other hand, the addition of ${\beta }_8$ is shown to be insignificant also for spherical-plus-deformed nuclei.

Collective transverse flow in heavy-ion collisions at incident energies $E_{\mathrm{lab}}\simeq (1\text{−}160)A$ GeV is analyzed within the model of three-fluid dynamics (3FD). Simulations are performed with a purely hadronic equation of state (EoS). At the AGS energies the flow turns out to be sensitive to the stopping power of nuclear matter rather than only to the stiffness of the EoS. When the stopping power is fixed to reproduce other observables, the flow data favor more and more soft EoS with the incident energy rise, which can be associated with “a transition from hadronic to string matter” reported in the hadron-string-dynamics (HSD) model. Problems, which are met in simultaneous reproduction of directed and elliptic flows within the 3FD, suggest that the transverse flow is very sensitive to the character of the transverse-momentum nonequilibrium at the initial stage of collision. Arguments in favor of the early-stage nature of the flow observable are put forward. This suggests that the flow (especially the directed one) is determined by early-stage evolution of the collision rather than the freeze-out stage.

The low-lying alternative parity bands in heaviest nuclei are predicted for the first time. The parity splitting and electric dipole, quadrupole, and octupole transition moments of heavy nuclei are calculated within a cluster model. The model is based on the assumption that reflection asymmetric shapes are produced by the motion of the nuclear system in the mass asymmetry coordinate.

The nuclear energy level density based on nuclear collective excitation mechanism has been identified in terms of the low-lying collective level bands at excitations near the neutron binding energy. The nuclear level density parameters of some deformed light nuclei in the region of mass number $40<A<80$ have been calculated taking into consideration different collective excitation modes of observed nuclear spectra. The method used in this study assumes equidistant character of the collective coupled state bands of the interest nucleus. The present values of calculated nuclear level density parameters have been compared with those of the compiled values for s-wave neutron resonance data and found in good agreement.

An extended decay scheme for ${}^{128}\mathrm{Xe}$ has been constructed by using data from the ${}^{124}\mathrm{Sn}$(${}^9\mathrm{Be}$, $5n$)${}^{128}\mathrm{Xe}$ reaction at a beam energy of 58 MeV. Bands have been identified as being built on several intrinsic states, including a proposed $9/2^{-}[514]\hspace{1em}\otimes 1/2^{+}[400]$ two-quasineutron configuration that forms the $K^{\pi }=5^{-}$ intrinsic state at 2228 keV, and on a previously assigned $K^{\pi }=8^{-}$ intrinsic state at 2786 keV. A half-life of 73(3) ns has been measured for the latter. Theoretical calculations have been performed by using the configuration-constrained blocking method based on a nonaxial Woods-Saxon potential. Large γ deformation and γ softness are predicted for the ground state and the $K^{\pi }=5^{-}$ intrinsic state, whereas a nearly axially symmetric shape is predicted for the $K^{\pi }=8^{-}$ two-quasiparticle configuration. The low value of the hindrance factor for the $E1$ transition depopulating the $K^{\pi }=8^{-}$ intrinsic state is discussed in the context of analogous transitions in neighbouring $N=74$ isotones.

Using the $(n,\gamma \gamma )$ reaction an extensive nuclear level scheme of ${}^{124}\mathrm{Te}$ was established, containing $694\gamma$ transitions between 210 levels. The level density and level population are investigated and compared with calculations. Various models are tested, in particular formulas for the γ strength function. The neutron binding energy was determined to be 9424.53(10) keV and the thermal neutron capture cross section of the ${}^{123}\mathrm{Te}$$(n,\gamma )$${}^{124}\mathrm{Te}$ reaction to be 430(13) b.

Particle production in central Pb-Pb collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider is discussed in the context of the statistical model. Predictions of various particle ratios are presented with the corresponding choice of model parameters made according to the systematics extracted from heavy-ion collisions at lower energies. The sensitivities of several ratios to the temperature and baryon chemical potential are studied in detail, and some of them, which are particularly appropriate to determining the chemical freeze-out point experimentally, are indicated. We show that the $\overline{p}/p$ ratio is most suitable for determining the baryon chemical potential, while the ${\Omega }^{-}/K^{-}$ and ${\Omega }^{-}$/${\pi }^{-}$ ratios are best for determining the temperature at chemical freeze-out.

The structure of certain bound excited states in ${}^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ have been shown to have exotic features because of their weak binding and cluster-like configurations. In this article, we investigate $E1$ and $E2$ transitions between these states and compare the findings with recent experimental results. We compare the predictions of two types of structure calculations: a microscopic multicluster model and an ab initio no-core shell model. Both predict very similar transition strengths. By considering the relative contributions from the various matrix elements contributing to the transitions arising from the coupling of different ${}^9\mathrm{Be}$$\times \mathrm{n}$ configurations in the wave functions making up the states, we conclude that the very weak $B(E1;2^{-}\to 2_1^{+})$ can only be understood if the $2^{-}$ state (with a separation energy of its predominantly $1s_{1/2}$ neutron of just 0.548 MeV) is a clear halo state. Other nearby states, such as the $2_2^{+}$, do not exhibit a clear halo signature because of the less than clean decoupling into the well-defined ${}^9\mathrm{Be}$ core plus halo neutron.