Investigation of resonance phenomena in the 16O+16O system

Resonance phenomena in 16O+16O reactions have been observed for several decades. The work contained in this thesis adds to the growing body of evidence for resonance phenomena in this system. In this thesis the 16O(16O,16O* → 12Cg.s.+α)16Og.s.16O(16O,16O* → 12Cg.s.+α)16O* → 12Cg.s.+α reactions have been investigated at laboratory beam energies between 52 MeV to 94 MeV, in steps of 2 MeV to 4 MeV. The experiment was performed at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, using the 14UD Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. The measurement formed part of the commissioning program for a new CHARISSA Strip Detector Array with newly installed electronics and data acquisition system. The analysis of the experimental data acquired, involved the development of a new technique to identify specific break-up reactions, without the necessity for explicit particle identification. An angular correlation investigation was used to determine the dominant partial wave associated with enhancements observed in the excitation functions produced. Three structures were observed in the excitation function for single excitation to the 41+ 10.35 MeV excited state in 16O* at Ec.m.≅ 30, 36 and 39 MeV. The structures at Ec.m.≅ 30 and 36 MeV have been assigned partial wave contributions of L'= 18 or 20 and L= 22 or 24, respectively. Two structures were also observed in the excitation function for single excitation to the 42+ 11.09 MeV excited state in 16O* at Ec.m.≅ 32 and 36 MeV. The structure at Ec.m.≅ 36 MeV has been assigned a dominant partial wave contribution of L'= 22. Two structures observed in the excitation function for single excitation to the 23+ 11.52 MeV excited state 16O* at Ec.m.≅ 36 and 37 MeV have both been assigned dominant partial wave contributions of L'= 20 or 22. The enhancements observed in this investigation are discussed with comparison to enhancements observed in other investigations of resonance phenomena in the 16O+16O system. In particular, enhancements observed in the excitation functions for the single and mutual excitation of 16O* to the 02+ 6.05 MeV and 31- 6.13 MeV excited states. Tentative evidence is presented which supports the assignment of the 41+ 10.35 MeV excited state in 16O* to the Kπ= 0+ 4p-4h rotational band and the 42+ 11.09 MeV excited state in 16O* to the tetrahedral rotational band. (author)