Inclusive alpha production for the Li-6 + V-51 system

Background: Experimental and theoretical studies of nuclear reaction mechanism to understand relative contribution in large alpha production due to breakup, incomplete fusion, and transfer reactions induced by weakly bound projectiles near Coulomb barrier are important. Purpose: Measurement of angular distributions and energy spectra of alpha and deuterons through breakup, transfer, and incomplete fusion processes to disentangle their relative contributions and to investigate relative importance of breakup-fusion compared to transfer. Methods: Inclusive alpha production cross sections have been measured for the Li-6 + V-51 system near Coulomb barrier energies. Theoretical calculations for estimation of various reaction channels contributing to alpha production have been performed with a finite-range coupled reaction method using FRESCO code. The cross sections from noncapture breakup (alpha + d) and 1n, 1p, and 1d transfer channels, compound nuclear decay channels, and incomplete fusion leading to alpha production were estimated to get the cumulative production cross sections. Results: Contributions from breakup, transfer, and incomplete fusion channels could reproduce the integral direct alpha production cross sections and their angular distributions quite well. The direct alpha production cross sections are in agreement with other targets. The alpha production cross sections are higher compared to the deuteron production. Conclusions: Kinematic analysis of the energy spectra of alpha particles and deuterons suggest that a particle spectra is dominated by breakup fusion and deuteron spectra have contribution of breakup and transfer reactions. A systematic study of direct alpha production with various targets follow a universal behavior on average but noticeable differences are observed for different targets. A ratio of alpha and deuteron yields for a wide mass range of targets shows a saturation above barrier and an increasing production of alpha particles relative to deuteron around Coulomb barrier.