Photoneutron cross section measurement on 9Be by means of inverse Compton scattering of laser photons

Publisher Summary 9 Be is a loosely-bound nuclear system consisting of two α's and a neutron. None of any two constituents alone can form a bound system. Previously, photoneutron cross sections for 9 Be were measured near thresholds using two kinds of real photon sources, Bremsstrahlung and radioactive isotopes. Low-lying states are also investigated in electron scattering. However, virtual photons populated the first excited state only very weakly. No single measurements provide data for all resonance states near thresholds. This chapter measures photoneutron cross sections for 9 Be in the energy range from 1.8 to 4.0 MeV using a laser-electron MeV photon source. These cross sections are relevant to the reaction rate of the first step of α-process, in a neutrino-driven wind of core-collapse supernovae. Results are presented in comparison with the data taken with other photon sources.