Statistical model calculations for photo nuclear reactions

Abstract

The statistical model assumes a statistical distribution of nuclear density levels in the decay of the compound nucleus. The densities of nuclear levels can be described by a statistical formula in a region containing many energy levels. This formula can be used to predict the cross­ sections for photonuclear reactions within the energy range 0 to 30 MEV. Provided assumptions are made neglecting the coulomb effect, spin, parity, angular mom­entum, and tertiary and higher order reactions, these predictions can be made by a digital computer and the results plotted on a graph with experimental data for comparison. The digital computer program is used to find the statistical level density formula that most closely approximates the cross-sections obtained experimentally. The formulas used thus far do not approximate the experimental data closely enough. Some formulas for the density functions give a shape for the cross-section as a function of energy that corresponds well with the experimental curve, but the ordinates are too small. The formula P(E) = C E EXP (A E(n)) is the best one found so far.