INTERMEDIATE STRUCTURE EFFECTS IN THE REACTION NA-23(P,ALPHA)NE-20

Excitation functions of the reaction 23Na(p, α)20Ne have been taken at eight angles between θL = 30° and 170° for proton energies Ep = 4.0-8.0 MeV. The average step size was ΔE = 12 keV. An autocorrelation analysis of the strongly fluctuating α0 yield curves revealed the presence of two coherence widths at a mean excitation energy of Ex(24Mg) = 17.5 MeV. The smaller width Γ = 58±4 keV was the only one observed in a simultaneously recorded α1 yield curve and is identified with the fine structure or compound nuclear width. No indications of a J- or T-dependence were found. The larger width of about 150 keV is interpreted in terms of intermediate structure effects. A comparison with autocorrelation analyses of several hundred synthetic excitation functions was performed. © 1979.