Study for s-process using neutron beam provided from ANNRI of J-PARC

Abstract

Most isotopes heavier than iron are synthesized by the slow neutron capture reaction process (s-process) in stars. Isomers in stable isotopes have sometimes an important role as a branching point in nucleosynthesis flow in the s-process. An isomer with a half-life of 14.1 y in 113Cd is a branching point from which a nucleosynthesis flow reaches to a rare isotope 115Sn. The astrophysical origin of 115Sn has remained still an open question. The s-process abundance of 115Sn depends on the ratio of the 112Cd(n, γ) 113Cdm reaction cross section to the 112Cd(n, γ) 113Cdgs reaction cross section. However, the isomer production ratio following the neutron capture reaction has not been measured in the energy region higher than the thermal energy. An intense neutron beam experimental system, ANNRI, in J-PARC has a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector system consisting of two cluster detectors. We have measured γ-rays decaying to the ground state and the isomer using the HPGe detectors in conjunction with a time-offlight method at ANNRI.