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Benford’s law and cross-sections of A(n,\( \alpha\))B reactions

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Abstract

Benford’s law, also called the first-digit law, states that in lists of numbers from many quite disparate databases, the leading digit is distributed in a non-uniform but actually logarithmic way. We have investigated the first-digit distribution of experimental cross-sections of A(n,\( \alpha\))B reactions. In the case of below-barrier \( \alpha\) -particle emission from compound nucleus, it is found that the (n,\( \alpha\)) reaction cross-sections approximately follow the first-digit distribution indicated by Benford’s law. The origin of this first-digit distribution is discussed within the framework of the statistical model. In addition, Benford’s law is used to test the evaluated cross-sections of A(n,\( \alpha\))B reactions.

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Communicated by S. Hands

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Liu, X.J., Zhang, X.P., Ni, D.D. et al. Benford’s law and cross-sections of A(n,\( \alpha\))B reactions. Eur. Phys. J. A 47, 78 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2011-11078-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2011-11078-3

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