Determination of Compound Nuclear Lifetimes by the Blocking Technique

Abstract

We report the results of a comprehensive computer simulation of angular distributions of 4.0-MeV protons scattered by a 3-μm-thick Ge crystal and emerging near a $〈110〉$ direction. They show that interpretation of measured blocking distributions to obtain short nuclear lifetimes is strongly dependent on the recoil direction and depth distribution of the recoiling compound nuclei in the crystal. This dependence is explained in terms of the associated flux peaking effect in particle channeling.