Heidelberg, University, Diss., 2001.

Techn. Universiẗat, Diss., 2005--Berlin.

The 12C+16O breakup of 28Si and the 12C+12C breakup of 24Mg have been studied following the interaction of a 170 MeV 24Mg beam with 7Li, 9Be,12C and 16O target nuclei. The measurements were performed at the Australian National University in Canberra, using the technique of Resonant Particle Spectroscopy. The breakup fragments from the decay of the resonant nuclei were detected in two Gas-Si-CsI telescopes positioned on opposite sides of the beam axis. The data suggest that the same states in 28Si are populated via the 7Li(24Mg, 12C 16O)3H, 9Be(24Mg,12C 16O)5He and 12c(24Mg,12C 16O)8Be reactions. This implies that the cluster decaying states are populated by direct a-transfer. Breakup has been observed from states in 28Si at excitation energies (spins) of (26.15), 28.17 (13-, 29.51, 29.95, 30.45, 30.76, (31.3), 31.65, 31.90, 32.51, 33.14, 33.41, 33.77, 34.45 (12+,14+) and 35.13 MeV. A consistent theoretical interpretation of the 28Si molecular structures has been given, taking into account the predictions of Nilsson-Strutinsky, a-cluster model and two centre shell model calculations. The present results for the 12C(24Mg,12C 12C)12C reaction agree with previous measurements. In addition, new spin assignments have been proposed for several of the breakup states in 24Mg. States have been observed at excitation energies (spins) of 20.54 (2+), 21.07 (4+), 21.88 (4+), 22.33 (4+), 22.90 (6+), 23.80 (6+,(8+)), 24.56 (8+), 25.14 (6+), 25.72, 26.41 (8+) and 27.12 MeV. Evidence for the population of many of these states via the 16O(24Mg,12C 12C)16O reaction has also been observed. However, the data gave no evidence for either the 7Li(24Mg,12C 12C)7Li or 9Be(24Mg,12C 12C)9Be reactions. The presently available information did not allow an unambiguous determination of the reaction mechanism responsible for the population of the 24Mg breakup states. The performance of the Gas-Si-Csl telescopes has been investigated. For multiplicity 2 events in the silicon strip detectors, a crosstalk has been observed between the two active strips. The energy calibration of the silicon strip detectors for penetrating particles has also been found to differ to that for stopped particles. Empirical corrections for both of these effects have been deduced allowing the simultaneous detection and identification of heavy and light ions within a single telescope. These techniques have been extended to the detection of 8Be → alpha+alpha events over a wide range of alpha-particle energies.

Nuclear electromagnetic breakup processes at low energy are particularly relevant in the astrophysical context. In this Thesis we analyse the Beryllium-9 photodisintegration reaction, whose inverse process, under certain astrophysical conditions, is related to the Carbon-12 formation. A preliminary study of the Carbon-12 photodisintegration is also carried out. The interaction of these nuclei with a low-energy photon induces a transition to a state consisting of cluster sub-units, the alpha-particles, and possibly a neutron, n. The theoretical study of the cross section in the low-energy regime is conducted by using a three-body ab initio approach. Beryllium-9 exhibits a clear separation of energy scales, since its alpha-alpha-n three-body binding energy is shallow compared to the binding of the alpha-particle. Within this framework a halo/cluster Effective Field Theory (EFT) can be developed. The alpha-alpha and alpha-n effective interactions are defined in momentum space as a series of contact terms, regularized by a momentum-regulator function. The Low Energy Constants are expressed in terms of scattering observables, i.e. scattering length and effective range. A three-body potential is also introduced in the model. Carbon-12 is studied on the same footing. By means of an integral transform approach, the problem of the transition to a state in the continuum can be advantageously reformulated in terms of a bound-state problem: in the calculations we use the Lorentz Integral Transform method, in conjunction with the Non-Symmetrized Hyperspherical Harmonics method. In determining the low-energy photodisintegration cross section, the nuclear current matrix element is evaluated through the electric dipole, or quadrupole, transition operator (Siegert theorem). Since the continuity equation is used explicitly, the contribution of the one-body and the many-body current operators is implicitly included in the calculation. By comparing the results with those obtained by using a one-body convection current, the effect of the many-body terms can be quantified. The dependence of the results on different EFT parameters is discussed, always in connection with the experimental data available in the literature. By following the power counting dictated by the EFT approach for Beryllium-9, the inclusion of different partial waves in the potential model is explored. In addition to a alpha-alpha S-wave, a alpha-n P-wave and a three-body effective interaction, a alpha-n S-wave term is also required to obtain results more consistent with the experimental data. The contribution of the many-body currents to the cross section is found to be non-negligible. Although at an early stage, Carbon-12 results show interesting features. The formalism presented in this Thesis can be extended to study the photodisintegration of Oxygen-16 within a fully four-body ab initio approach.