Astrophysical reaction rate for the Li-8(n,gamma)Li-9 reaction
Author
Kobayashi, H.
Ieki, K.
Horvath, A.
Galonsky, A.
Carlin, N.
Deak, F.
Gomi, T.
Guimaraes, V.
Higurashi, Y.
Iwata, Y.
Kiss, A.
Kolata, J.J.
Rauscher, T.
Schelin, H.
Seres, Z.
Warner, R.
Attention
2299/11027
Abstract
An attempt was made to measure the excitation function of the cross section for the Li-8(n,gamma)Li-9 reaction by performing the inverse reaction Li-9(gamma,n)Li-8, with the equivalent photons in the electric field of nuclei in a Pb target providing the gamma rays for the reaction. The energy spectrum of lithium nuclei in coincidence with neutrons had no discernible peak where any beam-velocity Li-8's would be located. Statistically, a Gaussian-shaped Li-8 peak could have been present with 30+/-29 counts, which we interpreted as consistent with zero, with a two-standard-deviation upper limit of 87 counts. Using the fact that neutron capture on Li-8 must be dominantly s-wave capture, and applying detailed balance, we obtained, with E in eV, sigma(n,gamma)