Benford’s law and cross-sections of A(n, $ \alpha$ )B reactions

Abstract

Benford’s law, also called the first-digit law, states that in lists of numbers from many quite disparate databases, the leading digit is distributed in a non-uniform but actually logarithmic way. We have investigated the first-digit distribution of experimental cross-sections of A(n, $ \alpha$ )B reactions. In the case of below-barrier $ \alpha$ -particle emission from compound nucleus, it is found that the (n, $ \alpha$ ) reaction cross-sections approximately follow the first-digit distribution indicated by Benford’s law. The origin of this first-digit distribution is discussed within the framework of the statistical model. In addition, Benford’s law is used to test the evaluated cross-sections of A(n, $ \alpha$ )B reactions.