vi
Preface
reactions that involve compound nuclei. Even though the concept of the compound
nucleus dates back to the 1930s, interest in compound-nuclear reactions, which
exhibit a rich set of phenomena, remains strong. Statistical, semi-classical, and
quantum mechanical approaches are employed to describe the static properties of
the many-body systems and the dynamics of their collisions and decays. Traditional
stable-beam and state-of-the-art radioactive-beam experiments, innovative indirect
methods, and decay experiments are utilized to shed light on the reaction dynamics
and relevant structural properties. Compound-nuclear reactions play a crucial role
for applications in various areas, such as nuclear astrophysics, medicine, nuclear
energy, and national security. An overarching goal of the series is to establish a
comprehensive, quantitative picture of the processes involved in the formation and
decay of a compound nucleus, informed and tested by appropriate experiments, and
to formulate accurate predictions for the associated cross sections.
The CNR*18 workshop brought together experts in nuclear theory, experiment, and data evaluation. A broad range of topics was discussed: A number
of presentations were dedicated to nuclear structure properties needed for the
description of compound-nuclear reactions, such as level densities and gammaray strength functions. Other presentations addressed the reaction mechanisms
associated with the formation and decay of compound nuclei, including preequilibrium processes, fluctuation effects, and possible deviations from standard
statistical descriptions. Widely used codes for the description of compound-nuclear
reactions were compared. Current efforts in improving optical models, R-matrix
descriptions, and ab initio reaction theory were presented. Recent progress in
developing indirect approaches for determining compound-nuclear cross sections,
including the surrogate reactions method and the Oslo method, was reviewed.
Theoretical approaches to fission, as well as experimental fission studies, were
covered. Several presentations focused on nuclear astrophysics and on isotope
production for medical applications. Overviews of existing and planned facilities
for experimental studies of compound-nuclear reactions were presented. These
Proceedings, edited by the CNR*18 organizing committee, contain summaries of
the individual contributions presented at the workshop.
CNR*18 was organized by Jutta Escher and Walid Younes (Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, LLNL), Yoram Alhassid (Yale University), Lee A. Bernstein
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LBNL), David Brown (Brookhaven
National Laboratory, BNL), Carla Fröhlich (North Carolina State University), and
Patrick Talou (Los Alamos National Laboratory, LANL). We thank Tom Gallant
(LBNL) for his dedication and outstanding administrative assistance before, during,
and after the workshop. We acknowledge support for the organization of the
workshop and the publication of these Proceedings, provided by LLNL, LANL,
BNL, LBNL, and the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC). We
would like to express our appreciation to the members of the international advisory
committee for valuable suggestions regarding the program and to the session chairs
Preface
reactions that involve compound nuclei. Even though the concept of the compound
nucleus dates back to the 1930s, interest in compound-nuclear reactions, which
exhibit a rich set of phenomena, remains strong. Statistical, semi-classical, and
quantum mechanical approaches are employed to describe the static properties of
the many-body systems and the dynamics of their collisions and decays. Traditional
stable-beam and state-of-the-art radioactive-beam experiments, innovative indirect
methods, and decay experiments are utilized to shed light on the reaction dynamics
and relevant structural properties. Compound-nuclear reactions play a crucial role
for applications in various areas, such as nuclear astrophysics, medicine, nuclear
energy, and national security. An overarching goal of the series is to establish a
comprehensive, quantitative picture of the processes involved in the formation and
decay of a compound nucleus, informed and tested by appropriate experiments, and
to formulate accurate predictions for the associated cross sections.
The CNR*18 workshop brought together experts in nuclear theory, experiment, and data evaluation. A broad range of topics was discussed: A number
of presentations were dedicated to nuclear structure properties needed for the
description of compound-nuclear reactions, such as level densities and gammaray strength functions. Other presentations addressed the reaction mechanisms
associated with the formation and decay of compound nuclei, including preequilibrium processes, fluctuation effects, and possible deviations from standard
statistical descriptions. Widely used codes for the description of compound-nuclear
reactions were compared. Current efforts in improving optical models, R-matrix
descriptions, and ab initio reaction theory were presented. Recent progress in
developing indirect approaches for determining compound-nuclear cross sections,
including the surrogate reactions method and the Oslo method, was reviewed.
Theoretical approaches to fission, as well as experimental fission studies, were
covered. Several presentations focused on nuclear astrophysics and on isotope
production for medical applications. Overviews of existing and planned facilities
for experimental studies of compound-nuclear reactions were presented. These
Proceedings, edited by the CNR*18 organizing committee, contain summaries of
the individual contributions presented at the workshop.
CNR*18 was organized by Jutta Escher and Walid Younes (Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, LLNL), Yoram Alhassid (Yale University), Lee A. Bernstein
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LBNL), David Brown (Brookhaven
National Laboratory, BNL), Carla Fröhlich (North Carolina State University), and
Patrick Talou (Los Alamos National Laboratory, LANL). We thank Tom Gallant
(LBNL) for his dedication and outstanding administrative assistance before, during,
and after the workshop. We acknowledge support for the organization of the
workshop and the publication of these Proceedings, provided by LLNL, LANL,
BNL, LBNL, and the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC). We
would like to express our appreciation to the members of the international advisory
committee for valuable suggestions regarding the program and to the session chairs