Investigation of α-decay of 148Sm resonance states

Abstract By means of two large multisectional grid ionization chambers the yield of the 147 Sm (n, α) 144 Nd reaction in the neutron energy interval E n ≈ 0–230 eV was measured. The α-particle spectra of the decay of 14 resonances were obtained. The values of the total α-widths or their upper limits were calculated for 24 resonances. The partial α-widths of transitions to the ground and two first excited levels of the final nucleus and the spin of 10 resonances are given. A comparison of the partial and total α-widths with statistical-model predictions was made. The prediction of the α-width distribution is reasonably consistent with the experimental one. This may be regarded as a confirmation of the Porter-Thomas assumptions concerning the distribution of partial α-widths and the independence of fluctuations of the reduced α-widths in the individual exit channels. There was made an attempt to interpret some of the results obtained and their relationship to decay characteristics on the basis of the semi-microscopic description of high excited states proposed by V.G. Soloviev.