GDR excitation by isoscalar probes: a means to determine the neutron-skin thickness

Abstract

Inelastic scattering of α-particles can excite the isovector giant dipole resonance (GDR) via the Coulomb interaction. In spite of their isoscalar nature α-particles can also excite the GDR via the nuclear interaction due to the difference in the radii of the neutron and proton density distributions. The absolute cross section to excite the GDR in inelastic α-scattering is therefore a measure of this radial difference, the so-called neutron-skin thickness. Furthermore, since the GDR strength distribution has a centroid energy which depends on the nuclear radius, these studies, when performed in deformed nuclei, can measure the neutron-skin thickness along both the short and the long axes independently. Results of an experiment performed at KVI atE _α=120 MeV and small scattering angles, including 0°, to determine the neutron-skin thickness in²⁰⁸Pb,¹¹⁶Sn,¹²⁴Sn, and the deformed¹⁵⁰Nd are discussed and compared to earlier measurements and theoretical predictions. Future improvements in the experimental set-up are also discussed.