Machine learning enabled measurements of astrophysical (p,n) reactions with the SECAR recoil separator

P. Tsintari; N. Dimitrakopoulos; R. Garg; K. Hermansen; C. Marshall; F. Montes; G. Perdikakis; H. Schatz; K. Setoodehnia; H. Arora; G. P.A. Berg; R. Bhandari; J. C. Blackmon; C. R. Brune; K. A. Chipps; M. Couder; C. Deibel; A. Hood; M. Horana Gamage; R. Jain; C. Maher; S. Miskovich; J. Pereira; T. Ruland; M. S. Smith; M. Smith; I. Sultana; C. Tinson; A. Tsantiri; A. Villari; L. Wagner; R. G.T. Zegers

doi:10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013074

Machine learning enabled measurements of astrophysical (p,n) reactions with the SECAR recoil separator

P. Tsintari, N. Dimitrakopoulos, R. Garg, K. Hermansen, C. Marshall, F. Montes, G. Perdikakis, H. Schatz, K. Setoodehnia, H. Arora, G. P.A. Berg, R. Bhandari, J. C. Blackmon, C. R. Brune, K. A. Chipps, M. Couder, C. Deibel, A. Hood, M. Horana Gamage, R. JainC. Maher, S. Miskovich, J. Pereira, T. Ruland, M. S. Smith, M. Smith, I. Sultana, C. Tinson, A. Tsantiri, A. Villari, L. Wagner, R. G.T. Zegers

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Abstract

The synthesis of heavy elements in supernovae is affected by low-energy (n,p) and (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei, yet experimental data on such reaction rates are scarce. The SECAR (SEparator for CApture Reactions) recoil separator at FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) was originally designed to measure astrophysical reactions that change the mass of a nucleus significantly. We used a novel approach that integrates machine learning with ion-optical simulations to find an ion-optical solution for the separator that enables the measurement of (p,n) reactions, despite the reaction leaving the mass of the nucleus nearly unchanged. A new measurement of the Fe58(p,n)Co58 reaction in inverse kinematics with a 3.66±0.12 MeV/nucleon Fe58 beam (corresponding to 3.69±0.12 MeV proton energy in normal kinematics) yielded a cross-section of 20.3±6.3 mb and served as a proof of principle experiment for the new technique demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving the required performance criteria. This novel approach paves the way for studying astrophysically important (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei produced at FRIB.

Original language	English
Article number	013074
Journal	Physical Review Research
Volume	7
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013074
State	Published - Jan 2025

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Nuclear Physics program under Awards No. DE-SC-0022538 (CMU) and No. DE-SC-0014384 (SECAR) and under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 (ORNL), and Grant No. DE-FG02-88ER40387 (Ohio), and by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Awards No. PHY-1624942 (SECAR), No. PHY-1430152 (JINA-CEE), No. PHY-2209429, and No. PHY-1102511 (NSCL) and has also benefited from NSF support under award No. OISE-1927130 (IReNA). This research used resources from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. We would like to thank Patrick O'Malley from the University of Notre Dame for providing the target foil used in this works.

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Tsintari, P., Dimitrakopoulos, N., Garg, R., Hermansen, K., Marshall, C., Montes, F., Perdikakis, G., Schatz, H., Setoodehnia, K., Arora, H., Berg, G. P. A., Bhandari, R., Blackmon, J. C., Brune, C. R., Chipps, K. A., Couder, M., Deibel, C., Hood, A., Gamage, M. H., ... Zegers, R. G. T. (2025). Machine learning enabled measurements of astrophysical (p,n) reactions with the SECAR recoil separator. Physical Review Research, 7(1), Article 013074. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013074

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title = "Machine learning enabled measurements of astrophysical (p,n) reactions with the SECAR recoil separator",

abstract = "The synthesis of heavy elements in supernovae is affected by low-energy (n,p) and (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei, yet experimental data on such reaction rates are scarce. The SECAR (SEparator for CApture Reactions) recoil separator at FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) was originally designed to measure astrophysical reactions that change the mass of a nucleus significantly. We used a novel approach that integrates machine learning with ion-optical simulations to find an ion-optical solution for the separator that enables the measurement of (p,n) reactions, despite the reaction leaving the mass of the nucleus nearly unchanged. A new measurement of the Fe58(p,n)Co58 reaction in inverse kinematics with a 3.66±0.12 MeV/nucleon Fe58 beam (corresponding to 3.69±0.12 MeV proton energy in normal kinematics) yielded a cross-section of 20.3±6.3 mb and served as a proof of principle experiment for the new technique demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving the required performance criteria. This novel approach paves the way for studying astrophysically important (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei produced at FRIB.",

author = "P. Tsintari and N. Dimitrakopoulos and R. Garg and K. Hermansen and C. Marshall and F. Montes and G. Perdikakis and H. Schatz and K. Setoodehnia and H. Arora and Berg, {G. P.A.} and R. Bhandari and Blackmon, {J. C.} and Brune, {C. R.} and Chipps, {K. A.} and M. Couder and C. Deibel and A. Hood and Gamage, {M. Horana} and R. Jain and C. Maher and S. Miskovich and J. Pereira and T. Ruland and Smith, {M. S.} and M. Smith and I. Sultana and C. Tinson and A. Tsantiri and A. Villari and L. Wagner and Zegers, {R. G.T.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 authors. Published by the American Physical Society.",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013074",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

journal = "Physical Review Research",

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Tsintari, P, Dimitrakopoulos, N, Garg, R, Hermansen, K, Marshall, C, Montes, F, Perdikakis, G, Schatz, H, Setoodehnia, K, Arora, H, Berg, GPA, Bhandari, R, Blackmon, JC, Brune, CR, Chipps, KA, Couder, M, Deibel, C, Hood, A, Gamage, MH, Jain, R, Maher, C, Miskovich, S, Pereira, J, Ruland, T, Smith, MS, Smith, M, Sultana, I, Tinson, C, Tsantiri, A, Villari, A, Wagner, L & Zegers, RGT 2025, 'Machine learning enabled measurements of astrophysical (p,n) reactions with the SECAR recoil separator', Physical Review Research, vol. 7, no. 1, 013074. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013074

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AU - Tsintari, P.

AU - Dimitrakopoulos, N.

AU - Garg, R.

AU - Hermansen, K.

AU - Marshall, C.

AU - Montes, F.

AU - Perdikakis, G.

AU - Schatz, H.

AU - Setoodehnia, K.

AU - Arora, H.

AU - Berg, G. P.A.

AU - Bhandari, R.

AU - Blackmon, J. C.

AU - Brune, C. R.

AU - Chipps, K. A.

AU - Couder, M.

AU - Deibel, C.

AU - Hood, A.

AU - Gamage, M. Horana

AU - Jain, R.

AU - Maher, C.

AU - Miskovich, S.

AU - Pereira, J.

AU - Ruland, T.

AU - Smith, M. S.

AU - Smith, M.

AU - Sultana, I.

AU - Tinson, C.

AU - Tsantiri, A.

AU - Villari, A.

AU - Wagner, L.

AU - Zegers, R. G.T.

PY - 2025/1

Y1 - 2025/1

N2 - The synthesis of heavy elements in supernovae is affected by low-energy (n,p) and (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei, yet experimental data on such reaction rates are scarce. The SECAR (SEparator for CApture Reactions) recoil separator at FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) was originally designed to measure astrophysical reactions that change the mass of a nucleus significantly. We used a novel approach that integrates machine learning with ion-optical simulations to find an ion-optical solution for the separator that enables the measurement of (p,n) reactions, despite the reaction leaving the mass of the nucleus nearly unchanged. A new measurement of the Fe58(p,n)Co58 reaction in inverse kinematics with a 3.66±0.12 MeV/nucleon Fe58 beam (corresponding to 3.69±0.12 MeV proton energy in normal kinematics) yielded a cross-section of 20.3±6.3 mb and served as a proof of principle experiment for the new technique demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving the required performance criteria. This novel approach paves the way for studying astrophysically important (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei produced at FRIB.

AB - The synthesis of heavy elements in supernovae is affected by low-energy (n,p) and (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei, yet experimental data on such reaction rates are scarce. The SECAR (SEparator for CApture Reactions) recoil separator at FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) was originally designed to measure astrophysical reactions that change the mass of a nucleus significantly. We used a novel approach that integrates machine learning with ion-optical simulations to find an ion-optical solution for the separator that enables the measurement of (p,n) reactions, despite the reaction leaving the mass of the nucleus nearly unchanged. A new measurement of the Fe58(p,n)Co58 reaction in inverse kinematics with a 3.66±0.12 MeV/nucleon Fe58 beam (corresponding to 3.69±0.12 MeV proton energy in normal kinematics) yielded a cross-section of 20.3±6.3 mb and served as a proof of principle experiment for the new technique demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving the required performance criteria. This novel approach paves the way for studying astrophysically important (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei produced at FRIB.

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JO - Physical Review Research

JF - Physical Review Research

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ER -

Machine learning enabled measurements of astrophysical (p,n) reactions with the SECAR recoil separator

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