The $(d,\alpha )$ reaction is highly selective, favoring final states in which the removed neutron and proton are completely aligned in a $J=2j$ configuration. We have studied the ${}^{14,15}\mathrm{C}(d,\alpha ){}^{12,13}\mathrm{B}$ reactions in inverse kinematics using the Helical Orbit Spectrometer (HELIOS) at Argonne National Laboratory. In ${}^{12}\mathrm{B}$, the reaction strongly favors the population of a known $3^{+}$ state at 5.61 MeV, and for ${}^{13}\mathrm{B}$, we observe a possible unreported doublet of states at high excitation energy, probably corresponding to the ${}^{12}\mathrm{B}\left(3^{+}\right)$ state coupled to the $1s_{1/2}$ neutron from the ${}^{15}\mathrm{C}$ ground state. In contrast to single-nucleon transfer, deuteron-transfer reactions have not been widely studied with exotic nuclei.

Low-energy cross sections for elastic scattering and recoil of protons from ${}^4\mathrm{He}$ nuclei (also known as $\alpha$ particles) are calculated directly by solving the Schrödinger equation for five nucleons interacting through accurate two- and three-nucleon forces derived within the framework of chiral effective field theory. Precise knowledge of these processes at various proton backscattering/recoil angles and energies is needed for the ion-beam analysis of numerous materials, from the surface layers of solids, to thin films, to fusion-reactor materials. Indeed, the same elastic scattering process, in two different kinematic configurations, can be used to probe the concentrations and depth profiles of either hydrogen or helium. We compare our results to available experimental data and show that direct calculations with modern nuclear potentials can help to resolve remaining inconsistencies among data sets and can be used to predict these cross sections when measurements are not available.

The directed flow of identified hadrons is studied within the parton-hadron-string-dynamics (PHSD) approach for the asymmetric system Cu + Au in noncentral collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathit{NN}}}=200$ GeV. It is emphasized that due to the difference in the number of protons of the colliding nuclei an electric field emerges, which is directed from the heavy to the light nucleus. This strong electric field is only present for about 0.25 fm/c at $\sqrt{s_{\mathit{NN}}}=200$ GeV and leads to a splitting of the directed flow $v_1$ for particles with the same mass but opposite electric charges in case of an early presence of charged quarks and antiquarks. The microscopic calculations of the directed flow for ${\pi }^{\pm },K^{\pm },p$, and $\overline{p}$ are carried out in the PHSD by taking into account the electromagnetic field induced by the spectators as well as its influence on the hadronic and partonic quasiparticle trajectories. It is shown that the splitting of the directed flow as a function of pseudorapidity $\eta$ and in particular as a function of the transverse momentum $p_t$ provides a direct access to the electromagnetic response of the very early (nonequilibrium) phase of relativistic heavy-ion collisions and allows us to shed light on the presence (and number) of electric charges in this phase.

Though the neutron-rich odd-odd nucleus ${}_{73}{}^{186}\mathrm{Ta}{}_{113}$ was first produced in 1955, even after 60 years its ground state (g.s.) and both of its two other isomers remain undefined. We use the well-tested two-quasiparticle rotor model, which explicitly includes residual neutron-proton $n\text{−}p$ interaction and other contributing factors, to evaluate the bandhead energies of the physically admissible low-lying two-particle structures in ${}^{186}\mathrm{Ta}$ with inputs from experimentally observed structures in neighboring isotopes and isotones to characterize these levels. Our analysis assigns $K^{\pi }$ = $5^{-}\{p$:$7/2\left[404\right]\otimes n$:$3/2\left[512\right]\}$ configuration to the 10.5 min ${}^{186}\mathrm{Ta}$(g.s.) and the antiparallel-spin $K^{\pi }=2^{-}$ of the same configuration to the 1.54 min isomer with $E_x$ = 90(10) keV. We further assign $K^{\pi }=8^{-}\{p$:$7/2\left[404\right]\otimes n$:$9/2\left[505\right]\}$ configuration to the recently identified 3.0 min isomer with $E_x=336$ (20) keV. These assignments are shown to be consistent with all the available experimental data. Further, they are seen to fit nicely as another instance of highly hindered $\Delta I=3$ isomeric transitions, and also of low-lying long-lived isomer triplets, frequently observed in numerous odd-odd $Z=61\left(2\right)75$ nuclides.

We study nuclear matter in terms of the quark versions of the alternative derivative coupling (ZM2 and ZM3) models, in which we describe the nucleon using the constituent quark model. The couplings of the scalar and vector mesons with nucleons are made density dependent through the factor in connection with rescaling of the quark-meson Lagrangian density. The quark structure of the nucleon appears as another factor in the coupling of the scalar meson with the nucleon. The present paper provides a comparative study of our models and structureless-nucleon models.

Total fission cross sections of ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ induced by protons have been determined at $370A,500A$, and $650A$ MeV. The experiment was performed at GSI Darmstadt where the combined use of the inverse kinematics technique with an efficient detection setup allowed us to determine these cross sections with an uncertainty below $6\%$. This result was achieved by an accurate beam selection and registration of both fission fragments in coincidence which were also clearly distinguished from other reaction channels. These data solve existing discrepancies between previous measurements, providing new values for the Prokofiev systematics. The data also allow us to investigate the fission process at high excitation energies and small deformations. In particular, some fundamental questions about fission dynamics have been addressed, which are related to dissipative and transient time effects.

By using recent fusion cross section measurements for the weakly bound system ${}^7\mathrm{Be}+{}^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ around the Coulomb barrier, a simultaneous ${\chi }^2$ analysis of elastic scattering and fusion cross section data is performed. The analysis is carried out with optical polarization potentials for the fusion and direct reaction processes. That is, the nuclear polarization potential $U_N$ is split into a volume part $U_F$ which accounts for fusion reactions and a surface part $U_{DR}$ that is responsible for direct reactions. The parameters of fusion and direct reaction Woods-Saxon polarization potentials are determined by the analysis of the data. The presence of the threshold anomaly is investigated from the energy dependence of these polarization potentials. It is found that, contrary to other weakly bound systems, the ${}^7\mathrm{Be}+{}^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ reaction presents the usual threshold anomaly.

We calculate the energy spectra and the branching ratio of the internal bremsstrahlung (IB) of the ${\beta }^{-}$ decay of atomic ${}_{16}{}^{35}\mathrm{S}$. We show that the theoretical spectrum of the IB, calculated within the standard model and QED, fits well the experimental spectra, measured by M. S. Powar and M. Singh [J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 2, 43 (1976)] and by A. Singh and A. S. Dhaliwal [Appl. Radiat. Isot. 94, 44 (2014)] for the photon energy regions $0.025\le \omega \le 0.150\mathrm{MeV}$ and $0.001\le \omega \le 0.100\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively.

The $\gamma p\to K^{+}\Lambda \left(1520\right)$ reaction mechanism is investigated within a Regge-effective Lagrangian hybrid approach based on our previous study of this reaction [Phys. Rev. C 89, 015203 (2014)]. Near threshold and for large $K^{+}$ angles, the data from both the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility large acceptance spectrometer (CLAS) and the laser electron photon beamline at SPring-8 (LEPS) can be successfully described by considering the contributions from the contact, $t$-channel $\overline{K}$ exchange, $u$-channel $\Lambda \left(1115\right)$ hyperon pole, and $s$-channel nucleon pole and $N^{*}\left(2120\right)$ resonance contributions. However, for higher energies and forward $K^{+}$ angles, systematic discrepancies with data appear, which hint at the possible existence of sizable quark-gluon string mechanism effects. We show how the inclusion of a $\overline{K}$-Regge-trajectory exchange in the $t$ channel leads to an efficient description of the $\Lambda \left(1520\right)$ photoproduction channel over the whole energy and angular ranges accessible in the CLAS experiment.

The photoelectric cross section of ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}(\gamma ,\alpha ){}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ is estimated to be larger than the radiative capture cross section of ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}(\alpha ,\gamma ){}^{16}\mathrm{O}$. The predicted cross section and the angular distribution of the $\alpha$ particle are illustrated for the future experiment. The cross section just above the $\alpha$-particle threshold is found to be dominated by the $E2$ excitation.

A simple formula for ground state nuclear masses based on the microscopic-macroscopic approach is proposed. Considering a set of 2353 nuclei with $Z\ge 8$ and $N\ge 8$, the formula yields an rms deviation of just 266 keV. A few applications, including the loosely bound proton rich nuclei, superheavy nuclei, and cluster emitters, are presented and discussed, establishing the reliability of the proposed formula. The present investigation has a major advantage: it allows one to reliably parametrize the fluctuating part of the ground state energy. This result is very interesting and important, since the fluctuating part of the energy is related directly to the trace formula, which in turn encodes the interaction itself.

Photo- and electroproduction of $K\Sigma$ have been investigated near their production thresholds by using an effective Lagrangian approach. For this purpose, the background amplitude is constructed from suitable Feynman diagrams, whereas the resonance terms are calculated by means of the Breit–Wigner form of multipoles. Experimental data available in the proton channels $(K^{+}{\Sigma }^0$ and $K^0{\Sigma }^{+})$ with energies up to 50 MeV above the thresholds have been utilized to extract the unknown parameters. In these proton channels the calculated observables fit nicely to the experimental data, whereas in the neutron channels $(K^{+}{\Sigma }^{-}$ and $K^0{\Sigma }^0)$ the predicted observables contain some uncertainties due to the the uncertainties in the values of helicity photon couplings. To this end, new $K^0{\Sigma }^{+}$ photoproduction data are urgently required. The present analysis indicates the validity of the $P_{\Lambda }=-\frac{1}{3}{P}_{\Sigma }$ relation derived a long time ago. In the electroproduction sector the present analysis confirms the smooth transition between photoproduction and low $Q^2$ electroproduction data. The effect of new Crystal Ball data is shown to be mild at the backward angles. It is also found that the electroproductions of $K^0{\Sigma }^{+}$ and $K^0{\Sigma }^0$ are practically not the suitable reactions for investigating the $K^0$ charge form factor, since the effect is small.

The dynamics of strange particles produced in proton-induced nuclear reactions near threshold energies has been investigated within the Lanzhou quantum molecular dynamics transport model. The in-medium modifications on particle production in dense nuclear matter are considered through corrections on the elementary cross sections via the effective mass and the mean-field potentials. It is found that the attractive antikaon-nucleon potential enhances the subthreshold $\overline{K}$ production and influences the structure of inclusive spectra. The strangeness production is strongly suppressed in proton-induced reactions in comparison to heavy-ion collisions. The kaon-nucleon and antikaon-nucleon potentials change the structures of rapidity and transverse momentum distributions and the inclusive spectra. The measured $K^{-}/K^{+}$ ratios in collisions of ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}+{}^{12}\mathrm{C},{}^{197}\mathrm{Au}+{}^{197}\mathrm{Au},p+{}^{12}\mathrm{C}$, and $p+{}^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ from the KaoS Collaboration have been well explained with the inclusion of the in-medium potentials.

A new semi-empirical parameterization for residue cross sections in spallation reactions is presented. The prescription named SPACS, for spallation cross sections, permits calculating the fragment production in proton- and neutron-induced collisions with light up to heavy non-fissile partners from the Fermi regime to ultra-relativistic energies. The model is fully analytical, based on a new parameterization of the mass yields, accounting for the dependence on bombarding energy. The formalism for the isobaric distribution consists of a commonly used functional form, borrowed from the empirical parameterization of fragmentation cross sections EPAX, with the observed suited adjustments for spallation, and extended to the charge-pickup channel. Structural and even-odd staggering related to the last stage of the primary-residue deexcitation process is additionally explicitly introduced with a new prescription. Calculations are benchmarked with recent data collected at GSI, Darmstadt as well as with previous measurements employing various techniques. The dependences observed experimentally on collision energy, reaction-partner mass, and proton-neutron asymmetry are well described. A fast analytical parameterization, such as SPACS, can be relevant to be implemented in complex simulations as used for practical issues at nuclear facilities and plants. Its predictive power also makes it useful for cross-section estimates in astrophysics and biophysics.

We report results from an experiment designed to test the conserved vector current (CVC) hypothesis by measuring the shape of the $\beta$-decay spectrum for the allowed $0^{+}\to 1^{+}$ ground state decay of ${}^{14}\mathrm{O}$. Measurements of the spectrum intensity were obtained with a superconducting beta spectrometer and will be reported for positron kinetic energies ranging from 1.9 to 4.0 MeV. After dividing out phase space, Coulomb, and other correction factors, the resulting shape function has a negative slope of several percent per MeV. We define a parameter $a^{\prime }$, which is essentially a measure of the average slope of the shape function over the energy range of the measurements, and determine its value to be $a^{\prime }=-0.0290\pm 0.0008$ (stat.) $\pm 0.0006$ (syst.). The measured slope parameter is in good agreement with predictions from shell model calculations that respect CVC.

In this work, we focus on different length scales within the dynamics of nucleons in conditions according to the neutron star crust, with a semiclassical molecular dynamics model, studying isospin symmetric matter at subsaturation densities. While varying the temperature, we find that a solid-liquid phase transition exists, which can be also characterized with a morphology transition. For higher temperatures, above this phase transition, we study the neutrino opacity, and find that in the liquid phase, the scattering of low momenta neutrinos remain high, even though the morphology of the structures differ significatively from those of the traditional nuclear pasta.

Coulomb barrier heights provided by different nuclear interaction models including the Bass model, the proximity potential model, and the double folding model have been applied for experimental data of fusion in terms of a recently proposed energy scaling approach. The results show that the proximity potential description of the barrier heights seems to be closest to the values required by the systematics. It is suggested that the proximity potential model is the most suitable model to calculate the barrier height. However, the double folding model gives the lowest barrier heights.

Expressions for the unpolarized differential cross section and for various polarization observables in the lepton-deuteron elastic scattering, $\ell +D\to \ell +D,\ell =e,\mu ,\tau$, have been obtained in the one-photon-exchange approximation, taking into account the lepton mass. Polarization effects have been investigated for the case of a polarized lepton beam and polarized deuteron target which can have vector or tensor polarization. Numerical estimations of the lepton mass effects have been done for the unpolarized differential cross section and for some polarization observables and applied to the case of low-energy muon deuteron elastic scattering.