Neutron radii and neutron skin of neutron-rich nuclei deduced from proton-nucleus total reaction cross sections

Abstract

A new method is proposed to deduce the neutron radii of neutron-rich nuclei. This method requires measuring the reaction cross sections of both the neutron-rich nucleus and its stable isotope at the same energy per nucleon on a proton target. Using this method and the available experimental data of 12,22C + p and 9,14Be + p at 40A MeV, the neutron radii of 22C and 14Be have been deduced.