EPJ Web of Conferences (Jan 2018)

Astrophysical relevance of the low-energy dipole strength of 206Pb

  • Tonchev A.P.,
  • Tsoneva N.,
  • Goriely S.,
  • Bhatia C.,
  • Arnold C.W.,
  • Hammond S.L.,
  • Kelley J.H.,
  • Kwan E.,
  • Lenske H.,
  • Piekarewicz J.,
  • Raut R.,
  • Rusev G.,
  • Shizuma T.,
  • Tornow W.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201817804003
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 178
p. 04003

Abstract

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The dipole strength of 206Pb was studied below the neutron separation energy using photon scattering experiments at the HIGS facility. Utilizing the technique of nuclear resonance fluorescence with 100% linearly-polarized photon beams, the spins, parities, branching ratios and decay widths of excited states in 206Pb from 4.9 - 8.1 MeV have been measured. The new experimental information is used to reliably predict the neutron capture cross section of 205Pb, an important branch point nucleus along the s-process path of nucleosynthesis.