Charge density differences and cross-section ratios are calculated for ${}_{}{}^{206}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{-}_{}^{205}{}_{}{}^{}$Tl and ${}_{}{}^{206}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{-}_{}^{204}{}_{}{}^{}$Hg using relativistic mean-field models of deformed nuclei. Core polarization reduces the pure 3${\mathit{s}}_{1/2}$ component of the densities by about 10%, but the calculations still overpredict the experimental data. The data can be described by assigning fractional level occupancies to the nucleons near the Fermi surface; these occupancies are similar to those needed in calculations using nonrelativistic mean-field models.

We study the consequences for the NN force of introducing an alternative term of fourth order in the field derivatives for the stabilization of the Skyrmion. As has recently been noted, in SU(3) such a term is not redundant with the usual fourth-order term originally employed by Skyrme. The new term does not lead to additional attraction in the central potential.

The emission of pions from multiquark flux tubes is examined as an explanation of the soft pion puzzle. Although the soft pion spectra from the decay of fat flux tubes can account for some low ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathrm{\perp }}$ enhancement, the dependence on the number of involved quarks is too weak to provide a plausible explanation of the observed enhancement in the pion spectrum at low transverse momenta.

It is shown on a simple schematic model for the dipole resonance that, contrary to what happens for attractive potentials, for repulsive potentials the Gaussian approximation for the partition function is superior to the static path approximation. For repulsive separable potentials quantal fluctuations, rather than thermal fluctuations, dominate the thermal response of the system.

An interpretation of backbending in the ${}_{42}{}^{100}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mo}_{58}^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ nucleus is given in terms of the crossing of the ground-state band with an aligned two-quasiparticle band. Our analysis within the framework of a cranked Nilsson model with pairing shows that this backbend is due to the alignment of two neutrons in ${\mathit{h}}_{11/2}$ orbitals.

A microscopic deformed folding model analysis is carried out for cross sections and vector analyzing power angular distribution of ${}_{}{}^{34}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{S}$(d→,d’${)}^{34}$${\mathrm{S}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ for the first and second $2^{+}$ states, at ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{d}}$=11.8 MeV, using improved s-d shell transition densities of Wildenthal and Brown. While the description of the first $2^{+}$ state is excellent, the negative sign of ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{n}}$/${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{p}}$ for the second $2^{+}$ state as predicted in the shell-model calculation produces too small cross sections. The (d,d’) data corroborate previous findings in (α,α’) and (p,p’) work that the shell-model calculations are wrong for this state.

The interplay of nuclear and Coulomb contributions to breakup processes is studied theoretically. This is especially relevant for the extraction of astrophysical S factors for radiative-capture reactions. We study explicitly the breakup of ${}_{}{}^6{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}$ and ${}_{}{}^7{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}$ projectiles. Results of our calculations are in good agreement with recent experimental data. The different behavior of the nuclear and Coulomb amplitudes as a function of angle and energy helps to separate them from each other. This is vital for reliable extraction of astrophysical S factors of radiative-capture processes from breakup experiments.

We show that the level-density prescription adopted by Obložinský in his preequilibrium hard-photon emission model leads to an incorrect division of the photoabsorption cross section among the accessible 2p-2h states, resulting in theoretical emission spectra that are underestimated by a factor 2.86. By using Fermi-gas rather than equidistant single-particle levels, a more accurate treatment of preequilibrium photon emission is obtained. We also note a close similarity between the photon emission rates predicted by the preequilibrium model and those that are obtained using bremsstrahlung theory.

This is a reply to the preceding Comment.

We report a measurement of the asymmetry in spin-dependent quasielastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons from a polarized ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ gas target. The asymmetry is measured at kinematics sensitive to the transverse-longitudinal response function ${\mathit{R}}_{\mathit{T}\mathit{L}}$(${\mathit{Q}}^2$,ω). The value of the neutron electric form factor ${\mathit{G}}_{\mathit{E}}^{\mathit{n}}$(${\mathit{Q}}^2$=0.16 (GeV/${\mathit{c}}^2$))=+0.070±0.100±0.035 is extracted from the asymmetry using a Faddeev calculation of the ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ wave function.

The ${\mathrm{reaction}}^3$ He(γ,pp)n was measured in a kinematic region which isolates the three-body absorption mechanism corresponding to the production of a pion on one nucleon, and its subsequent reabsorption on the remaining two-nucleon pair. Differential cross sections were obtained as a function of neutron recoil momentum ${\mathit{P}}_{\mathit{n}}$ at fixed neutron recoil angle ${\mathrm{\theta }}_{\mathit{n}}$=45°, and as a function of ${\mathrm{\theta }}_{\mathit{n}}$ for fixed ${\mathit{P}}_{\mathit{n}}$=300 MeV/c. The results are quite consistent with expectations of multiple scattering calculations. Final-state interactions between outgoing nucleons plays an important role, and are predicted to be minimized in out-of-plane kinematics.

The rotational band in ${}_{}{}^{121}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{I}$ that initiates on the π${\mathit{h}}_{11/2}$[550]1/$2^{\mathrm{-}}$ orbital was observed to terminate via coincidence γ-ray studies following the ${}_{}{}^{114}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Cd}$${(}^{11}$B,4n) reaction. The band termination occurred at ${\mathit{I}}^{\mathrm{\pi }}$=39/$2^{\mathrm{-}}$. Total-Routhian surface calculations reveal an yrast noncollective oblate state (γ=+60°) at ħω=0.36 MeV which consists of an aligned π${\mathit{h}}_{11/2}$(π${\mathit{g}}_{7/2}$${)}^2$(ν${\mathit{hh}}_{11/2}$${)}^2$ configuration with ${\mathit{I}}^{\mathrm{\pi }}$=39/$2^{\mathrm{-}}$; this shape change from collective prolate to noncollective oblate provides an explanation for the observed band termination.

Two-proton correlation functions, measured at small relative momenta in the ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$+Ag reaction at 200 MeV, increase monotonically with the kinetic energy of the detected particles. Very strong correlations are observed for intermediate energy protons. These correlations scale with the weaker correlation functions measured for heavier projectiles, and can be reproduced by the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck equation. Even stronger correlations measured for beam velocity protons, however, may be remnants of the initial state wave functions of the ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}$ projectiles.

Anisotropy in the directional correlation of nuclear radiations and L x rays has been clearly identified for the first time. ${\mathit{L}}_3$ x-ray groups, ${\mathit{L}}_{\mathit{l}}$ and Lα, are observed to be directionally correlated with α particles in the decays of ${}_{}{}^{238}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Pu}$ and ${}_{}{}^{244}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Cm}$. The ratio of anisotropy for ${\mathit{L}}_{\mathit{l}}$ and Lα is consistent with the recent observation that ${\mathit{L}}_{\mathit{l}}$ has a much greater admixture of M2 than predicted by relativistic calculations.

The exclusive multifragment multiplicities for the system ${}_{}{}^{36}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ar}$${+}^{238}$U at 35 MeV/nucleon incident energy are calculated using the Boltzmann master equation for the fast cascade, and the Weisskopf-Ewing evaporation model for successive binary decay of the equilibrated residues. These calculated results are consistent with the experimental results of Kim et al. We show that the multiplicity distribution in such a model has a sensitivity to the equilibrated excitation, so that multiplicity could be an observable characteristic of excitation. This in turn may be used to infer time delay for fragment emission (in a model dependent way).

Some aspects of cluster radioactivity are discussed. In particular, aspects related to shell effects, as well as the importance of Q values, are addressed. A plot similar to the Geiger-Nuttal plot, which relates the half-lives of cluster emitters to Q values, is also presented. The question of why particular clusters and their associated daughter nuclei were experimentally observed is discussed and a possible answer is given.

A coherent-state theory of many-fermion systems is presented and shown to have some novel and useful properties. It leads naturally to variational equations for wave functions of the number-projected Hartree-Bogolyubov type. It is designed with the objective of describing finite nuclei in which both short-range pairing and long-range collective correlations are important.

Superdeformed bands in neighboring nuclei exhibit striking and unexpected similarities which previously have been interpreted in terms of pseudo SU(3) symmetry and quantized angular momentum alignment. The spin and alignment of superdeformed bands near ${}_{}{}^{192}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Hg}$ are investigated by their difference in static and dynamical moments of inertia. Special attention is drawn to the strong coupling limit and the possibility of quantized alignment in nuclei around ${}_{}{}^{192}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Hg}$.