Investigating the nuclear fusion and nucleon transfer channels in the 197Au + 6He reaction at 6He energies up to 20 MeV/A

Abstract

New data on the cross sections of reactions that proceed during the interaction of 6He and 197Au nuclei in the 6He energy range of 40 to 120 MeV are reported. The experiments were performed using the secondary beam of the ACCULINNA separator at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (FLNR), JINR. Reaction products are identified by means of activation method to measure the gamma activity of a thin-foil target assembly. Excitation functions for 6He fusion reactions with subsequent emission of up to 10 neutrons from the compound nucleus are measured. Cross sections for reactions with emission of charged particles and nucleon transfer were also measured. The experimental cross sections for the (6He, xn) reactions that proceed via the formation of a compound nucleus agree in general with calculations using models that involve the statistical approach. It is shown that the complete fusion reaction cross section drops slightly up to an energy of 114 MeV. The experimental excitation functions for the reactions resulting in the formation of mercury and gold isotopes indicate that the main contribution to their formation comes from direct processes, while the evaporation reactions (6He, pxn) and (6He, αxn) are of minor importance.