Search for a Josephson-like effect in the 116Sn + 60Ni system

The pairing interaction, responsible for the two-nucleon correlation, plays a fundamental role in defining the low-energy spectra of atomic nuclei and the properties of their ground state. The effect of pairing correlations in the reaction dynamics can be explored by using heavy-ion reactions, in particular those involving a transfer of few nucleons. In this context, an interesting analogy between the nuclear pairing and the Cooper pairing in superconductors can be investigated through heavy-ion collisions, focusing on nucleon-pair transfer and searching for a possible effect, predicted by a BCS-like theory applied to nuclei: the Josephson Effect. The idea was already suggested in the ’70s, but only recently more quantitative calculations, assisted by promising experimental results, revived the interest on the subject and ignited a more systematic research. The transfer of neutron Cooper pairs was therefore studied through the interaction between two superfluid nuclei, 116Sn and 60Ni, using the Advances Gamma-Ray Tracking Spectrometer AGATA and the large-acceptance magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at Legnaro National Laboratorries, INFN. The work presented in this Master Thesis includes the analysis of the data obtained from the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer and preliminary results for the γ-ray spectra from the AGATA array.