Dipole excitations of neutron-proton asymmetric nuclei

Dipole excitations of unstable short-lived nuclei has been investigated experimentally by utilizing the electromagnetic-excitation process with high-energy secondary beams. From an exclusive measurement of the neutron-decay channels, differential cross sections with respect to excitation energy, which are directly related to the photo-absorption cross section and accordingly to the dipole-strength function, have been derived. Light neutron-rich nuclei in the mass range fromA = 11 toA = 23 with mass-over-charge ratios up toA/Z≈ 2.8 have been investigated systematically. Much in contrast to stable nuclei, low-lying dipole excitations well below the giant dipole resonance region have been obse…

Structure of the As, Ge, Ga nuclei

Abstract The level structures of the N = 50 83As, 82Ge, and 81Ga isotones have been investigated by means of multi-nucleon transfer reactions. A first experiment was performed with the CLARA–PRISMA setup to identify these nuclei. A second experiment was carried out with the GASP array in order to deduce the γ-ray coincidence information. The results obtained on the high-spin states of such nuclei are used to test the stability of the N = 50 shell closure in the region of 78Ni ( Z = 28 ). The comparison of the experimental level schemes with the shell-model calculations yields an N = 50 energy gap value of 4.7(3) MeV at Z = 28 . This value, in a good agreement with the prediction of the fini…

Measurements of the dipole response with radioactive beams

Systematic investigation of the drip-line nuclei 11Li and 14Be and their unbound subsystems 10Li and 13Be

Fragmentation reactions in a carbon target with beams of 11Li and 14Be at relativistic energies have been studied in a kinematically complete experiment at the ALADIN-LAND setup at GSI. Excited states in 11Li and 14Be were obtained from the data in the inelastic channel. The measured cross sections with the core nucleus in the final state show that in the 14Be case core polarization plays an important role. In the one-neutron knockout channels the measured angular correlations between fragment and neutron are asymmetric, which demonstrates the presence of states with different parities in the 11Li and 14Be ground states. For 10Li a low-lying virtual s-state, a p-state and evidence for a d-s…

Measurement of the Dipole Polarizability of the Unstable Neutron-Rich NucleusNi68

The E1 strength distribution in Ni68 has been investigated using Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics at the RB3-LAND setup and by measuring the invariant mass in the one- and two-neutron decay channels. The giant dipole resonance and a low-lying peak (pygmy dipole resonance) have been observed at 17.1(2) and 9.55(17) MeV, respectively. The measured dipole polarizability is compared to relativistic random phase approximation calculations yielding a neutron-skin thickness of 0.17(2) fm. A method and analysis applicable to neutron-rich nuclei has been developed, allowing for a precise determination of neutron skins in nuclei as a function of neutron excess.

Exclusive measurement of breakup reactions with the one-neutron halo nucleus11Be

Electromagnetic and nuclear inelastic scattering of the halo nucleus ${}^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ have been investigated by a measurement of the one-neutron removal channel, utilizing a secondary ${}^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ beam with an energy of 520 MeV/nucleon impinging on lead and carbon targets. All decay products, i.e., ${}^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ fragments, neutrons, and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays have been detected in coincidence. Partial cross sections for the population of ground and excited states in ${}^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ were determined for nuclear diffractive breakup as well as for electromagnetically induced breakup. The partial cross sections for ground-state transitions have been differentiated fur…

Development of quadrupole collectivity in the neutron-rich Ni, Zn, Ge, and Se isotopes

An experiment was performed to study the collective properties of neutron-rich Ni, Zn, Ge, and Se isotopes. Of particular interest is the vicinity of the N = 50 and Z = 28 shell closures. For most neutron-rich nuclei in this region of the chart of nuclei the B(E2) values of the transitions from the ground to the first excited 2+ states are unknown. This information would give valuable insight into the changes in nuclear structure when going to more neutron-rich nuclei.

Lithium isotopes beyond the drip line

The unbound isotopes 10Li, 12Li and 13Li have been observed after nucleon-knockout reactions at relativistic energies with 11Li and 14Be beams impinging on a liquid hydrogen target. The channels , and were analysed in the ALADIN-LAND setup at GSI. The 10Li data confirm earlier findings, while the 12Li and 13Li nuclei were observed for the first time. The relative-energy spectrum shows that the ground state of 12Li can be described as a virtual s-state with a scattering length of -13.7(1.6) fm. A broad energy spectrum was found for the channel. Based on the assumption that the relative-energy spectrum is dominated by a correlated background presumably stemming from initial correlations in th…

Evidence for Pygmy and Giant Dipole Resonances inSn130andSn132

The dipole strength distribution above the one-neutron separation energy was measured in the unstable $^{130}\mathrm{Sn}$ and the double-magic $^{132}\mathrm{Sn}$ isotopes. The results were deduced from Coulomb dissociation of secondary Sn beams with energies around $500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{\text{nucleon}}$, produced by in-flight fission of a primary $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ beam. In addition to the giant dipole resonance, a resonancelike structure (``pygmy resonance'') is observed at a lower excitation energy around 10 MeV exhausting a few percent of the isovector $E1$ energy-weighted sum rule. The results are discussed in the context of a predicted new dipole mode of excess neut…

Dipole response of neutron-rich Sn isotopes

The neutron-rich isotopes 129–133Sn were studied in a Coulomb excitation experiment at about 500 AMeV using the FRS-LAND setup at GSI. From the exclusive measurement of all projectile-like particles following the excitation and decay of the projectile in a high-Z target, the energy differential cross section can be extracted. At these beam energies dipole transitions are dominating, and within the semi-classical approach the Coulomb excitation cross sections can be transformed into photoabsorption cross sections. In contrast to stable Sn nuclei, a substantial fraction of dipole strength is observed at energies below the giant dipole resonance (GDR). For 130Sn and 132Sn this strength is loca…

Coulomb excitation of exotic nuclei at the R3B-LAND setup

Exotic Ni isotopes have been measured at the R3B-LAND setup at GSI in Darmstadt, using Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics at beam energies around 500 MeV/u. As the experimental setup allows kinematically complete measurements, the excitation energy was reconstructed using the invariant mass method. The GDR and additional low-lying strength have been observed in 68Ni, the latter exhausting 4.1(1.9)% of the E1 energy-weighted sum rule. Also, the branching ratio for the non-statistical decay of the excited 68Ni nuclei was measured and amounts to 24(4)%.

Sub-Barrier Coulomb Excitation ofSn110and Its Implications for theSn100Shell Closure

The first excited 2(+) state of the unstable isotope Sn-110 has been studied in safe Coulomb excitation at 2.82 MeV/u using the MINIBALL array at the REX-ISOLDE post accelerator at CERN. This is the first measurement of the reduced transition probability of this state using this method for a neutron deficient Sn isotope. The strength of the approach lies in the excellent peak-to-background ratio that is achieved. The extracted reduced transition probability, B(E2 : 0(+) -> 2(+)) 0.220 +/- 0.022e(2) b(2), strengthens the observation of the evolution of the B(E2) values of neutron deficient Sn isotopes that was observed recently in intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation of Sn-108. It implies …

Measurement of the92,93,94,100Mo(γ,n) reactions by Coulomb Dissociation

6th Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics Conference (NPA), Lisbon, Portugal, 19 May 2013 - 24 May 2013; Journal of physics / Conference Series 665, 012034 (2016). doi:10.1088/1742-6596/665/1/012034

Coulomb breakup of psd-shell neutron-rich nuclei

Inelastic scattering of loosely bound nuclei by Coulomb interaction at intermediate energies (400?600 MeV/nucleon) has been utilized as a spectroscopic tool for exotic nuclei. The observed electromagnetic dipole (E1) strength above the one neutron threshold of neutron-rich C, Be, B and O isotopes can be explained by a non-resonant transition of a neutron into the continuum. The shape of these strength distributions reflects properties of the wavefunction of the released neutron in the nucleus and hence ground-state properties of these isotopes. Neutron capture cross-sections such as for the 14C(n,?) 15C reaction which are of astrophysical relevance can be deduced indirectly.

Coulomb breakup of 23O

Abstract The ground-state structure of the near-drip-line nucleus 23O has been investigated in a one-neutron Coulomb breakup reaction. Differential cross sections d σ / d E * for electromagnetic excitation of 23O projectiles (422 MeV/nucleon) incident on a lead target have been obtained from the measurement of the momenta of all breakup products including γ rays. The analysis of the deduced dipole-transition probability into the continuum infers a 2 s 1 / 2 ⊗ O 22 ( 0 + ) ground state configuration with a spectroscopic factor of 0.77(10) and thus a ground-state spin I π ( O 23 ) = 1 / 2 + , resolving earlier conflicting experimental findings. Final-state interaction is of significant influe…

Target dependence in the study of collective modes in stable and exotic Ni nuclei

The appearance of the pygmy-dipole-resonance is a recently observed phenomenon that can be related to neutron-matter properties. Its study can be a tool to determine the nuclear symmetry-energy parameters and thus can contribute constraining neutron star models. We present the ( γ,n ) cross sections for different Ni isotopes obtained from a measurement in inverse kinematics at about 500 MeV/u in the LAND reaction setup at GSI. The question of the disentanglement of the Coulomb and nuclear contributions is addressed.

Photoneutron cross sections for unstable neutron-rich oxygen isotopes.

The dipole response of stable and unstable neutron-rich oxygen nuclei of masses A = 17 to A = 22 has been investigated experimentally utilizing electromagnetic excitation in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies about 600 MeV/nucleon. A kinematically complete measurement of the neutron decay channel in inelastic scattering of the secondary beam projectiles from a Pb target was performed. Differential electromagnetic excitation cross sections d sigma/dE were derived up to 30 MeV excitation energy. In contrast to stable nuclei, the deduced dipole strength distribution appears to be strongly fragmented and systematically exhibits a considerable fraction of low-lying strength.

Measurement of the dipole response of neutron-rich nuclei in the A∼20 region

Abstract Coulomb break up of the neutron-rich 15,17 C and 17–22 O isotopes has been studied experimentally using secondary beams at energies of 500–600 MeV/u. A comparison between differential cross sections, d σ/ d E ∗ , with that obtained from a binary model shows that the main ground-state configuration of 15 C is 14 C(0 + )⊗ ν S 1/2 as expected. For 17 C, our preliminary data analysis reveals that the predominant (∼64%) configuration of the ground state is 16 C(2 + )⊗ ν s , d . For 17–22 O, the low-lying E1 strength amounts up to about 12% of the energy weighted sum rule strength depending on neutron number. The energy weighted E1 strength (integrated up to 15 MeV excitation energy) inc…

Fragmentation of exotic oxygen isotopes

Abrasion-ablation models and the empirical EPAX parametrization of projectile fragmentation are described. Their cross section predictions are compared to recent data of the fragmentation of secondary beams of neutron-rich, unstable 19,20,21O isotopes at beam energies near 600 MeV/nucleon as well as data for stable 17,18O beams.

Nuclear symmetry energy and neutron skins derived from pygmy dipole resonances

By exploiting Coulomb dissociation of high-energy radioactive beams of the neutron-rich nuclei $^{129\ensuremath{-}132}\mathrm{Sn}$ and $^{133,134}\mathrm{Sb}$, their dipole-strength distributions have been measured. A sizable fraction of ``pygmy'' dipole strength, energetically located below the giant dipole resonance, is observed in all of these nuclei. A comparison with available pygmy resonance data in stable nuclei ($^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $N=82$ isotones) indicates a trend of strength increasing with the proton-to-neutron asymmetry. On theoretical grounds, employing the RQRPA approach, a one-to-one correlation is found between the pygmy strength and parameters describing the density d…

The dipole response of nuclei with large neutron excess

The dipole response of neutron-rich nuclei in the mass range from A = 10 to A = 22 and with mass to charge ratios of 2.5 to 2.8 has been invesitigated experimentally utilizing electromagnetic excitation in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies around 600 MeV/u.