New fission fragment distributions and r-process origin of the rare-earth elements.

Neutron star (NS) merger ejecta offer a viable site for the production of heavy r-process elements with nuclear mass numbers A≳140. The crucial role of fission recycling is responsible for the robustness of this site against many astrophysical uncertainties, but calculations sensitively depend on nuclear physics. In particular, the fission fragment yields determine the creation of 110≲A≲170 nuclei.

Indication of reactor ν(e) disappearance in the Double Chooz experiment.

The Double Chooz experiment presents an indication of reactor electron antineutrino disappearance consistent with neutrino oscillations. An observed-to-predicted ratio of events of 0.944±0.

No enhancement of fusion probability by the neutron halo of 6He.

Quantum tunnelling through a potential barrier (such as occurs in nuclear fusion) is very sensitive to the detailed structure of the system and its intrinsic degrees of freedom. A strong increase of the fusion probability has been observed for heavy deformed nuclei. In light exotic nuclei such as 6He, 11Li and 11Be (termed 'halo' nuclei), the neutron matter extends much further than the usual nuclear interaction scale.

Large enhancement of the sub-barrier fusion probability for a halo nucleus.

The fusion-fission cross sections of the 4He+238U and 6He+238U systems have been measured, at Louvain-la-Neuve, for energies around and below the Coulomb barrier, using an array of Si detectors surrounding a UF4 target. The data taken with 4He are in good agreement with previous data and with the coupled channel fusion calculation performed with ECIS. The 6He data show a regular trend with a large enhancement below the barrier which is attributed to the halo structure of the 6He nucleus.