Speaker
Description
Photon strength functions (PSFs) are fundamental quantities in nuclear physics, describing the average electromagnetic decay properties of excited nuclei. Accurate PSF information is essential for modeling nuclear reactions relevant to both astrophysical processes and nuclear structure.
At iThemba LABS, a dedicated facility has been developed for low-energy nuclear physics experiments that enhance our understanding of nuclear structure, reaction mechanisms, and nucleosynthesis. In this talk, I will present experimental developments and highlight recent radiative proton and alpha capture measurements aimed at probing the shape of the PSF, testing the validity of the Brink–Axel hypothesis using (p,γ) reactions, and investigating the astrophysical important (a,γ)reactions.
This work is based on the research supported in-part by the NRF iThemba LABS of South Africa Grant Number 133636 and 118846, by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics under Contracts No. DE-AC02-05CH11231 and by the US Nuclear Data Program.
