R-matrix calculation for low

energy nuclear reactions

PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED BY

ARKADEEP PAL
PG SEM3
ROLL – PHYS 01
REG. No. 16120917013
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
PRESIDENCY UNIVERSITY
PAPER CODE - PHYS 0991

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:

DR. SUBHENDU RAJBANSHI

PRESIDENCY UNIVERSITY
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project titled “R-Matrix Analysis” is a bona fide record of work done by
Arkadeep Pal under my guidance towards the partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Masters
of Science degree in Physics at the Presidency University, Kolkata -700073, India.

Dr. Subhendu Rajbanshi

Date: 16 February 2021
 DECLARATION
I, Arkadeep Pal, hereby declare that this attached report is entirely original and has been
researched, undertaken, completed and submitted as required by myself as an individual under the
guidance of Dr. Subhendu Rajbanshi.

Arkadeep Pal
Date: 16 February 2021
 ABSTRACT
To a high degree many aspects of the large-scale behaviour of objects in the Universe are governed
by the underlying nuclear physics. In fact the shell structure of nuclear physics is directly imprinted
into the chemical abundances of the elements. The tranquility of the night sky is a direct result of
the relatively slow rate of nuclear reactions that control and determines a star's fate. Understanding
the nuclear structure and reaction rates between nuclei is vital to understanding our Universe.
Nuclear transfer and capture reactions make accessible a wealth of knowledge from which we can
extract much of the required nuclear physics information. The reaction cross sections of radiative
capture and reaction processes on light nuclei are typically characterized by resonant and non-
resonant reaction components. Extraordinary effort has been spent over the last decades to
experimentally study and map the cross sections of critical reactions in stellar hydrogen, helium,
and carbon burning. However, in the typical energy range of stellar burning, the cross sections are
exceedingly low and in most cases cannot be measured directly with available techniques. Present
reaction data in the stellar energy range are therefore mostly based on extrapolations of existing
higher energy measurements. A wide variety of theoretical tools have been introduced to reduce
the associated uncertainties, starting from the concept of the S factor S(E) to correct in first
approximation for the effect of Coulomb repulsion for a straightforward extrapolation of the data.

The introduction of R-matrix theory allows for more reliable interpretation of the observed
experimental data, since it makes it possible to accurately account for interference effects between
multiple resonant and non -resonant contributions. Though R matrix has emerged as a powerful
tool for the analysis of stellar reaction rates, but in most cases R-matrix applications have been
limited to a multilevel single-reaction approach that cannot consider additional data on scattering
and other open reaction channels. This is a disadvantage in cases where interference effects or sub
threshold contributions are more constrained by other reaction or scattering channels than that of
astrophysical interest. The present work is aimed to develop and optimize the multilevel,
multichannel R-matrix calculation and extrapolation of low energy charged-particle reaction data
of relevance to stellar nucleosynthesis processes for a number of reaction examples relevance to
stellar hydrogen burning.
Contents
1. Cross Section .............................................................................................................................. 6
1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Differential cross-section ...................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Inelastic and Total cross-sections .......................................................................................... 8
1. Cross Section
1.1 Introduction

To conceptualise cross-sections we can consider a thin plate of matter of area L2 which contains
N no of spheres of radius R as we can see in below figure (1). Now if we consider a point like
particle is going to strike the thin sheet then the probability of collision between on of the spheres
and the point particle is given by the fraction of the surface area covered by a sphere. So the
probability dP is given by

(1)

FIGURE (1)

Here n = N/(L2dz) , L is the length of thin plate and dz is the thickness of the plate. σ is the cross-
section for touching the spheres which is given by 𝜋𝑅 2.

The cross-section introduced here is shown as classical area, however it can be used to get
a probability dPr for any reaction r and it is valid when probability is proportional to the number
density of particles and to the thickness of the target.

𝑑𝑃𝑟 = 𝜎𝑟 𝑛𝑑𝑧 (2)

Now if the material of target contains various types of object 𝑖 with number density 𝑛𝑖 and cross
section is 𝜎𝑖 then the probability becomes
 𝑑P𝑟 = ∑𝑖 𝑛𝑖 𝜎𝑖 (3)

Most often used unit of cross section is ‘barn (b)’ where 1b = 100fm2 =10-28 m2

The assumption of summing the probabilities of reaction for each particle to calculate total
probability breaks down if interference is considered as in case of Bragg scattering or in elastic
scattering at very small angles. For these type of cases we have to sum the amplitudes for scattering
on the target particles, not the probabilities.

For a pulse of electromagnetic radiation the cross section can be given in terms of dF of
energy flux in the original direction.

𝑑𝐹 = 𝜎 𝑛𝑑𝑧 (4)

1.2 Differential cross-section

In case of elastic scattering the probability is given by

𝑑P𝑒𝑙 = 𝜎𝑒𝑙 𝑛𝑑𝑧 (5)

Let us consider that a particle is going to the detector of area dx2 which is at a distance r from the
target and at an angle 𝜃 with the initial direction. The detector is oriented at a perpendicular to the
vector between it and target. Now the scattering angle can be defined as the ration of dx2 and area
of sphere surrounding target.

FIGURE (2)
 𝑑𝑥 2
Now the probability is given by 𝑑𝑃𝑒𝑙,𝜃 = 𝜎𝑒𝑙 𝑛𝑑𝑧 4𝜋𝑟 2 (6)

Here 𝑑Ω = 𝑑𝑥 2 /𝑟 2 which is the solid angle covered by detector

So we can rewrite the equation (6) as

𝑑𝜎
𝑑𝑃𝑒𝑙,𝜃 = 𝑑Ω 𝑛𝑑𝑧 𝑑Ω (7)

𝑑𝜎
Here is given by differential cross-section and in case of the elastic scattering it is equal to
𝑑Ω
𝜎𝑒𝑙 /4 𝜋

However the scattering is not always isotropic. So, the term 𝑑𝜎/𝑑Ω is a function of 𝜃

Now again the target or particles of beam can be polarized and then it is a function of azimuthal
angle 𝜙

So, The total elastic cross-section is given by

𝑑𝜎 2𝜋 𝜋 𝑑𝜎
𝜎𝑒𝑙 = ∫ 𝑑Ω 𝑑Ω = ∫0 𝑑𝜙 ∫0 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑑𝜃 𝑑Ω (𝜃, 𝜙) (8)

1.3 Inelastic and Total cross-sections