José A. Lay

University of Seville | US · Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics

One-neutron halo nuclei, composed by a weakly-bound particle coupled to a core nucleus, are studied within a particle-plus-core model. A semi-microscopic method to generate the two-body Hamiltonian of such a system, including core excitation, is proposed. The method consists in generating the spin-independent part of the valence-core interaction us...

We investigate the selectivity of different two-particle transfer reactions [(t,p), (18O,16O), and (14C,12C)] with respect to detailed microscopic configuration in initial and final target states. In particular the relative magnitude of the cross sections associated with processes in which the pair is transferred in pure single-particle orbitals de...

The resonant break-up of $^{19}$C on protons measured at RIKEN [Phys. Lett. B 660, 320 (2008)] is analyzed in terms of a valence-core model for $^{19}$C including possible core excitations. The analysis of the angular distribution of a prominent peak appearing in the relative-energy spectrum could be well described with this model and is consistent...

Neutron-proton pairing correlations are investigated in detail via np transfer reactions in N=Zsd-shell nuclei. In particular, we study the cross-section ratio of the lowest 0+ and 1+ states as an observable to quantify the interplay between T=0 (isoscalar) and T=1 (isovector) pairing strengths. The experimental results are compared to second-order...

We explore two-particle transfer reactions as a crucial probe of the occurrence of shape coexistence in shape phase transitions. The (t,p) reactions to the ground state and to excited 0+ states are calculated for the isotope chain of even-even Zirconium isotopes starting from stable nuclei up to beyond current experimental limits. Two-particle spec...

Different reactions channels induced by the ¹⁸ O + ⁴⁰ Ca collisions at 275 MeV incident energy are simultaneously measured and analysed consistently within the same reaction and structure frameworks within the NUMEN project. The project aims to provide data-driven information for the determination of the nuclear matrix elements involved in the neut...

Double charge exchange (DCE) reactions induced by heavy ions are crucial tools to access information relevant for neutrinoless double beta decay nuclear matrix elements. In this context the NUMEN project aims to investigate, for each system of interest, the DCE reaction channel together with the whole set of reactions promoted by the same projectil...

The upgrade project POTLNS to produce high-intensity beams has already started at INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud in Catania (Italy). The POTLNS project was triggered by the NUMEN physics case that aims to provide experimental information on the Nuclear Matrix Elements (NMEs) that enter in the expression of the neutrino-less double beta (0νββ) d...

We review the status and prospects of heavy-ion double charge exchange (HI-DCE) reactions. Their important role for nuclear reaction, nuclear structure and double beta-decay investigations is outlined. From the experimental side the characteristically tiny cross sections for these processes and the high background generated by other more probable c...

The use of double charge exchange reactions is discussed in view of their application to extract information that may be helpful to determinate the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of neutrinoless double beta decay half-life. The strategy adopted in the experimental campaigns performed at INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud and in...

Background: Charge-exchange (CE) reactions offer a major opportunity to excite nuclear isovector modes, providing important clues about the nuclear interaction in the medium. Moreover, double charge-exchange reactions are proving to be a tempting tool to access nuclear transition matrix elements (NMEs) related to double beta-decay processes. The la...

Charge exchange (CE) reactions offer a major opportunity to excite nuclear isovector modes, providing clues about the nuclear interaction in the medium. Moreover, double charge exchange (DCE) reactions are proving to be a tempting tool to access nuclear transition matrix elements (NME) related to double beta-decay processes. Through a multi-channel...

Background: Nucleon transfer reactions are selective tools for nuclear physics investigations. The theoretical and computational limits affecting in the past their data analysis could be nowadays surmounted thanks to the advent of methods with refined approximations and constraints, even when heavy-ion collisions are considered.

A measurement of proton inelastic scattering of ⁸He at 8.25A MeV at TRIUMF shows a resonance at 3.54(6) MeV with a width of 0.89(11) MeV. The energy of the state is in good agreement with coupled cluster and no-core shell model with continuum calculations, with the latter successfully describing the measured resonance width as well. Its differentia...

We introduce the concept of neutron-proton two-particle units (np-Weisskopf units) to be used in the analysis of the (³He,p) and (p,3He) reactions on nuclei along the N=Z line. These are presented for the conditions relevant to the (n,j,ℓ) orbits expected from ¹⁶O to ¹⁰⁰Sn. As is the case of the Weisskopf units for electromagnetic transitions, the...

A measurement of proton inelastic scattering of $^8$He at $8.25A$~MeV at TRIUMF shows a resonance at 3.54(6)~MeV with a width of 0.89(11)~MeV. The energy of the state is in good agreement with coupled cluster and no-core shell model with continuum calculations, with the latter successfully describing the measured resonance width as well. Its differ...

We introduce the concept of neutron-proton two-particle units ($np$-Weisskopf units) to be used in the analysis of the ($^3$He,$p)$ and $(p,^3$He) \added{reactions on nuclei} along the N=Z line. These are presented for the conditions relevant to the $(n,j,\ell$) orbits expected from $^{16}$O to $^{100}$Sn. As is the case of the Weisskopf units for...

We report on systematical optical model (OM) and continuum discretized coupled channel (CDCC) calculations applied to describe the elastic scattering angular distributions of exotic and stable nuclei projectiles on heavy targets. Our optical potential (OP) is composed of the nuclear microscopic double folding S\~ao Paulo potential (SPP), derived fr...

We report on systematical optical model (OM) and continuum discretized coupled channel (CDCC) calculations applied to describe the elastic scattering angular distributions of exotic and stable nuclei projectiles on heavy targets. Our optical potential (OP) is composed of the nuclear microscopic double folding São Paulo potential (SPP), derived from...

A novel method to extract the B(E1) strength of a weakly bound nucleus from experimental Coulomb dissociation data is proposed. The method makes use of continuum discretized coupled channels (CDCC) calculations, in which both nuclear and Coulomb forces are taken into account to all orders. This is a crucial advantage with respect to the standard pr...

The NUMEN project aims at accessing experimentally driven information on Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) involved in the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). In this view measurements of Heavy Ion (HI) induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reaction cross sections are performed with high-accuracy. In particular, the (18O,18Ne) and (2...

Heavy ion double charge exchange reactions (DCE) are discussed, within DWBA, in synergy with the main goal of the NUMEN project, i. e. to extract information on the 0νββ decay nuclear matrix element from DCE cross section measurements. The first step to reach this goal is to assess the analogy between the DCE nuclear matrix element and that describ...

The first investigation of the single-particle structure of the bound states of 17C, via the d(16C, p) transfer reaction, has been undertaken. The measured angular distributions confirm the spin-parity assignments of 1/2+ and 5/2+ for the excited states located at 217 and 335 keV, respectively. The spectroscopic factors deduced for these states exh...

Neutrinoless double beta decay of nuclei, if observed, would have important implications on fundamental physics. In particular it would give access to the effective neutrino mass. In order to extract such information from 0νββ decay half-life measurements, the knowledge of the Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) is of utmost importance. In this context t...

Heavy ion double charge exchange reactions are described by sequential meson-exchange, corresponding to a double single charge exchange (DSCE) reaction mechanism. The theoretical formulation is discussed. The fully quantum mechanical distorted wave 2-step calculations are shown to be reproduced very well by approximating the intermediate propagator...

A novel method to extract the $B(E1)$ strength of a weakly bound nucleus from experimental Coulomb dissociation data is proposed. The method makes use of continuum discretized coupled channels (CDCC) calculations, in which both nuclear and Coulomb forces are taken into account to all orders. This is a crucial advantage with respect to the standard...

We give an account of the main achievements of the scientific career of Andrea Vitturi so far, that have recently been discussed during the workshop “Theoretical Nuclear Physics in Padova” on the occasion of his retirement from full professor at the University of Padova. He has oftentimes been the driving force behind numerous contributions to nucl...

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0v\b{eta}\b{eta}) is considered the best potential resource to access the absolute neutrino mass scale. Moreover, if observed, it will signal that neutrinos are their own anti-particles (Majorana particles). Presently, this physics case is one of the most important research "beyond Standard Model" and might guide the...

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0{\nu}\b{eta}\b{eta}) is considered the best potential resource to determine the absolute neutrino mass scale. Moreover, if observed, it will signal that the total lepton number is not conserved and neutrinos are their own anti-particles. Presently, this physics case is one of the most important research beyond Stand...

We give an account of the main achievements of the scientific career of Andrea Vitturi so far, that have recently been discussed during the workshop "Theoretical Nuclear Physics in Padova" on the occasion of his retirement from full professor at the University of Padova. He has oftentimes been the driving force behind numerous contributions to nucl...

Heavy ion double charge exchange reactions are described by sequential meson-exchange, corresponding to a double single charge exchange (DSCE) reaction mechanism. The theoretical formulation is discussed. The fully quantum mechanical distorted wave 2-step calculations are shown to be reproduced very well by approximating the intermediate propagator...

The NUMEN project aims at accessing experimentally driven information on Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) involved in the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ), by high-accuracy measurements of Heavy Ion (HI) induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reaction cross sections. In particular, the (¹⁸O,¹⁸Ne) and (²⁰Ne,²⁰O) reactions are used a...

Background: Double charge exchange (DCE) nuclear reactions have recently attracted much interest as tools to provide experimentally driven information about nuclear matrix elements of interest in the context of neutrinoless double-beta decay. In this framework, a good description of the reaction mechanism and a complete knowledge of the initial and...

Background: Double charge exchange (DCE) nuclear reactions have recently attracted much interest as tools to provide experimentally driven information about nuclear matrix elements of interest in the context of neutrinoless double-β decay. In this framework, a good description of the reaction mechanism and a complete knowledge of the initial and fi...

The NUMEN project aims at accessing experimentally driven information on Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) involved in the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0υββ), by high-accuracy measurements of the cross sections of Heavy Ion (HI) induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions. Particular interest is given to the (¹⁸O,¹⁸Ne) and (²⁰Ne,...

The NUMEN main goal is the extraction from measured cross-sections of “data-driven” information on Nuclear Matrix Elements for all the systems candidate for 0νββ. The idea is to use as experimental tool Heavy Ions –Double Charge Exchange (HI-DCE) reactions. Crucial for the experimental challanges is the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) facil...

Theoretical studies are performed, providing a relation between heavy ion double charge exchange (DCE) cross section and \(\beta \beta \) strength, up to momentum transfers of 25–30 MeV. DCE reactions can be interpreted in terms of two correlated or uncorrelated single charge exchange processes, thus mimicking \(0\nu \beta \beta \) or \(2\nu \beta...

There is a recently renewed experimental and theoretical interest in studying single and double charge exchange reactions with heavy ions. We would like to discuss a preliminary theoretical study of charge exchange reactions within the Distorted Wave Born approximation (DWBA) framework. This allows us to include the effect of the different competin...

An updated overview of recent results on Heavy-Ion induced reactions of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay is reported in the framework of the NUMEN project. The NUMEN idea is to study heavy-ion induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions with the aim to get information on the nuclear matrix elements for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ)...

We explore two-particle transfer reactions as a unique probe of the occurence of shape coexistence in shape phase transitions. The (t,p) reactions to the ground state and to excited $0^+$ states are calculated for the isotope chain of even-even Zirconium isotopes starting from stable nuclei up to beyond current experimental limits. Two-particle spe...

Within the DWBA framework, we develop a theoretical description of single and double heavy ion charge exchange (CE) reactions. We show that absorption effects are particularly important for heavy ion reactions, leading to a noticeable reduction of the CE cross sections. At low momentum transfer, the single CE cross section can be factorised, thus a...

This book features material presented at the La Rábida 2018 International Scientific Meeting on Nuclear Physics, which was based on a well-known series of triennial international summer schools on Nuclear Physics organized from 1982 to 2003 by the Basic Nuclear Physics group at the University of Seville and latter, from 2009 to 2018, by the Univers...

The possibility to use a special class of heavy-ion induced direct reactions, such as double charge exchange reactions, is discussed in view of their application to extract information that may be helpful to determinate the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of neutrinoless double beta decay half-life. The methodology of the experim...

The article describes the main achievements of the NUMEN project together with an updated and detailed overview of the related R&D activities and theoretical developments. NUMEN proposes an innovative technique to access the nuclear matrix elements entering the expression of the lifetime of the double beta decay by cross section measurements of hea...

In this contribution we describe the first results obtained for the investigation of the elastic scattering process in the reactions induced by the Radioactive Ion Beams ⁷Be and ⁸B on a ²⁰⁸Pb target at Coulomb barrier energies. The experimental data were analyzed within the framework of the optical model in order to extract the total reaction cross...

There is a recently renewed interest on the study of single and double charge exchange reactions with heavy ions. We report here a preliminary theoretical study of double charge exchange reactions in terms of two successive charge exchanges in 2nd order Distorted Wave Born approximation. This allows us to include the effect of the different transfe...

To access information on neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) nuclear matrix elements, it has been proposed by the NUMEN collaboration to exploit the analogies between double beta decay processes and double charge exchange (DCE) nuclear reactions, looking in particular at the conditions where the corresponding cross section can be factorized into...

The article describes the main achievements of the NUMEN project together with an updated and detailed overview of the related R&D activities and theoretical developments. NUMEN proposes an innovative technique to access the nuclear matrix elements entering the expression of the lifetime of the double beta decay by cross section measurements of hea...

The theory of heavy ion single charge exchange reactions is reformulated. In momentum space the reaction amplitude factorizes into a product of projectile and target transition form factors, folded with the nucleon-nucleon isovector interaction and a distortion coefficient which accounts for initial and final state ion-ion elastic interactions. The...

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0vββ) is considered the best potential resource to access the absolute neutrino mass scale. Moreover, if observed, it will signal that neutrinos are their own anti-particles (Majorana particles). Presently, this physics case is one of the most important research "beyond Standard Model" and might guide the way towards...

We investigated the reaction dynamics induced by the ⁷ Be, ⁸ B+ ²⁰⁸ Pb collisions at energies around the Coulomb barrier. Charged particles originated by both the col- lisions were detected by means of 6 ΔE-E res telescopes of a newly developed detector array. Experimental data were analysed within the framework of the Optical Model and the total r...

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is considered the best potential resource to determine the absolute neutrino mass scale. Moreover, if observed, it will signal that the total lepton number is not conserved and neutrinos are their own anti-particles. Presently, this physics case is one of the most important research “beyond Standard Model” and...

This work reports on the scattering of 11Be on 197Au at energies around and below the Coulomb barrier. By experimentally identifying the elastic scattering, inelastic scattering and breakup channels, and comparing them with different calculations, valuable information on the 11Be structure and its B(E1) distribution to the continuum are obtained. O...

The NUMEN project aims at accessing experimentally driven information on Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) involved in the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ), by high-accuracy measurements of the cross sections of Heavy Ion (HI) induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions. Particular attention is given to the (¹⁸O,¹⁸Ne) and (²⁰Ne...

The program TFF calculates stripping single-particle form factors for one-neutron transfer in prior representation with appropriate perturbative treatment of recoil. Coupled equations are then integrated along a semiclassical trajectory to obtain one- and two-neutron transfer amplitudes and probabilities within first- and second-order perturbation...

Angular distributions of the elastic, inelastic, and breakup cross sections of the halo nucleus Be11 on Au197 were measured at energies below (Elab=31.9 MeV) and around (39.6 MeV) the Coulomb barrier. These three channels were unambiguously separated for the first time for reactions of Be11 on a high-Z target at low energies. The experiment was per...

The 17O+58Ni collision was studied by means of a detailed analysis of the experimental spectra based on Monte Carlo simulations. The elastic scattering angular distributions were measured at five near-barrier energies in the range of 40–50 MeV and were investigated within the framework of the Optical Model, observing a relation between the imaginar...

Recently a quantitative description of the two-neutron transfer reaction C12(O18,O16)C14 was performed and the measured cross sections were successfully reproduced [M. Cavallaro et al., Phys. Rev. C 88, 054601 (2013)]. This task was accomplished by combining nuclear structure calculations of spectroscopic amplitudes and a full quantum description o...

This work aims at investigating the projectile binding energy influence on the reaction dynamics, introducing new results and new data analysis methods in order to overcome some typically encountered problems, such as the identification of reaction products differing by few mass units and the discrimination of direct reaction processes. The O17+Ni5...

An innovative technique to access the nuclear matrix elements entering the expression of the life time of the double beta decay by relevant cross section measurements of double charge exchange reactions is proposed. A key aspect of the project is the use of the MAGNEX large acceptance magnetic spectrometer, for the detection of the ejectiles, and o...

The Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) formalism is extended by including the single-particle continuum, thus enabling the analysis of an isotopic chain from stability up to the drip line. We propose a continuum discretized generalized BCS based on single-particle pseudostates (PS). These PS are generated from the diagonalization of the single-particl...

Within the frame of the commissioning of a new experimental apparatus EXPADES we undertook the measurement of the elastic scattering angular distribution for the system 17O+208Pb at energy around the Coulomb barrier. The reaction dynamics induced by loosely bound Radioactive Ion Beams is currently being extensively studied [4]. In particular the st...

We investigated the reaction dynamics induced by the Radioactive Ion Beams 7Be and 8B on a 208Pb target at energies around the Coulomb barrier. The two measurements are strongly interconnected, being 7Be (Sα = 1.586 MeV) the loosely bound core of the even more exotic 8B (Sp = 0.1375 MeV) nucleus. Here we summarize the present status of the data ana...

In a recent work [arXiv:1510.03185] the use of the Transformed Harmonic Oscillator (THO) basis for the discretization of the singleparticle continuum into a Generalized Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) formalism was proposed for the description of weakly bound nuclei. We make use of the flexibility of this formalism to study the evolution of the pai...

$\textit{Background}$: Nuclear fusion has been shown to be a perfect probe to study the different nuclear shapes. However, the possibility of testing octupole deformation of a nucleus with this tool has not been fully explored yet. The presence of a stactic octupole deformation in nuclei will enhanced a possible permanent electric dipole moment, le...

We present a detailed analysis of the elastic scattering and breakup channel for the reaction of Li11 on Pb208 at incident laboratory energies of 24.3 and 29.8 MeV, measured at the radioactive ion beam facility of TRIUMF, in Vancouver, Canada. A large yield of Li9 fragments was detected by four charged particle telescopes in a wide angular range. T...

We studied the reaction dynamics induced at Coulomb barrier energies by the weakly-bound Radioactive Ion Beam 7Be (Sα = 1.586 MeV) on medium-mass (58 Ni) and heavy (208 Pb) targets. The experiments were performed at INFN-LNL (Italy), where a 2-3×105 pps 7Be secondary beam was produced with the RIB in-flight facility EXOTIC. Charged reaction product...

We investigated the reaction induced by the Radioactive Ion Beam 7Be on the closed proton shell nucleus 58Ni at 22.0 MeV bombarding energy. The 7Be beam was produced by means of the in-flight technique with the facility EXOTIC at INFN-LNL (Italy). Charged reaction products were mass and charge identified in a rather wide angular range and their ene...

The energy and angular distributions of He3 and He4 ions produced in the Be7+Ni58 reaction at a bombarding energy of 22 MeV have been measured for the first time. The yield of the heavier helium isotope was four to five times more abundant than that of its lighter counterpart, ruling out the possibility that in this energy range the Be7 reaction dy...