Nuclear Level Densities: A Key to Predicting Neutron Capture Reaction Rates
Sofia Karampagia
Grand Valley State University
Nuclear level densities (NLDs) lie at the heart of our ability to predict nuclear reaction rates, which in turn shape our understanding of how elements are forged in stars and stellar explosions. Since Bethe's pioneering work in 1936 on the density of energy levels near neutron separation energies, numerous models have been developed. The ongoing advancement of new methods, underscore the importance of accurately predicting NLDs, as this knowledge is critical for modelling nuclear reactions, particularly neutron capture processes, at excitation energies beyond the low-lying discrete levels. In this work, we present a statistical shell-model approach to estimating NLDs and apply it to theoretical calculations of neutron capture cross sections and reaction rates for nuclei around A = 56. By comparing our results with both experimental NLD data and measured reaction rates, we assess the reliability of this approach. These findings highlight the critical role of NLDs in bridging microscopic nuclear structure theory with macroscopic questions about the origin of the elements.
*Funding acknowledgment: Support from NSF grant 2412851 is acknowledged.
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