Using HECTOR for Cross Section Measurements of 102Pd(p,γ)103Ag

Using HECTOR for Cross Section Measurements of 102Pd(p,γ)103Ag

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Emily Churchman1, Anna Simon2, Rebeka Kelmar2, Orlando Olivas-Gomez2, Craig Reingold2, Sean Kelly2

 

1Texas Lutheran University Department of Physics, 1000 W. Court St., Seguin, TX 78155

2University of Notre Dame Department of Physics, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Abstract: 

The High EffiCiency TOtal absorption spectrometeR (HECTOR) consists of 16 scintillating crystals that are made of thallium-doped sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)). Each of the crystals is coupled to two photomultiplier tubes (PMT) and the detector is oriented to create a cubic array surrounding a target. This cubic array orientation allows for simultaneous measurements of the individual gamma (γ) rays produced during the de-excitation of the reaction products, creating a coverage of nearly 4π steradian. HECTOR was constructed to measure capture reactions relevant for the nucleosynthesis process at low energies. The work presented here focuses on a (p,γ) reaction on 102Pd, one of the p-nuclei produced during the p-process. The experiment was conducted at the University of Notre Dame using the FN tandem accelerator at the Nuclear Science Lab. A highly enriched 102Pd target was bombarded with a proton (p) beam at energies between 3.5-8.0 MeV in 200 keV steps. The measured cross section is compared with experimental data found in literature and theoretical models.