Experimental determination of the $$^{23}$$Na(p,p)$$^{23}$$Na excitation function from 2.1 to 4.1 MeV

Abstract Differential cross-section measurements for the elastic backscattering of protons from $$^{23}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>23</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> Na, for incident energies ranging from 2.1 to 4.1 MeV, were conducted using a 3 MV Tandem accelerator, with a beam directed onto a 35.7 $$\mu $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>μ</mml:mi> </mml:math> g/cm $$^2$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> sodium fluoride film deposited on a thin self-supporting Ag substrate. Proton backscattering spectra were recorded using a PIPS detector placed at $$157^\circ $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>157</mml:mn> <mml:mo>∘</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:math> relative to the beam direction. Cross-sections were determined by comparing proton yields from $$^{23}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>23</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> Na and Ag, the latter treated as Rutherford scatterer, with an overall average uncertainty estimated below 8%. A comparison with previously published data is presented and the effects of the overlapping $$\mathrm {^{23}Na(p,\alpha _1)^{20}Ne}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>23</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mi>Na</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>20</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mi>Ne</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , $$\mathrm {^{19}F(p,\alpha _3)^{16}O}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>19</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mi>F</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>16</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and $$\mathrm {^{19}F(p,\alpha _4)^{16}O}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>19</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mi>F</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>16</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> reactions are discussed. A simplified R-matrix analysis was conducted to assess the consistency between the literature level scheme and the present dataset, demonstrating satisfactory agreement. Finally, to provide an additional test of the overall validity of the measured elastic cross-section and R-matrix results, two thick target benchmark experiments are presented.