GAIN - GAllium In the slow Neutron capture process

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Rene Reifarth
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields ; Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 386246739

Final Report Abstract

The interest in neutron-induced reactions is manifold. Their relevance reaches from medical applications like cancer therapy over technical application like the durability of nuclear power plant components to the question of the origin of the elements in the universe. Various scenarios contribute to the chemical evolution of the universe. A great number of nuclear reaction rates must be known to understand the nucleosynthesis. Neutron-induced reactions are mainly responsible for the formation of elements heavier than iron. This project focuses neutron capture reactions of gallium. Several measurements have been performed in the past with conflicting results. The goal of GAIN was to resolve those discrepancies with a series of measurements applying very different techniques. An important aspect is the improved understanding of the neutron production during activation experiments. All experiments as originally proposed have been performed. Preliminary data on the TOF measurements and on the neutron field investigations have been presented at conferences and corresponding proceeding articles. The results of several activation measurements are published in a peer-reviewed article. Descriptions of principal method resulting from the developments of the experimental capabilities at the Goethe University are published in peer-reviewed articles. All other steps – e.g. final analysis and the nucleosynthesis study – will be performed over the next months.

Publications

• Neutron-induced cross sections - From raw data to astrophysical rates. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 133, 424 (2018)
  René Reifarth, Philipp Erbacher, Stefan Fiebiger, Kathrin Göbel, Tanja Heftrich, Michael Heil, Franz Käppeler, Nadine Klapper, Deniz Kurtulgil, Christoph Langer, Claudia Lederer-Woods, Alberto Mengoni, Benedikt Thomas, Stefan Schmidt, Mario Weigand, Michael Wiescher
  
• Investigation of Neutron-Induced Reactions at the Goethe University Frankfurt. Nuclei in the Cosmos XV 219, 253-257 (2019)
  René Reifarth, Lukas Bott, Benjamin Brückner, Ozan Dogan, Markus Dworac, Anne Endres, Philipp Erbacher, Stefan Fiebiger, Roman Gernhäuser, Kathrin Göbel, Fabian Hebermehl, Tanja Heftrich, Christoph Langer, Tanja Kausch, Nadine Klapper, Kafa Khasawneh, Christoph Köppchen, Sabina Krasilovskaja, Deniz Kurtulgil, Markus Reich, Markus S. Schöffler, Lothar Ph. H. Schmidt, Christian Schwarz, Zuzana Slavkovská, Kurt E. Stiebing, Benedikt Thomas, Meiko Volknandt, Mario Weigand, Michael Wiescher, Patric Ziel
  
• Investigation of the 7Li(p,n) neutron fields at high energies. NPA-IX, Mainz, Germany, 9/2019
  Benjamin Brückner
  
• Measurement of 69,71Ga(n,γ) at astrophysical energies using the neutron time of flight facility nTOF at CERN. NPA-IX, Mainz, Germany, 9/2019
  Deniz Kurtulgil
  
• Investigation of the 7Li(p,n) neutron fields at high energies. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1668, 12003 (2020)
  B. Brückner, P. Erbacher, K. Göbel, T. Heftrich, K. Khasawneh, D. Kurtulgil, C. Langer, R. Nolte, M. Reich, R. Reifarth, M. Weigand, M. Wiescher, M. Volknandt
  
• Neutron activation of 69Ga and 71Ga at kBT ≈ 25 keV. Phys. Rev. C 103, 25802-25808 (2021)
  Kathrin Göbel, Clemens Beinrucker, Benjamin Brückner, Philipp Erbacher, Stefan Fiebiger, Micaela Fonseca, Michael Heftrich, Tanja Heftrich, Franz Käppeler, Antonin Krása, Deniz Kurtulgil, Claudia Lederer-Woods, Ralf Plag, Arjan Plompen, René Reifarth, Stefan Schmidt, Kerstin Sonnabend, Mario Weigand