https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2011-11078-3
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Benford’s law and cross-sections of A(n,
)B reactions
1
Department of Physics, Nanjing University, 210008, Nanjing, China
2
Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
3
Center of Theoretical Nuclear Physics, National Laboratory of Heavy-Ion Accelerator, 730000, Lanzhou, China
Received:
29
January
2011
Revised:
12
May
2011
Accepted:
13
May
2011
Published online:
16
June
2011
Benford’s law, also called the first-digit law, states that in lists of numbers from many quite disparate databases, the leading digit is distributed in a non-uniform but actually logarithmic way. We have investigated the first-digit distribution of experimental cross-sections of A(n,)B reactions. In the case of below-barrier -particle emission from compound nucleus, it is found that the (n,) reaction cross-sections approximately follow the first-digit distribution indicated by Benford’s law. The origin of this first-digit distribution is discussed within the framework of the statistical model. In addition, Benford’s law is used to test the evaluated cross-sections of A(n,)B reactions.
© SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2011
