An experimental procedure for measuring reaction cross-sections of light ions in the energy range 20–50 MeV/nucleon, using a modified attenuation technique, is described. The detection method incorporates a forward detector that simultaneously measures the reaction cross-sections for five different sizes of the solid angle in steps from 99.1% to 99.8% of the total solid angle. The final reaction cross-section values are obtained by extrapolation to the full solid angle.

Reaction cross sections for α-particles have been measured for 9Be, 12C, 16O, 28Si, 40Ca, 58,60Ni, 112,116,120,124Sn, and 208Pb at 117.2, 163.9 and 192.4 MeV and for the lighter nuclei also at 69.6 MeV. The results are compared with predictions from optical model calculations using phenomenological, global and double-folded optical potentials. Comparisons are also made with predictions using the Glauber model approach suggested by Bertsch, Brown and Sagawa.

Reaction cross sections for deuterons have been measured for {sup 9}Be, {sup 12}C, {sup 16}O, {sup 28}Si, {sup 40,48}Ca, {sup 58,60}Ni, {sup 112,116,120,124}Sn, and {sup 208}Pb at 37.9, 65.5, and 97.4 MeV. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

Using a standard beam attenuation technique, proton total-reaction cross sections (σR) were measured for seven even isotopes of tin (112,114,116,118,120,122,124Sn) from 22 to 48 MeV with a typical accuracy of 2–3%. Two parameterizations of the data are presented, one based on an expression for the nuclear transparency, and the other on a semiempirical relation that has recently been developed.

Proton total reaction cross sections (sigma(R)) have been measured for the nuclei Ca-42, Ca-44, and 48Ca at seven energies each between 20.8 and 48.0 MeV. The experimental results plus our previously Measured sigma(R) values for Ca-40 are compared to the results of optical model analyses, both nonrelativistic and relativistic, of an extensive set of elastic scattering data for the same calcium isotopes in this energy range. The experimental results are also compared to global optical model predications. In general, the theoretical values are in good agreement with the experimental results, with a slight preference for the relativistic analysis. In addition, our results are used in nuclear transparency calculations, which show that over the range of energies studied, the average nuclear transparency decreases by almost 15%.

Measurements of proton total reaction cross sections for 6Li, 7Li, 14N, 20Ne and 40Ar have been made in the energy range 23 to 49 MeV, using a variation of a standard attenuation technique. The measured cross sections are compared with optical-model and nuclear-transparency calculations.

Proton total reaction cross sections have been measured for the nuclei 159Tb, 181Ta and 197Au at seven proton energies between 20 and 48 MeV using an attenuation technique. The experimentally determined energy dependence of the total reaction cross sections is compared with results obtained for black nucleus and optical model calculations.