Neutron induced reaction and Re/Os chronometer

Segawa, Mariko   ; Nagai, Yasuki*; Masaki, Tomohiro*; Temma, Yasuyuki*; Shima, Tatsushi*; Makii, Hiroyuki*; Mishima, Kenji*; Ueda, Hitoshi*; Nakayoshi, Akira*; Ota, Takeshi*; Igashira, Masayuki*; Nishiyama, Jun*; Goriely, S.*; Koning, A.*; Hilaire, S.*

Re-Os pair is known as the most promising nuclear cosmochronometer with considerable potential. However, there remains non-trivial problems related to an excited neutron capture reaction of Os at a stellar temperature. Firstly, Os is produced and depleted by the slow process nucleosynthesis. Hence, it is necessary to obtain both the production and depletion rates of Os. Secondly, Os is depleted not only by its ground state neutron capture reaction but also by an excited state neutron capture reaction of Os in a stellar temperature. In the present study, we have measured the neutron capture reaction cross sections for Os, Os and Os accurately and neutron inelastic scattering reaction cross section for Os off the ground state of Os to its 9.75-keV first excited statein the neutron energy range from 10 to 100 keV. The measurements of the neutron capture reactions have been carried out by detecting a prompt -ray by means fan anti-Compton NaI(Tl) spectrometer. The (n, n') reaction cross section for Os has been measured with use of four Li-glass scintillation detectors. Based on these new capture cross sections, we reestimate on the basis of a careful reaction cross section calculation the correction factor F for the neutron capture on the 9.75-keV first excited state in Os as a function of stellar temperature, as required to derive the age of the galaxy within the Re-Os chronology.