High-Statistics Sub-Barrier Coulomb Excitation of $^{106,108,110}$Sn

International audience; A Coulomb excitation campaign on $^{106,108,110}$Sn at 4.4–4.5 MeV/u was launched at the HIE-ISOLDE facility at CERN. Larger excitation cross sections and γ-ray statistics were achieved compared to previous experiments at ∼2.8 MeV/u. More precise $(B(E2;0_{1}^{ + } \to 2_{1}^{ + }))$ values, lifetimes of states via the Doppler shift attenuation method, and new $(B(E2;0_{1}^{ + } \to 2_{x}^{ + })), (B(E2;2_{1}^{ + } \to 4_{1}^{ + }))$ and $(Q(2_{1}^{ + }))$ values from the new Miniball data will be obtained and applied to test modern nuclear structure theories.

The neutron-rich Mg isotopes: first results from MINIBALL at REX-ISOLDE

After the successful commissioning of the Radioactive beam EXperiment (REX) at ISOLDE (CERN) in 2002, first physics experiments were performed in 2003 which focussed on the neutron-rich Mg isotopes in the vicinity of the “island of inversion”. After introducing the REX facility and the modern γ spectrometer MINIBALL first preliminary results will be presented showing the high potential and physics opportunities offered by this new radioactive beam facility.

Commissioning of the CALIFA Barrel Calorimeter of the R3B Experiment at FAIR

5 pags., 4 figs. -- FAIRNESS2019: FAIR NExt generation ScientistS 20-24 May 2019, Arenzano, Genova, Italy

pp and ππ intensity interferometry in collisions of Ar+KCl at 1.76A GeV

Results on pp, π+π+, and π-π- intensity interferometry are reported for collisions of Ar+KCl at 1.76$A$~GeV beam energy, studied with the High Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) at SIS18/GSI. The experimental correlation functions as a function of the relative momentum are compared to model calculations allowing the determination of the space-time extent of the corresponding emission sources. The π π source radii are found significantly larger than the pp emission radius. The present radii do well complement the source-size excitation functions of the collision system of size $A+A \simeq 40+40$. The pp source radius at fixed beam energy is found to increase linearly with the cube r…

Thermonuclear reactionS30(p,γ)Cl31studied via Coulomb breakup ofCl31

Coulomb breakup at high energy in inverse kinematics of proton-rich Cl-31 was used to constrain the thermonuclear S-30(p,gamma)Cl-31 capture reaction rate under typical Type I x-ray burst conditions. This reaction is a bottleneck during rapid proton-capture nucleosynthesis (rp process), where its rate depends predominantly on the nuclear structure of Cl-31. Two low-lying states just above the proton-separation threshold of S-p = 296( 50) keV in Cl-31 have been identified experimentally using the (RB)-B-3-LAND setup at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung GmbH. Both states are considered to play a key role in the thermonuclear S-30( p,gamma)Cl-31 capture reaction. Excitation ene…

First Measurement of Severalβ-Delayed Neutron Emitting Isotopes BeyondN=126

The β-delayed neutron emission probabilities of neutron rich Hg and Tl nuclei have been measured together with β-decay half-lives for 20 isotopes of Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi in the mass region N≳126. These are the heaviest species where neutron emission has been observed so far. These measurements provide key information to evaluate the performance of nuclear microscopic and phenomenological models in reproducing the high-energy part of the β-decay strength distribution. This provides important constraints on global theoretical models currently used in r-process nucleosynthesis.

Identification of a millisecond isomeric state inCd81129via the detection of internal conversion and Compton electrons

Abstract The decay of an isomeric state in the neutron-rich nucleus 129 Cd has been observed via the detection of internal conversion and Compton electrons providing first experimental information on excited states in this nucleus. The isomer was populated in the projectile fission of a 238 U beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. From the measured yields of γ -rays and internal conversion electrons, a multipolarity of E 3 was tentatively assigned to the isomeric transition. A half-life of T 1 / 2 = 3.6 ( 2 ) ms was determined for the new state which was assigned a spin of ( 21 / 2 + ) , based on a comparison to shell model calculations performed using state-of-the-art reali…

Determination of the Bi209(n,γ)Bi210g cross section using the NICE detector

The capture cross section of $^{209}\mathrm{Bi}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{210g}\mathrm{Bi}$ was measured at different astrophysically relevant energies including thermal capture cross section (25 meV), resonance integral, and the Maxwellian averaged cross section at a thermal energy of $kT=30$ keV. The partial capture cross section $({\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g})$ was determined using the activation technique and by measuring the $^{210}\mathrm{Po}$ activity. The newly developed and tested NICE detector setup was used to measure the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ activity of the $^{210}\mathrm{Po}$. Using this setup the thermal and resonance integral cross sections were determined to be $16.2\phantom{\ru…

Beta decay and isomer spectroscopy in the 132Sn region: New results from EURICA

A. Jungclaus et al.; XX International School on Nuclear Physics, Neutron Physics and Applications (Varna2013); Open Access. 4 pags.; 1 fig.

βdecay of semi-magicCd130: Revision and extension of the level scheme ofIn130

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion under contract FPA2011-29854-C04 and the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad under Contract No. FPA2014-57196-C5- 4-P, the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) under Grant No. PROMETEO/2010/101, the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (NRF-2014S1A2A2028636, 2016K1A3A7A09005579), the Priority Centers Research Program in Korea (2009-0093817), OTKA Contract No. K-100835, JSPS KAKENHI (Grant No. 25247045), the European Commission through the Marie Curie Actions call FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF under Contract No. 300096, the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physic…

Nuclear structure of Te isotopes beyond neutron magic number N=82

15 pags., 10 figs., 4 tabs.

“Safe” Coulomb Excitation ofMg30

We report on the first radioactive beam experiment performed at the recently commissioned REX-ISOLDE facility at CERN in conjunction with the highly efficient γ spectrometer MINIBALL. Using Mg-30 ions accelerated to an energy of 2.25 MeV/u together with a thin Ni-nat target, Coulomb excitation of the first excited 2(+) states of the projectile and target nuclei well below the Coulomb barrier was observed. From the measured relative deexcitation γ-ray yields the B(E2;0(gs)(+)R 2(1)(+)) value of Mg-30 was determined to be 241(31)e(2) fm(4). Our result is lower than values obtained at projectile fragmentation facilities using the intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation method, and confirms the …

Erratum: Evidence for a Smooth Onset of Deformation in the Neutron-Rich Kr Isotopes [Phys. Rev. Lett.108, 062701 (2012)]

Shape evolution in116,118Ru: Triaxiality and transition between the O(6) and U(5) dynamical symmetries

${}^{116}\mathrm{Ru}$ and ${}^{118}\mathrm{Ru}$ have been studied via $\ensuremath{\beta}$-delayed $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy of nuclei produced in fragmentation reactions at the Radioactive Ion-Beam Factory (RIBF) facility. Level schemes with positive-parity states up to spin $J=6$ have been constructed. The results have been discussed in terms of the interacting boson model, the algebraic collective model, and total Routhian surfaces. We conclude that the very neutron-rich nuclei still show many features associated with triaxial $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-soft nuclei, represented by the O(6) symmetry, but are approaching a spherical structure, the U(5) symmetry, with increasing neu…

Coulomb Excitation of Neutron-Rich Zn Isotopes: First Observation of the21+State inZn80

Neutron-rich, radioactive Zn isotopes were investigated at the Radioactive Ion Beam facility REX-ISOLDE (CERN) using low-energy Coulomb excitation. The energy of the 2(1)+ state in 78Zn could be firmly established and for the first time the 2+ --> 0(1)+ transition in 80Zn was observed at 1492(1) keV. B(E2,2(1)+ --> 0(1)+) values were extracted for (74,76,78,80)Zn and compared to large scale shell model calculations. With only two protons outside the Z=28 proton core, 80Zn is the lightest N=50 isotone for which spectroscopic information has been obtained to date. Two sets of advanced shell model calculations reproduce the observed B(E2) systematics. The results for N=50 isotones indicate a g…

Pygmy dipole resonance in 124Sn populated by inelastic scattering of 17O

L. Pellegri et al. ; 5 pags. ; 6 figs. ; open access article under the CC BY license. Funded by SCOAP3

Isomers inPd128andPd126: Evidence for a Robust Shell Closure at the Neutron Magic Number 82 in Exotic Palladium Isotopes

The level structures of the very neutron-rich nuclei $^{128}\mathrm{Pd}$ and $^{126}\mathrm{Pd}$ have been investigated for the first time. In the $r$-process waiting-point nucleus $^{128}\mathrm{Pd}$, a new isomer with a half-life of $5.8(8)\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ is proposed to have a spin and parity of ${8}^{+}$ and is associated with a maximally aligned configuration arising from the ${g}_{9/2}$ proton subshell with seniority $\ensuremath{\upsilon}=2$. For $^{126}\mathrm{Pd}$, two new isomers have been identified with half-lives of 0.33(4) and $0.44(3)\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$. The yrast ${2}^{+}$ energy is much higher in $^{128}\mathrm{Pd}$ than in…

Yrast 6+Seniority Isomers of136,138Sn

Delayed γ-ray cascades, originating from the decay of (6⁺) isomeric states, in the very neutron-rich, semimagic isotopes (136,138)Sn have been observed following the projectile fission of a ²³⁸U beam at RIBF, RIKEN. The wave functions of these isomeric states are proposed to be predominantly a fully aligned pair of f(7/2) neutrons. Shell-model calculations, performed using a realistic effective interaction, reproduce well the energies of the excited states of these nuclei and the measured transition rates, with the exception of the B(E2;6⁺→4⁺) rate of ¹³⁶Sn, which deviates from a simple seniority scheme. Empirically reducing the νf(7/2)(2) orbit matrix elements produces a 4₁⁺ state with alm…

Determination of beta-delayed neutron emission probability limits of rhodium isotopes by gamma-ray spectroscopy

9 pags., 5 figs., 5 tabs. -- 27th International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC2019) 29 July - 2 August 2019, Glasgow, UK

Corrigendum to: “Shape dynamics in neutron-rich Kr isotopes: Coulomb excitation of 92Kr, 94Kr and 96Kr” [Nucl. Phys. A 899 (2013) 1–28]

Proton Shell Evolution below Sn132 : First Measurement of Low-Lying β -Emitting Isomers in Ag123,125

The β-delayed γ-ray spectroscopy of neutron-rich 123;125Ag isotopes is investigated at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of RIKEN and the long-predicted 1/2¯ β-emitting isomers in 123;125Ag are identified for the first time. With the new experimental results, the systematic trend of energy spacing between the lowest 9/2+ and 1/2¯ levels is extended in Ag isotopes up to N = 78, providing a clear signal for the reduction of the Z = 40 subshell gap in Ag towards N = 82. Shellmodel calculations with the state-of-the-art VMU plus M3Y spin-orbit interaction give a satisfactory description of the low-lying states in 123;125Ag. The tensor force is found to play a crucial role in the evolution of…

Single-neutron orbits near 78 Ni: Spectroscopy of theN=49isotope 79 Zn

Single-neutron states in the Z=30, N=49isotope 79Zn have been populated using the 78Zn(d,p)79Zn transfer reaction at REX-ISOLDE, CERN. The experimental setup allowed the combined detection of protons ejected in the reaction, and of γrays emitted by 79Zn. The analysis reveals that the lowest excited states populated in the reaction lie at approximately 1MeV of excitation, and involve neutron orbits above the N=50shell gap. From the analysis of γ-ray data and of proton angular distributions, characteristic of the amount of angular momentum transferred, a5/2+configuration was assigned to a state at 983keV. Comparison with large-scale-shell-model calculations supports a robust neutron N=50shell…

First observation ofγrays emitted from excited states south-east ofSn132: Theπg9/2−1⊗νf7/2multiplet ofIn83132

For the first time, the γ decay of excited states has been observed in a nucleus situated in the quadrant south-east of doubly magic Sn132, a region in which experimental information so far is limited to ground-state properties. Six γ rays with energies of 50, 86, 103, 227, 357, and 602 keV were observed following the β-delayed neutron emission from Cd85133, populated in the projectile fission of a U238 beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN within the EURICA project. The new experimental information is compared to the results of a modern realistic shell-model calculation, the first one in this region very far from stability, focusing in particular on the π0g9/2-1 - ν1f7/2 pa…

β-Decay Half-Lives of 110 Neutron-Rich Nuclei across theN=82Shell Gap: Implications for the Mechanism and Universality of the AstrophysicalrProcess

The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay half-lives of 110 neutron-rich isotopes of the elements from $_{37}\mathrm{Rb}$ to $_{50}\mathrm{Sn}$ were measured at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. The 40 new half-lives follow robust systematics and highlight the persistence of shell effects. The new data have direct implications for $r$-process calculations and reinforce the notion that the second ($A\ensuremath{\approx}130$) and the rare-earth-element ($A\ensuremath{\approx}160$) abundance peaks may result from the freeze-out of an $(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})\ensuremath{\rightleftarrows}(\ensuremath{\gamma},n)$ equilibrium. In such an equilibrium, the new half-lives are important factors determining t…

Observation of a $\gamma$-decaying millisecond isomeric state in $^{128}$Cd$_{80}$

A. Jungclaus et al. -- 6 pags., 5 figs., 2 tabs. -- Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 4.0

β -decay half-lives and β -delayed neutron emission probabilities for several isotopes of Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi, beyond N=126

Background: Previous measurements of Beta-delayed neutron emitters comprise around 230 nuclei, spanning from the 8He up to 150La. Apart from 210Tl, with a minuscule branching ratio of 0.07%, no other neutron emitter is measured yet beyond A = 150. Therefore new data are needed, particularly in the heavy mass region around N=126, in order to guide theoretical models and to understand the formation of the third r-process peak at A 195. Purpose: To measure both, Beta-decay half-lives and neutron branching ratios of several neutron-rich Au, Hg, Tl, Pb and Bi isotopes beyond N = 126. Method: Ions of interest are produced by fragmentation of a 238U beam, selected and identifed via the GSI-FRS fra…

1p3/2Proton-Hole State inSn132and the Shell Structure AlongN=82

5 pags. ; 3 figs. ; PACS numbers: 23.40.-s, 21.10.Pc, 27.60.+j, 21.60.Cs ; Taprogge, J., et al.

Monopole-Driven Shell Evolution below the Doubly Magic Nucleus Sn132 Explored with the Long-Lived Isomer in Pd126

A new isomer with a half-life of 23.0(8) ms has been identified at 2406 keV in (126)Pd and is proposed to have a spin and parity of 10(+) with a maximally aligned configuration comprising two neutron holes in the 1h(11/2) orbit. In addition to an internal-decay branch through a hindered electric octupole transition, β decay from the long-lived isomer was observed to populate excited states at high spins in (126)Ag. The smaller energy difference between the 10(+) and 7(-) isomers in (126)Pd than in the heavier N=80 isotones can be interpreted as being ascribed to the monopole shift of the 1h(11/2) neutron orbit. The effects of the monopole interaction on the evolution of single-neutron energ…

New isomers in $^{125}$Pd$_{79}$ and $^{127}$Pd$_{81}$: Competing proton and neutron excitations in neutron-rich palladium nuclides towards the $N = 82$ shell closure

The neutron-rich isotopes of palladium have attracted considerable interest in terms of the evolution of the N=82 neutron shell closure and its influence on the r-process nucleosynthesis. In this Letter, we present the first spectroscopic information on the excited states in Pd and Pd studied using the EURICA γ-ray spectrometer, following production via in-flight fission of a high-intensity U beam at the RIBF facility. New isomeric states with half-lives of 144(4) ns and 39(6) μs have been assigned spins and parities of (23/2 ) and (19/2 ) in Pd and Pd, respectively. The observed level properties are compared to a shell-model calculation, suggesting the competition between proton excitation…

Superallowed Gamow-Teller decay of the doubly magic nucleus $^{100}$Sn

Expérience au GSI; The shell structure of atomic nuclei is associated with 'magic numbers' and originates in the nearly independent motion of neutrons and protons in a mean potential generated by all nucleons. During b1-decay, a proton transforms into a neutron in a previously not fully occupied orbital, emitting a positron-neutrino pair with either parallel or antiparallel spins, in a Gamow-Teller or Fermi transition, respectively. The transition probability, or strength, of a Gamow-Teller transition depends sensitively on the underlying shell structure and is usually distributed among many states in the neighbouring nucleus. Here we report measurements of the half-life and decay energy fo…

β-decay and β-delayed Neutron Emission Measurements at GSI-FRS Beyond N=126, for r-process Nucleosynthesis

New measurements of very exotic nuclei in the neutron-rich region beyond N=126 have been performed at the GSI facility with the fragment separator (FRS). The aim of the experiment is to determine half-lives and β-delayed neutron emission branching ratios of isotopes of Hg, Tl and Pb in this region. This contribution summarizes final counting statistics for identification and for implantation, as well as the present status of the data analysis of the half-lives. In summary, isotopes of Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Po, At, Rn and Fr were clearly identified and several of them (208-211Hg, 211-215Tl, 214-218Pb) were implanted with enough statistics to determine their half-lives. About half of them a…

Isomer and beta decay spectroscopy in the132Sn region with EURICA

A. Jungclaus et al.; 4 págs.; 1 fig.; Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 2.0

Evolution of proton single-particle states in neutron-rich Sb isotopes beyond N=82

11 pags., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

Impact of shell evolution on Gamow-Teller β decay from a high-spin long-lived isomer in 127Ag

6 pags., 4 figs., 2 tabs.