INTERPLAY OF DIRECT AND COMPOUND-NUCLEUS MECHANISMS IN NEUTRON CAPTURE BY LIGHT NUCLIDESOak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 USA S. Kahane Nuclear Research Centre-Negev, Bear Sheva, Israel J.E. Lynn Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell OX11 ORA, England We discuss the direct-capture theory pertaining to primary electric-dipole (El) transitions following slow-neutron capture. For approximately 20 light nuclides that we have studied, estimates of direct-capture cross sections using optical-model potentials with physically realistic parameters are in reasonable agreement with the data. Minor disagreements that exist are consistent with extrapolations to light nuclides of generally accepted formulations of compound-nucleus capture. In dealing with nuclei "soft" to vibrations, we have considered the possible effects of coupling of the collective motion with the optical potential in the framework of R-matrix theory. In such cases, we find that the inclusion of "inelastic" channels results in systematic changes in the calculated cross sections. |