10th Workshop on Nuclear Level Density and Gamma Strength

Session

Midday Session

18 May 2026, 11:30

Auditorium 1 (Helga Engs Hus)

Conveners

Midday Session

• Ann-Cecilie Larsen (University of Oslo (NO))

Midday Session

• Andrea Richard

Midday Session

• Sean Liddick (FRIB/MSU)

Midday Session

• Lee Bernstein

Midday Session

• Paraskevi Dimitriou (International Atomic Energy Agency)

17. Theoretical description of the photon strength function and nuclear level densities

Stephane Goriely

18/05/2026, 11:30

Oral

Reliable theoretical predictions of nuclear dipole excitations and level densities in the whole nuclear chart are of great interest for different applications, including in particular nuclear astrophysics. We present here our latest calculations of the de-excitation E1 and M1 photon strength functions obtained in the framework of the axially-symmetric deformed quasiparticle random phase...

41. Detection of γ-ray from laser plasma using nuclear emulsion

Toma Hori (RCNP)

18/05/2026, 12:00

In recent years, advances in laser technology have enabled focused intensities on targets to reach up to 10^22~W/cm^2.Within the plasma formed on the target by the laser, ultra-high-density electromagnetic field is generated. High-energy electrons and ions with energies of several tens of MeV have been observed from such laser plasmas, suggesting the possibility that nuclear reactions are...

18. Oslo Method study of the silver isotopic chain: $^{107,109}$Ag from (p,p$^\prime\gamma$) at OCL

Henrik Døvle Andrews (University of Oslo)

18/05/2026, 12:20

Oral

Nuclear level densities (NLDs) and $\gamma$-ray strength functions (GSFs) provide key inputs to Hauser-Feshbach calculations and therefore influence reaction rate predictions used in nucleosynthesis modelling and applied studies. Previous Oslo method and complementary measurements in the palladium and cadmium mass region have highlighted characteristic features of the dipole response,...

50. Optimized Statistical Property Parameterization using Machine Learning

Stephanie Lyons (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

18/05/2026, 12:40

Oral

Nuclear level densities (NLD) and gamma strength functions (gSF) are key parameters used to calculate neutron-capture cross sections where experimental data does not exist. Current Hauser-Feshbach calculations allow for the use of a variety of models for NLD and gSF, ranging from phenomenological to microscopic. Using published experimental data, as well as Hauser-Feshbach calculations...

43. Systematic studies of nuclear level densities from particle evaporation technique

Alexander Voinov (Ohio University)

19/05/2026, 11:30

1

Oral

In this work, new results from a series of particle-evaporation experiments on nuclei spanning a wide mass range, including the fission-product region, are presented. The measurements include energy spectra of emitted neutrons and charged particles obtained over a range of excitation energies.
The experimental data are compared with statistical-model calculations performed with commonly used...

62. Nuclear strength functions from microscopic models

Pepijn Demol (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

19/05/2026, 12:00

Oral

Understanding the structure of heavy and neutron-rich nuclei is essential for the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process). The simulation of this process, which synthesizes half of the elements heavier than iron, relies on accurate predictions of nuclear masses and reaction rates (neutron capture, photo absorption, beta decay, etc.) for thousands of neutron-rich nuclei. However, since...

31. The electric dipole response of nuclei with Z<50

Teodora Sebe

19/05/2026, 12:20

This study aims at understanding the dependence of the E1 strength in the transition region from vibrational to rotational nuclei. Below the Z = 50 closed shell Sn nuclei, week deformations start to build in. In the case of 106Pd, the observed band structures were reported to correspond to a quadrupole deformation of β2 = 0.175 [1], where calculations within the tilted-axis cranking model [2]...

36. The Total Relativistic Coulomb Excitation Cross Section of Neutron-Rich Tin Isotopes and Implications on Energy-Density Functionals

Andrea Horvat (RBI Zagreb)

19/05/2026, 12:40

Oral

Exploring the equation of state (EoS) of isospin-asymmetric nuclear matter is essential for understanding the structure of exotic nuclei and processes in neutron-rich astrophysical environments. The symmetry energy, which encodes the isospin dependence of the EoS, is commonly characterized by its value at saturation $J$ and its slope $L$, the latter of which remains poorly constrained. In this...

51. Experimental (d,p$\gamma$) Studies on the Kr and Sr Isotopes at the TRIUMF Facility

Andrea Richard

20/05/2026, 11:30

Oral

Neutron-capture cross sections play a vital role in our understanding of heavy element nucleosynthesis and applications relevant to nuclear security. Reaction networks in these regions involve short-lived isotopes for which capture cross sections cannot be measured via direct techniques. Instead reactions in these regions rely on calculations that can have uncertainties up to a few orders of...

27. The measurement of the reaction rate on 59Fe(n,g)60Fe and its astrophysical implication

Prof. Shilun Jin (Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

20/05/2026, 12:00

Oral

60Fe, with its half-life of 2.6 My, is a great indicative isotope for recording the violent events in the cosmos. By measuring its abundances in the deep-sea sediment, lunar soil and the gammy-ray in space, scientists identified two accretion events (1.5–3.2) My and (6.5–8.7) My ago. These two events can be varying scenarios in the universe, like He- and C-burning shells inside massive stars,...

56. Indirect experimental technique for constraining the $^{193,194}\mathrm{Ir}(n,\gamma)$ cross sections

Sebenzile Magagula (School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand,)

20/05/2026, 12:20

Oral

Almost all elements heavier than iron are primarily produced through
the slow s- and rapid r- neutron-capture processes, which contribute about 50% each to the observed abundances [1]. The s-process, branching-point nuclei such as 192Ir play a crucial role, as neutron capture competes with β-decay affecting nucleosynthesis.
In this study, the $^{192}\mathrm{Ir}(n,\gamma)^{193}Ir$ and...

3. 169-Tm(n, gamma) cross section and statistical gamma decay properties from DANCE measurements

Kamila Horčičková (Charles University)

20/05/2026, 12:40

Oral

Radiative neutron capture on rare-earth nuclei is important for applications ranging from nuclear astrophysics to reactor-related environments, yet experimental data remain limited, particularly for odd–odd systems. In our work [1], we present new results on the $^{169}$Tm$(n,\gamma)$ reaction, including an experimental determination of the capture cross section in the presence of considerable...

1. Neutron transmission as a surrogate to tightly constrain neutron capture rates on radionuclides

Thanos Stamatopoulos (Los Alamos National Laboratory)

21/05/2026, 11:10

Oral

Th. Stamatopoulos, P. Koehler, A. Cooper, A. Couture, B. DiGiovine, T. Morrow, E. Renner, J. Svoboda

Los Alamos National Laboratory, 87545, NM, USA

With very few exceptions, direct measurements of neutron capture rates on radionuclides have not been possible. A number of indirect methods have been pursued such as the surrogate method [1], the γ-ray strength function method [2,3], the...

11. Investigating the low-energy enhancement in Zr isotopes

Artemis Spyrou

21/05/2026, 11:40

Oral

Systematic measurements of the γ-ray strength function have shown a strong change of the low-energy enhancement (LEE) as a function of nuclear deformation. In an attempt to explore this behavior further, we performed a series of experimental studies in neutron-rich Zr isotopes, namely $^{97-100}\mathrm{Zr}$. These isotopes are in a region of abrupt deformation change from mostly spherical to...

4. Oslo studies near $^{92}$Nb and the implications for Stellar Production of the Cosmochronometer $^{92}$Nb

Neshad Deva Pathirana (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams - Michigan State University)

21/05/2026, 12:00

Oral

The extinct radionuclide $^{92}$Nb (half-life $\sim$ 34.7 Myr) is a sensitive tracer of proton-rich nucleosynthesis and a chronometer for the early Solar System. Interpretation of meteoritic $^{92}$Nb/$^{92}$Mo ratios is currently limited by both astrophysical and nuclear-physics uncertainties. In particular, the origin of $^{92}$Nb remains uncertain because it is shielded by the stable...

80. PANDORA Project: Charged Particle Decay from the IVGDR in 27Al

Atsushi Tamii

22/05/2026, 11:20

1

Oral

The study of photo-nuclear reactions is crucial for understanding nuclear structure and astrophysical processes. The PANDORA (Photo-Absorption of Nuclei and Decay Observation for Reactions in Astrophysics) project [1] aims to systematically investigate these reactions in stable nuclei with mass numbers below 60. We use virtual photon exchange through proton scattering at RCNP. The subsequent...

14. Statistical properties of 143Ba

Hershini Gadaria (Michigan State University)

22/05/2026, 11:50

Oral

The nucleosynthesis of approximately half of the elements heavier than iron is attributed to the r-process. A key input for modeling the r-process is the neutron-capture cross-section of neutron-rich nuclei. However, astrophysical sensitivity studies suggest that uncertainties in these cross-sections significantly impact the predicted abundances. In particular, in the A=140 region,...

2. Microscopic study of the low-energy enhancement in the gamma-decay strength of $^{50}$V

Jon Kristian Dahl (University of Oslo)

22/05/2026, 12:10

Oral

The low-energy enhancement (LEE) of the dipole γ-ray strength function has been observed in many nuclei, yet its microscopic origin remains debated. We investigate the LEE in $^{50}$V using large-scale shell-model calculations that treat electric and magnetic dipole transitions consistently within a single framework. Calculations are performed in a sd–pf–sdg valence space with a $1\hbar\omega$...

22. First results on the direct determination of the 12C+12C reaction at LUNA

Riccardo Maria Gesuè (Gran Sasso Science Institute, INFN LNGS)

22/05/2026, 12:30

Oral

Carbon burning is the third stage of stellar evolution, determining the fate of both massive stars and low-mass stars in binary systems.
Only stars with a mass larger than a critical value M∗ up ∼ 10M⊙, can ignite Carbon in non-degenerate conditions and proceed to the next advanced burning stages up to the formation of a gravitationally unstable iron core.
Various final destinies are...

42. Investigation of $^{24}$Mg nuclear structure in the energy range relevant to carbon-burning in stars

Federica Ercolano (Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, INFN Sezione di Napoli)

22/05/2026, 12:50

Oral

The nuclear structure of $^{24}$Mg in the excitation energy region relevant to the $^{12}$C+$^{12}$C fusion reaction is crucial for constraining carbon-burning processes in massive stars. Although this reaction has been extensively studied over the past decades, significant uncertainties persist, particularly at center of mass energies below 2.5 MeV, where direct measurements are hindered by...

13. Indirect measurement of the $^{132}$I(n,$\gamma$)$^{133}$I neutron-capture rate on the exotic $^{132}$I for the intermediate neutron-capture process

Claudia Grieg

Oral

The nucleosynthesis of elements heavier than iron remains an open
question in nuclear astrophysics. In the last decade, the intermediate (i)
neutron-capture process has attracted attention as a potential explanation
for observed abundance patterns in for example the old halo stars in our
Galaxy, that cannot be reproduced by the slow and rapid processes. Un-
derstanding the i-process...