Research Projects

The gamma-ray strength function (GSF) is one of the intrinsic properties of a given nucleus. Information on the GSF at all gamma energies is fundamental not only to the understanding of the basic processes taking place inside the nucleus but also for understanding various nuclear-astrophysical processes. Detailed information on the low energy part of the GSF (energies less than 3 MeV) is very scant. Recently, an enhancement in the GSF is discovered in this energy range, which has started an intense debate in the nuclear physics community about its origins. In this project, we would like to investigate the GSF in the nuclei in 90 mass region. Specific attention would be given to Zirconium and Molybdenum isotopes for which calculations from a theoretical model are also available. Excited states in these nuclei for their gamma decay study will be populated using inelastic scattering reactions with beams of proton and alpha particles. Experiments will be conducted using accelerator facilities in India and abroad (iThemba LABS in South Africa), with the gamma spectrometer present in these facilities.