https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-023-00920-0
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Statistical (n,
) cross section model comparison for short-lived nuclei
1
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, USA
2
Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, USA
3
Los Alamos National Laboratory, 87545, Los Alamos, NM, USA
4
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, USA
5
Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, USA
6
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 94550, Livermore, CA, USA
7
Department of Physics, University of Oslo, 0316, Oslo, Norway
8
Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California Berkeley, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA
9
Central Michigan University, 48859, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
10
Zeno Power Systems, Inc., Washington, DC, USA
11
Naval Nuclear Laboratory, New York, USA
Received:
13
December
2022
Accepted:
11
January
2023
Published online:
9
March
2023
Neutron-capture cross sections of neutron-rich nuclei are calculated using a Hauser–Feshbach model when direct experimental cross sections cannot be obtained. A number of codes to perform these calculations exist, and each makes different assumptions about the underlying nuclear physics. We investigated the systematic uncertainty associated with the choice of Hauser-Feshbach code used to calculate the neutron-capture cross section of a short-lived nucleus. The neutron-capture cross section for 
(n,)
was calculated using three Hauser-Feshbach statistical model codes: TALYS, CoH, and EMPIRE. The calculation was first performed without any changes to the default settings in each code. Then an experimentally obtained nuclear level density (NLD) and -ray strength function (
) were included. Finally, the nuclear structure information was made consistent across the codes. The neutron-capture cross sections obtained from the three codes are in good agreement after including the experimentally obtained NLD and , accounting for differences in the underlying nuclear reaction models, and enforcing consistent approximations for unknown nuclear data. It is possible to use consistent inputs and nuclear physics to reduce the differences in the calculated neutron-capture cross section from different Hauser-Feshbach codes. However, ensuring the treatment of the input of experimental data and other nuclear physics are similar across multiple codes requires a careful investigation. For this reason, more complete documentation of the inputs and physics chosen is important.
© The Author(s) 2023
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