Spatial Asymmetry of Heavy Nuclei as Essential Feature for Predictions of Compound Nuclear cross Sections and Decay Rates

Abstract

Cross sections for neutron capture in the range of unresolved resonances and average level distances near the neutron emission threshold are simultaneously predicted for more than 140 spin-0 target nuclei with A >50. In nearly all these nuclei a combined description of photon strength, level density and Maxwellian averaged radiative neutron capture is presented, which only needs very few fit parameters, which are global for the full range in A. To reach that it is essential that the requirements of spherical or axial symmetry are given up.