The effects of the final-state interaction in slow-proton production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering processes off nuclei, $A(e,e^{\text{'}}p)X$, are investigated in detail using the spectator and target-fragmentation mechanisms. In the former mechanism, a hard interaction on a nucleon of a correlated pair leads, by recoil, to the emission of the partner nucleon, whereas in the latter mechanism a proton is produced when the diquark, which is formed right after the ${\gamma }^{*}$-quark interaction, captures a quark from the vacuum. Unlike previous papers on the subject, particular attention is paid to the effects of the final-state interaction of the hadronizing quark with the nuclear medium using an approach based on an effective time-dependent cross section that combines the soft and hard parts of hadronization dynamics in terms of the string model and perturbative QCD, respectively. It is shown that the final-state interaction of the hadronizing quark with the medium plays a relevant role in both deuterons and complex nuclei. Nonetheless, kinematical regions where final-state interaction effects are minimized can be selected experimentally, which would allow one to investigate the structure functions of nucleons embedded in the nuclear medium. Likewise, regions where the interaction of the struck hadronizing quark with the nuclear medium is maximized can be found, which would make it possible to study nonperturbative hadronization mechanisms.

We have measured the fusion excitation function for the ${}^9\mathrm{Li}+{}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ reaction for near-barrier projectile center-of-mass energies of $23.9$ to $43.0$ MeV using the ISAC2 facility at TRIUMF. The $\alpha$-emitting evaporation residues (${}^{211–214}\mathrm{At}$) were stopped in the ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ target, and their decay was measured. The isotopic yields at each energy were in good agreement with the predictions of a statistical model code (HIVAP). The measured fusion excitation function shows evidence for substantial sub-barrier fusion enhancement not predicted by current theoretical models. There is a suppression of the above barrier cross sections relative to these model predictions. The implications of this measurement for studying the fusion of ${}^{11}\mathrm{Li}$ with ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ are discussed.

Synthesis of superheavy element $120$ in terms of the ${}^{50}\mathrm{Ti}+{}^{249-252}\mathrm{Cf}$ fusion-evaporation reactions is evaluated and discussed. It is found that the reactions of ${}^{250,251}\mathrm{Cf}({}^{50}\mathrm{Ti},3n){}^{297,298}120$ and ${}^{251,252}\mathrm{Cf}({}^{50}\mathrm{Ti},4n){}^{297,298}120$ are relatively favorable with the maximum evaporation-residue cross sections of $0.12$, $0.09$, $0.11$, and $0.25$ pb, respectively. However, ${}^{252}\mathrm{Cf}$ may be difficult to be target because its spontaneous fission will bring about serious background in the experiment. Fusion probabilities for different target-projectile combinations leading to the formation of surperheavy nucleus ${}^{302}120$ are estimated with the “fusion-by-diffusion” model and presented as a function of the Coulomb parameter $Z_1{Z}_2/(A_1^{1/3}+A_2^{1/3})$. Among the reactions ${}^{50}\mathrm{Ti}+{}^{252}\mathrm{Cf}$, ${}^{54}\mathrm{Cr}+{}^{248}\mathrm{Cm}$, ${}^{58}\mathrm{Fe}+{}^{244}\mathrm{Pu}$, and ${}^{64}\mathrm{Ni}+{}^{238}\mathrm{U}$, the reaction ${}^{50}\mathrm{Ti}+{}^{252}\mathrm{Cf}$ has the largest fusion probability. Synthesis of superheavy element $120$ is of essential importance for determining whether the magic proton shell should be at $Z=114$ or at higher proton numbers $Z=120–126$. Therefore, the experiment to produce isotopes with $Z=120$ in the fusion reactions ${}^{50}\mathrm{Ti}+{}^{250,251}\mathrm{Cf}$ is of great interest.

Measured values of the differential cross sections for pion-nucleon charge exchange, ${\pi }^{-}p\to {\pi }^{0}n$, are presented for ${\pi }^{-}$ momenta of $103,112,120,130,139,152$, and $178$ MeV/$c$. Complete angular distributions were obtained by using the Crystal Ball detector at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Statistical uncertainties of the differential cross sections vary from $3$ to $6\%$ in the backward angle region and from $6$ to about $20\%$ in the forward region with the exception of the two most forward angles. The systematic uncertainties are estimated to be about $3\%$ for all momenta.

We consider the spin response of a normal Fermi liquid with noncentral interactions under conditions intermediate between the collisionless and hydrodynamic regimes. This problem is of importance for calculations of neutrino properties in dense matter. By expressing the deviation of the quasiparticle distribution function from equilibrium in terms of eigenfunctions of the transport equation under the combined influence of collisions and an external field, we derive a closed expression for the spin-density–spin-density response function and compare its predictions with that of a relaxation-time approximation. Our results indicate that the relaxation-time approximation is reliable for neutrino properties under astrophysically relevant conditions.

High-spin states have been studied in the neutron-deficient odd-$N$ ${}^{127}\mathrm{Ce}$ and ${}^{129}\mathrm{Ce}$ isotopes, produced in ${}^{100}\mathrm{Mo}$(${}^{32}\mathrm{S}$,$5n\gamma$) and ${}^{100}\mathrm{Mo}$(${}^{34}\mathrm{S}$,$5n\gamma$) reactions, using the Euroball and Eurogam $\gamma$-ray spectrometers, respectively. A quadruples analysis (${\gamma }^4$) of the coincident $\gamma$-ray data has established new band structures in ${}^{127,129}\mathrm{Ce}$ and extended the known bands to higher spin. In addition, links have been established between two positive-parity bands in ${}^{127}\mathrm{Ce}$ allowing a reassignment of $I^{\pi }=1/2^{+}$ to the ground state of this nucleus. Configuration assignments are made by comparison of band properties with cranked Woods-Saxon calculations and systematics of other light odd-$N$ cerium isotopes. Unusually large signature splitting in the negative-parity bands is discussed in terms of nonaxial nuclear shapes induced by the core-polarization effects of $h_{11/2}$ neutrons.

The expression for spin susceptibility $\chi$ of degenerate quark matter is derived with corrections up to $\mathcal{O}(g^4\ln \hspace{0.5em}{g}^2)$. It is shown that, at low density, ${\chi }^{-1}$ changes sign and turns negative, indicating a ferromagnetic phase transition. To this order, we also calculate sound velocity $c_1$ and incompressibility $K$ with arbitrary spin polarization. The estimated values of $c_1$ and $K$ show that the equation of state of the polarized matter is stiffer than that of unpolarized matter. Finally, we determine the finite temperature corrections to the exchange energy and derive corresponding results for the spin susceptibility.

We report a measurement of the Gamow-Teller (GT) strength distribution for ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}\to {}^{40}\mathrm{K}$ using the $0^{°}(p,n)$ reaction. The measurement extends observed GT strength distribution in the $A=40$ system up to an excitation energy of $~8$ MeV. In comparing our results with those from the $\beta$ decay of the isospin mirror nucleus ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ti}$, we find that, within the excitation energy region probed by the $\beta$-decay experiment, we observe a total GT strength that is in fair agreement with the $\beta$-decay measurement. However, we find that the relative strength of the two strongest transitions differs by a factor of $~1.8$ in comparing our results from ($p,n$) reactions with the $\beta$ decay of ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ti}$. Using our results we present the neutrino-capture cross section for ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$.

We present a practical method to solve the proton-deuteron scattering problem at energies above the three-body breakup threshold, in which we treat three-body integral equations in coordinate space accommodating long-range proton-proton Coulomb interactions. The method is examined for phase shift parameters and then applied to calculations of differential cross sections in elastic and breakup reactions, analyzing powers, etc., with a realistic nucleon-nucleon force and three-nucleon forces. The effects of the Coulomb force and the three-nucleon forces on these observables are discussed in comparison with experimental data.

Large scale shell-model calculations with an effective interaction derived from the realistic $G$-matrices were performed for $N=80$ isotones for which so-called mixed-symmetry states were recently observed experimentally. Calculated spectra are shown to be in good agreement with data. The calculated transition rates reveal the necessity of modifying the strength of the pairing interaction. The structure of mixed-symmetry $2^{+}$ states is analyzed in terms of seniority components and by decomposition into the $Q$-phonon scheme.

Different formulas relating measurable fragment isotopic observables to the symmetry energy of excited nuclei were proposed and applied to the analysis of heavy ion collision data in the recent literature. In this article, we examine the quality of the different expressions in the framework of the McGill canonical thermodynamic model (CTM). We show that even in the idealized situation of canonical equilibrium and in the absence of secondary decay, these formulas do not give a precise reconstruction of the symmetry energy of the fragmenting source. However, both isotopic widths and isoscaling appear very well correlated to the physical symmetry energy.

Within the improved quantum molecular dynamics (ImQMD) model incorporating the statistical decay model, the reactions of ${}^{238}\mathrm{U}+{}^{238}\mathrm{U}$ at an energy of $7.0A$ MeV have been studied. The charge, mass, and excitation energy distributions of primary fragments are investigated within the ImQMD model, and de-excitation processes of these primary fragments are described by a statistical decay model. The mass distribution of the final products in ${}^{238}\mathrm{U}+{}^{238}\mathrm{U}$ collisions is obtained and compared with the recently obtained experimental data.

The interaction of the low-lying pseudoscalar mesons with the ground-state baryons in the charm sector is studied within a coupled-channel approach using a $t$-channel vector-exchange driving force. The amplitudes describing the scattering of the pseudoscalar mesons off the ground-state baryons are obtained by solving the Lippmann-Schwinger equation. We analyze in detail the effects of going beyond the $t=0$ approximation. Our model predicts the dynamical generation of several open-charm baryon resonances in different isospin and strangeness channels, some of which can be clearly identified with recently observed states.

The isospin dependence of the saturation properties of asymmetric nuclear matter, particularly the incompressibility $K_{\infty }(X)=K_{\infty }+K_{\tau }{X}^2+O(X^4)$ at saturation density, is systematically studied using density-dependent M3Y interaction. $K_{\tau }$ characterizes the isospin dependence of the incompressibility at saturation density ${\rho }_0$. The approximate expression $K_{\mathrm{asy}}\approx K_{\mathrm{sym}}-6L$ is often used for $K_{\tau }$ where $L$ and $K_{\mathrm{sym}}$ represent the slope and curvature parameters of the symmetry energy at ${\rho }_0$, respectively. It can be expressed accurately as $K_{\tau }=K_{\mathrm{sym}}-6L-(Q_0/K_{\infty })L$, where $Q_0$ is the third-order-derivative parameter of symmetric nuclear matter at ${\rho }_0$. The results of this addendum to [Phys. Rev. C 80, 011305(R) (2009)] indicate that the $Q_0$ contribution to $K_{\tau }$ is not insignificant.

The nucleus ${}^{140}\mathrm{Nd}$ was investigated using $\gamma$-$\gamma$ coincidence and angular-correlation techniques following the $\epsilon /{\beta }^{+}$ decay of ${}^{140}\mathrm{Sm}$ and ${}^{140}\mathrm{Pr}$. Spins, $\gamma$-decay intensities, and $E2/M1$ mixing ratios were extracted from the data. The $2_3^{+}$ and $2_4^{+}$ states were identified as possible mixed-symmetry states, based on mixing ratios obtained for observed decays to the $2_1^{+}$ state. The relationship between the decay pattern of these two candidate states and underlying shell structure in this mass region is discussed.

A new method is proposed to determine the energy-dependent spin distribution in experimental nuclear-level schemes. This method compares various experimental and calculated moments in the energy-spin plane to obtain the spin-cutoff parameter $\sigma$ as a function of mass $A$ and excitation energy using a total of $7202$ levels with spin assignment in $227$ nuclei between F and Cf. A simple formula, ${\sigma }^2=0.391\hspace{0.5em}{A}^{0.675}(E-0.5{\mathit{Pa}}^{\text{'}}){}^{0.312}$, is proposed up to about 10 MeV that is in very good agreement with experimental $\sigma$ values and is applied to improve the systematics of level-density parameters.

We present results on the centrality and system size dependence of (multi-strange) hyperons in $\mathrm{Pb}+\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions at $40A$ and $158A$ GeV from the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD-v2.3) model and a coupled Boltzmann $+$ hydrodynamics calculation. The second approach is realized in a hybrid fashion based on UrQMD, with an intermediate hydrodynamical evolution for the hot and dense stage of the collision. This implementation allows a comparison of microscopic transport calculations with hydrodynamic simulations to explore the transition from a system that is not fully equilibrated, such as $\mathrm{C}+\mathrm{C}$ or $\mathrm{Si}+\mathrm{Si}$ collisions, to a supposedly fully equilibrated system, such as that created in $\mathrm{Pb}+\mathrm{Pb}$ reactions. The results of our calculations are compared to measurements of the (anti-)hyperon yields at midrapidity ($|y|⩽0.5$) and total multiplicities performed by the NA49 and NA57 Collaborations at $40A$ and $158A$ GeV. Furthermore, we compare our predictions to the centrality dependence of $\Lambda ,\overline{\Lambda }$, and ${\Xi }^{-}$ rapidity spectra and total multiplicities at $40A$ and $158A$ GeV, where possible.

We measured the deuteron-emission branch of the $\beta$ decay of the halo nucleus ${}^6\mathrm{He}$ using the technique of implantation into a highly segmented silicon detector. The method, used here for the first time with a beam of ${}^6\mathrm{He}$ ions, ensures precise normalization; the value obtained for the branching ratio is $\overline{B}=(1.65\pm 0.10)\times {10}^{-6}$ ($6\%$ error). The summed energy spectra of the emitted $\alpha$ and $d$ particles has also been measured. The results allow us to compare calculations from various models, potentially setting strong constraints on the precision required for the description of the ${}^6\mathrm{He}$ ground-state wave function.

We investigate the statistical properties of the E(5) and X(5) symmetries, which describe states at the critical points of nuclear shape phase transitions in the geometric model, and analyze the fluctuations in both the energy spectrum and the $E2$ transition intensities using different angular momenta and Hamiltonian parameters. The results indicate that the spectrum of the E(5) symmetry exhibits highly regular statistical behavior and that the X(5) symmetric states are also nearly regular, with little deviation for different angular momenta and Hamiltonian parameters.

A new method for continuum discretization in continuum-discretized coupled-channels calculations is proposed. The method is based on an analytic local-scale transformation of the harmonic-oscillator wave functions proposed for other purposes in a recent work [Karatagladis et al., Phys. Rev. C 71, 064601 (2005)]. The new approach is compared with the standard method of continuum discretization in terms of energy bins for the reactions $d+{}^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ at 80 MeV, ${}^6\mathrm{Li}+{}^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ at 156 MeV, and ${}^6\mathrm{He}+{}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ at 22 MeV and 240 MeV/nucleon. In all cases very good agreement between both approaches is found.