Charge, mass, and energy changes during fragmentation of relativistic nuclei

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Phys. Rev. C; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.39.1785· OSTI ID:6066403

Binns, W R; Cummings, J R; Garrard, T L; Israel, M H; Klarmann, J; Stone, E C; Waddington, C J

We have examined the fragmentation of relativistic lanthanum and gold nuclei incident on targets of polyethylene, carbon, aluminum, and copper. Attention has been concentrated on those fragments whose atomic numbers were only changed by +1 to -3 from those of the incident nuclei. The cross section for the production of fragments with increased charge is about 10% that for fragments that have lost one charge, or about 1% of the total interaction cross section. We find that the velocity distributions of these fragments can be explained by assuming that they also lose significant numbers of neutrons when they pick up or lose charge, without a need to invoke any energy or momentum loss in the interaction, although we cannot exclude small losses. In particular, we cannot confirm the recent report of large energy losses during the charge pickup process. The relative numbers of neutrons lost can be represented by a simple Gaussian model, and, for those fragments with decreased charge, are much larger than the proton losses. These fragments consequently have large proton excesses and will be highly unstable.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics and the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130 School of Physics rge W. Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 George W. Downs Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
• OSTI ID: 6066403
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. C; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. C; (United States) Vol. 39:5; ISSN PRVCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ALUMINIUM
CARBON
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
COPPER
CROSS SECTIONS
DIRECT REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
FRAGMENTATION
GAUSSIAN PROCESSES
HEAVY ION REACTIONS
MASS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PICKUP REACTIONS
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SPECTRA
TRANSFER REACTIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS