Excitation functions of heavy residues produced in theN14+Rh103reaction up to 400 MeV: Analysis of the pre-equilibrium mechanism with the hybrid Monte Carlo simulation model

Abstract

The excitation functions of heavy residues, produced in the interaction of $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ with $^{103}\mathrm{Rh}$, have been measured over the projectile energy region from a threshold up to 400 MeV by means of the activation method in conjunction with \ensuremath{\gamma}-ray spectroscopy. Cross sections for 15 reaction residues are presented, namely, $^{104}\mathrm{Cd}, ^{103\ensuremath{-}105}\mathrm{Ag}, ^{99\ensuremath{-}101}\mathrm{Pd}, ^{97,99,101}\mathrm{Rh}, ^{95,97}\mathrm{Ru}$, and $^{94\ensuremath{-}96}\mathrm{Tc}$. The experimental data are compared with theoretical model predictions using the hybrid Monte Carlo simulation model as implemented in the recently released alice2014 code. The theory assumes that the dominant pre-equilibrium mechanism includes multinucleon and cluster emissions in the initial stages of the interaction between the projectile and the target nucleus. Overall, the theoretical predictions provide a satisfactory agreement with the trend of the present experimental results for most of the observed reaction residues. This provides strong evidence that the underlying reaction mechanisms in the code are appropriately described. Overall, the Obninsk level densities give the best results in the present study.