Impact of a low-energy enhancement in the gamma-ray strength function on the radiative neutron-capture

Abstract

A low-energy enhancement of the gamma-ray strength function in several light and medium-mass nuclei has been observed recently in 3He-induced reactions. The effect of this enhancement on (n,gamma) cross-sections is investigated for stable and unstable neutron-rich Fe, Mo and Cd isotopes. Our results indicate that the radiative neutron capture cross sections may increase considerably due to the low-energy enhancement when approaching the neutron drip line. This could have non-negligible consequences on r-process nucleosynthesis calculations.