Cluster model analysis of exotic decay in actinide nuclei

• Main Author: Du Toit, Erasmus Johannes
• Other Authors: Wyngaardt, Shaun M.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2015
• Subjects: Nuclear clustering; Liquid drop model; Nuclear structure; Exotic cuclei; Alpha particle; Cluster theory (Nuclear physics); Dissertations > Physics; Theses > Physics; UCTD
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95812

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The binary cluster model is used to investigate the properties of exotic structures and decays in various nuclei. A simple method is described to choose the possible clusters forming within the nucleus, by assuming the nucleus consists of a mixture of up to four different core-cluster pairs. A phenomenological potential is then used, with optimized parameters, to describe the even-even 222-232Th nuclei within the binary cluster model, by calculating exotic decay half-lives, reduced electromagnetic transition probabilities, and energy spectra. After finding that all experimentally observed heavy ion emissions are predicted with the model and calculated structure observables are reproduced within good agreement of the experimentally measured values, the model was extended to include the even-even 230-234U, 236-240Pu and 222-224Ra nuclei. We found that almost all experimentally observed heavy ion emissions are predicted within the model with reasonable accuracy in the calculated halflives, and found good agreement in the other calculated structure observables. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die binêre bondel model is gebruik om die eienskappe van eksotiese strukture en verval in verskeie nukliedes te ondersoek. ’n Eenvoudige metode is gebruik om die moontlike bondels wat binne die nuklied vorm te kies, deur die aanname te maak dat die nuklied uit ’n mengsel van tot vier verskillende kern-bondel pare bestaan. ’n Fenomenologiese potensiaal is dan gebruik, met optimale parameters, om die ewe-ewe 222-232Th nukliedes met die binêre bondel model te beskryf, deur eksotiese verval halfleeftye, verminderde elektromagnetiese oorgangswaarskynlikhede, en energie spektra te bereken. Nadat daar gevind is dat alle vrygestelde swaar ione wat eksperimenteel waargeneem is deur die model voorspel word, en berekende struktuur waarneembares tot goeie ooreenstemming met die eksperimentele waardes produseer is, is die model uitgebrei om die ewe-ewe 230-234U, 236-240Pu en 222-224Ra nukliedes in te sluit. Daar is gevind dat byna alle vrygestelde swaar ione wat eksperimenteel waargeneem is deur die model voorspel word met redelike akkuraathied in die berekening van hul halfleeftye, asook dat daar goeie ooreenstemming tussen die berekende en eksperimentele waardes van ander struktuur waarneembares was.