Recoil isomer tagging in the proton-rich odd-odd N = 77 isotones, 142Tb and 144Ho

A fusion-evaporation reaction has been employed to search for isomeric states in the near-proton drip-line N577 isotones, 65 142Tb and 67 144Ho. The recoiling nuclei were implanted into a silicon detector at the focal plane of a gas-filled separator, where a recoil isomer tagging technique was employed to correlate prompt and delayed g-ray transitions across isomeric states. New states were observed to be built upon a known 15-ms isomer in 142Tb and the feeding and decay of a new 500(20)-ns isomeric state was established in 144Ho. This measurement represents the first observation of excited states in 144Ho. The behavior of the new states above the isomers suggests that they are built upon l…

Identification of new transitions feeding the high-spin isomers in $^{139}$Nd and $^{140}$Nd nuclei

The population of the high-spin isomers in 139Nd and 140Nd was investigated using the 96Zr(48Ca,xn) reaction and the JUROGAM + RITU + GREAT setup employing the recoil decay tagging technique. Three transitions feeding the 23/2+ isomer in 139Nd and two transitions feeding the 20+ isomer in 140Nd were identified. The newly observed transitions allowed the excitation energy of the isomer to be established in 139Nd and to assign configurations to the states and bands deexcited by the observed transitions in both nuclei. peerReviewed

Isospin Character of Low-Lying Pygmy Dipole States inPb208via Inelastic Scattering ofO17Ions

The properties of pygmy dipole states in Pb-208 were investigated using the Pb-208(O-17, O-17'gamma) reaction at 340 MeV and measuring the gamma decay with high resolution with the AGATA demonstrator array. Cross sections and angular distributions of the emitted gamma rays and of the scattered particles were measured. The results are compared with (gamma, gamma') and (p, p') data. The data analysis with the distorted wave Born approximation approach gives a good description of the elastic scattering and of the inelastic excitation of the 2(+) and 3(-) states. For the dipole transitions a form factor obtained by folding a microscopically calculated transition density was used for the first t…

In-beam spectroscopy of $^{253,254}$No

In-beam conversion electron spectroscopy experiments have been performed on the transfermium nuclei 253,254No using the conversion electron spectrometer SACRED in nearly collinear geometry in conjunction with the gas-filled separator RITU at the University of Jyvaskyla. The experimental setup is discussed and the spectra are compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The implications for the ground-state configuration of 253No are discussed.

Recoil isomer tagging in the proton-rich odd-oddN=77isotones, 65142Tband 67144Ho

Effects of one valence proton on seniority and angular momentum of neutrons in neutron-rich Sb51122–131 isotopes

Background: Levels fulfilling the seniority scheme and relevant isomers are commonly observed features in semimagic nuclei; for example, in Sn isotopes (Z=50). Seniority isomers in Sn, with dominantly pure neutron configurations, directly probe the underlying neutron-neutron (νν) interaction. Furthermore, an addition of a valence proton particle or hole, through neutron-proton (νπ) interaction, affects the neutron seniority as well as the angular momentum. Purpose: Benchmark the reproducibility of the experimental observables, like the excitation energies (EX) and the reduced electric-quadrupole transition probabilities [B(E2)], with the results obtained from shell-model interactions for ne…

Isomers and high-spin structures in the N=81 isotones Xe135 and Ba137

The high-spin structures of the N = 81 isotones 135Xe and 137Ba are investigated after multinucleontransfer (MNT) and fusion-evaporation reactions. Both nuclei are populated in (i) 136Xe+238U and (ii) 136Xe+208Pb MNT reactions employing the high-resolution Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA, (iii), in the 136Xe+198Pt MNT reaction employing the -ray array GAMMASPHERE in combination with the gas detector array Chico, and (iv) via a 11B+130Te fusion-evaporation reaction. The high-spin level schemes of 135Xe and 137Ba are considerably extended to higher energies. The 2058-keV (19=2 ) state in 135Xe is identified as an isomer, completing the systema…

Lifetime measurements in neutron-rich63,65Co isotopes using the AGATA demonstrator

Lifetimes of the low-lying (11/2-) states in 63,65Co have been measured employing the recoil distance doppler shift method (RDDS) with the AGATA γ-ray array and the PRISMA mass spectrometer. These nuclei were populated via a multinucleon transfer reaction by bombarding a 238U target with a beam of 64Ni. The experimental B(E2) reduced transition probabilities for 63,65Co are well reproduced by large-scale shell-model calculations that predict a constant trend of the B(E2) values up to the N=40 67Co isotope

Influence of fusion barrier distributions on spin populations

Abstract Heavy-ion fusion barrier distributions are now routinely obtained directly from experimental data. By measuring the total γ -ray multiplicity for the 58 Ni + 60 Ni system, which has a striking yet well understood barrier distribution, we show that some evidence of the barrier structures is present in the derived spin populations. In particular, very high spins can be populated at energies rather close to (and even below) the ‘nominal’ Coulomb barrier.

Kr369660 –Low- Z Boundary of the Island of Deformation at N=60

Prompt γ-ray spectroscopy of the neutron-rich $^{96}$Kr, produced in transfer- and fusion-induced fission reactions, has been performed using the combination of the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array and the VAMOS++ spectrometer. A second excited state, assigned to $J^π$ = $4^+$, is observed for the first time, and a previously reported level energy of the first 2+ excited state is confirmed. The measured energy ratio R4/2 = E($4^+$)/E($2^+$) = 2.12(1) indicates that this nucleus does not show a well-developed collectivity contrary to that seen in heavier N = 60 isotones. This new measurement highlights an abrupt transition of the degree of collectivity as a function of the proton number at Z = …

Conceptual design and infrastructure for the installation of the first AGATA sub-array at LNL

WOS: 000295765100014

Spectroscopy of transfermium nuclei: No-252(102)

An in-beam study of excited states in the transfermium nucleus 252 No has been performed using the recoil separator RITU together with the JUROSPHERE II array at the University of Jyväskylä. This is the second transfermium nucleus studied in an in-beam experiment. Levels up to spin 20 were populated and compared to levels in 254 No . An upbend is seen at a frequency of 200 keV/ħ corresponding to spin 16. We also use an improved systematics to connect the energy of the lowest 2 + state with its half-life and find that the deformation of both 2 5 2 , 2 5 4 No is slightly larger than previously assumed. peerReviewed

Lifetime measurement of neutron-rich even-even molybdenum isotopes

D. Ralet et al. -- 11 pags., 10 figs., 3 tabs.

Lifetime measurements in Ti52,54 to study shell evolution toward N=32

Lifetimes of the excited states in the neutron-rich Ti-52,Ti-54 nuclei, produced in a multinucleon-transfer reaction, were measured by employing the Cologne plunger device and the recoil-distance D ...

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

Performance of a gamma-ray tracking array: Characterizing the AGATA array using a 60Co source

International audience; The AGATA (Advanced GAmma Tracking Array) tracking detector is being designed to far surpass the performance of the previous generation, Compton-suppressed arrays. In this paper, a characterization of AGATA is provided based on data from the second GSI campaign. Emphasis is placed on the proper corrections required to extract the absolute photopeak efficiency and peak-to-total ratio. The performance after tracking is extracted and GEANT4 simulations are used both to understand the results and to scale the measurements up to predicted values for the full 4π implementation of the device.

High-spin structures in Xe132 and Xe133 and evidence for isomers along the N=79 isotones

Author(s): Vogt, A; Siciliano, M; Birkenbach, B; Reiter, P; Hadynska-Klȩk, K; Wheldon, C; Valiente-Dobon, JJ; Teruya, E; Yoshinaga, N; Arnswald, K; Bazzacco, D; Blazhev, A; Bracco, A; Bruyneel, B; Chakrawarthy, RS; Chapman, R; Cline, D; Corradi, L; Crespi, FCL; Cromaz, M; De Angelis, G; Eberth, J; Fallon, P; Farnea, E; Fioretto, E; Fransen, C; Freeman, SJ; Fu, B; Gadea, A; Gelletly, W; Giaz, A; Gorgen, A; Gottardo, A; Hayes, AB; Hess, H; Hetzenegger, R; Hirsch, R; Hua, H; John, PR; Jolie, J; Jungclaus, A; Karayonchev, V; Kaya, L; Korten, W; Lee, IY; Leoni, S; Liang, X; Lunardi, S; MacChiavelli, AO; Menegazzo, R; Mengoni, D; Michelagnoli, C; Mijatovic, T; Montagnoli, G; Montanari, D; Muller-…

High-spin study of neutron-deficient $^{114}$Xe

Abstract High-spin states have been populated in 114 54 Xe via the 58 Ni( 58 Ni, 2p) reaction at 210 MeV, using the Jurosphere γ -ray spectrometer to record γ -ray coincidences. The known level scheme has been significantly extended and includes two positive-parity and three negative-parity structures. At the highest spins, one of the negative-parity bands becomes yrast and shows the characteristics of a smoothly terminating band. Quadrupole moments for two of the bands at high spin have been estimated through a Doppler-broadened lineshape analysis; the terminating band has a reduced quadrupole moment implying that it is not far from full termination into a noncollective oblate state. Extra…

Recoil-isomer tagging techniques at RITU

Techniques have been developed to study isomeric states in nuclei with the use of RITU (gas filled separator) at the University of Jyvaskyla. The first was the recoil-isomer tagging technique initially, utilised by D.M. Cullen to study the K π = 8− isomeric state in 138Gd [1]. The juro-sphere array was employed in conjunction with ritu and a focal plane array which consisted of several Compton-suppressed Germanium detectors, placed in close geometry around a multi wire proportional counter (mwpc) and a silicon strip detector used for the implantation of recoiling nuclei. This technique correlates prompt and delayed γ-ray transitions across isomeric states and identifies the lifetime of the …

Evidence of octupole-phonons at high spin in 207Pb

A lifetime measurement of the 19/2 state in Pb has been performed using the Recoil Distance Doppler-Shift (RDDS) method. The nuclei of interest were produced in multi-nucleon transfer reactions induced by a Pb beam impinging on a Mo enriched target. The beam-like nuclei were detected and identified in terms of their atomic mass number in the VAMOS++ spectrometer while the prompt γ rays were detected by the AGATA tracking array. The measured large reduced transition probability B(E3,19/2→13/2)=40(8) W.u. is the first indication of the octupole phonon at high spin in Pb. An analysis in terms of a particle-octupole-vibration coupling model indicates that the measured B(E3) value in Pb is compa…

Pairing-quadrupole interplay in the neutron-deficient tin nuclei: First lifetime measurements of low-lying states in 106,108Sn

The lifetimes of the low-lying excited states 2(+) and 4(+) have been directly measured in the neutron-deficient Sn-106,Sn-108 isotopes. the nuclei were populated via a deep-inelastic reaction and the lifetime measurement was performed employing a differential plunger device. the emitted gamma rays were detected by the AGATA array, while the reaction products were uniquely identified by the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer. Large-Scale Shell-Model calculations with realistic forces indicate that, independently of the pairing content of the interaction, the quadrupole force is dominant in the B(E2; 2(1)(+) -> 0(g.s)(+)) values and it describes well the experimental pattern for Sn104-114 ; the B…

Spin distributions at the Coulomb barrier in the $^{58}$Ni+$^{60}$Ni fusion reaction from gamma-ray multiplicity measurements

Abstract Heavy-ion fusion barrier distributions are now routinely obtained directly from experimental data. Measurements of the total γ-ray multiplicity for the fusion channels of the 58 Ni + 60 Ni system, which has striking yet well understood barrier structures, confirm the theoretical predictions that very high spins can be populated at energies close to (and even below) the nominal Coulomb barrier. The mapping from multiplicities to spin populations shows that structures in the barrier distribution are still evident in the γ-ray results.

Performance of the Advanced GAmma Tracking Array at GANIL

The performance of the Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) at GANIL is discussed, on the basis of the analysis of source and in-beam data taken with up to 30 segmented crystals. Data processing is described in detail. The performance of individual detectors are shown. The efficiency of the individual detectors as well as the efficiency after $\gamma$-ray tracking are discussed. Recent developments of $\gamma$-ray tracking are also presented. The experimentally achieved peak-to-total is compared with simulations showing the impact of back-scattered $\gamma$ rays on the peak-to-total in a $\gamma$-ray tracking array. An estimate of the achieved position resolution using the Doppler broadeni…

Fission and Quasi-Fission Dynamics Near the Coulomb Barrier: $\gamma$ Rays as Probe for their Timescale

International audience; The overlap in the mass symmetric region of the reaction products from fusion-fission and quasi-fission complicates the assignment of symmetric events to complete fusion on the basis of the mass distribution alone. Additional observables, besides mass distribution, should be used. The method proposed here relies on the fact that fusion-fission and quasifission are characterized by a different timescale. Within this framework we performed a detailed study to find out if timescales can be probed via angular momentum as measured via γ rays multiplicity. The proof of principle was carried out by measuring the γ rays in coincidence with two fragments in the reaction 32S +…

Recoil Isomer Tagging on Proton-Rich Odd–Odd N=77 Isotones 142Tb and 144Ho

The isomeric structure of the N=77 isotones 14265Tb and 14467Ho have been studied with the 92Mo(54Fe, xpn) fusion evaporation reaction at the University of Jyväskylä. The Jurospehere II germanium array was employed in conjunction with the RITU gas filled recoil separator. The feeding and decay of a 500(20) ns isomeric state in 144Ho has been established for the first time together with states built upon the known 15 μs isomer in 142Tb. The behavior of these new structures above the isomers suggest that they are low deformation configurations which display signs of triaxiality. peerReviewed

The Structure of Heavy Octupole and Superheavy Quadrupole Deformed Nuclei

We report here experimental attempts to determine the sign of the electric dipole moment (relative to the electric octupole moment) in the octupole deformed nucleus 226Ra. Sensitivity to this quantity is observed in the measured yields of γ-ray transitions following very low energy Coulomb excitation. Recent progress is also reported in the development of new spectroscopic techniques that promise to elucidate the structure of deformed superheavy nuclei in the region of 254No. The 4+ → 2+ transition in 254No, as well as higher spin transitions, has been identified using recoil-tagged conversion electron spectroscopy. peerReviewed

Search for fingerprints of tetrahedral symmetry in 156gd

Theoretical predictions suggest the presence of tetrahedral symmetry as an explanation for the vanishing intra-band E2 transitions at the bottom of the odd-spin negative-parity band in 156Gd. The present study reports on experiment performed to address this phenomenon. It allowed to remove certain ambiguouities related to the intra-band E2 transitions in the negative-parity bands, to determine the new inter-band transitions and reduced probability ratios B(E2)/B(E1) and, for the first time, to determine the experimental uncertainties related to the latter observable. peerReviewed

Gamma rays as probe of fission and quasi-fission dynamics in the reaction 32S + 197Au near the Coulomb barrier

International audience; Compound nucleus fission and quasi-fission are both binary decay channels whose common properties make the experimental separation between them difficult. A way to achieve this separation could be to probe the angular momentum of the binary fragments. This can be done detecting gamma rays in coincidence with the two fragments. As a case study, the reaction 32S + 197Au near the Coulomb barrier has been performed at the Tandem ALTO facility at IPN ORSAY. ORGAM and PARIS, two different gamma detectors arrays, are coupled with the CORSET detector, a two-arm time-of-flight spectrometer. TOF-TOF data were analyzed to reconstruct the mass-energy distribution of the primary …

High-spin structure of Xe134

A. Vogt et al. ; 12 págs.; 9 figs.; 1 tab.

Search for Fingerprints of Tetrahedral Symmetry in $^{156}Gd$

Theoretical predictions suggest the presence of tetrahedral symmetry as an explanation for the vanishing intra-band E2-transitions at the bottom of the odd-spin negative parity band in $^{156}Gd$. The present study reports on experiment performed to address this phenomenon. It allowed to determine the intra-band E2 transitions and branching ratios B(E2)/B(E1) of two of the negative-parity bands in $^{156}Gd$.

Low-lying electric dipole gamma-continuum for the unstable Fe-62,64 nuclei : Strength evolution with neutron number

6 pags., 4 figs.

Evidence of Partial Seniority Conservation in the pi g9/2 Shell for the N=50 Isotones

The reduced transition probabilities for the 4-> and 2->0 transitions in 92Mo and 94Ru and for the 4->2 and 6->4 transitions in 90Zr have been determined in this experiment making use of a multinucleon transfer reaction. These results have been interpreted on the basis of realistic shell-model calculations in the f5/2, p3/2, p1/2, and g9/2 proton valence space. Only the combination of extensive lifetime information and large scale shell-model calculations allowed the extent of the seniority conservation in the N=50 g9/2 orbital to be understood. The conclusion is that seniority is largely conserved in the first πg9/2 orbital.

Effects of one valence proton on seniority and angular momentum of neutrons in neutron-rich $^{122-131}$Sb$_{51}$ isotopes

The neutron-rich $^{122-131}$Sb isotopes were produced as fission fragments in the reaction $^{9}$Be($^{238}$U,~f) with 6.2 MeV/u beam energy. An unique setup, consisting of AGATA, VAMOS++ and EXOGAM detectors, was used which enabled the prompt-delayed gamma-ray ($\gamma$) spectroscopy of fission fragments in the time range of 100 ns - 200 $\mu$s. New isomers, prompt and delayed transitions were established in the even-A $^{122-130}$Sb isotopes. In the odd-A $^{123-131}$Sb isotopes, new prompt and delayed $\gamma$-ray transitions were identified, in addition to the confirmation of the previously known isomers. The half-lives of the isomeric states and the $B(E2)$ transition probabilities of…

Study of isomeric states in $^{198,200,202,206}$Pb and $^{206}$Hg populated in fragmentation reactions

International audience; Isomeric states in isotopes in the vicinity of doubly-magic 208Pb were populatedfollowing reactions of a relativistic 208Pb primary beam impinging on a9Be fragmentation target. Secondary beams of 198,200,202,206Pb and 206Hg wereisotopically separated and implanted in a passive stopper positioned in thefocal plane of the GSI Fragment Separator. Delayed γ rays were detected withthe Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA). Decay schemes were reevaluatedand interpreted with shell-model calculations. The momentumdependentpopulation of isomeric states in the two-nucleon hole nuclei206Pb/206Hg was found to differ from the population of multi neutron-holeisomeric states in 198…

Pseudospin Symmetry and Microscopic Origin of Shape Coexistence in the Ni78 Region: A Hint from Lifetime Measurements

Lifetime measurements of excited states of the light N = 52 isotones 88 Kr , 86 Se , and 84 Ge have been performed, using the recoil distance Doppler shift method and VAMOS and AGATA spectrometers for particle identification and gamma spectroscopy, respectively. The reduced electric quadrupole transition probabilities B ( E 2 ; 2 + → 0 + ) and B ( E 2 ; 4 + → 2 + ) were obtained for the first time for the hard-to-reach 84 Ge . While the B ( E 2 ; 2 + → 0 + ) values of 88 Kr , 86 Se saturate the maximum quadrupole collectivity offered by the natural valence ( 3 s , 2 d , 1 g 7 / 2 , 1 h 11 / 2 ) space of an inert 78 Ni core, the value obtained for 84 Ge largely exceeds it, suggesting that sh…

High-spin structure in the transitional nucleus Xe131 : Competitive neutron and proton alignment in the vicinity of the N=82 shell closure

The transitional nucleus 131Xe is investigated after multinucleon transfer (MNT) in the 136Xe+208Pb and 136Xe+238U reactions employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy and as an elusive reaction product in the fusion-evaporation reaction 124Sn(11B,p3n) 131Xe employing the HORUS γ-ray array coupled to a double-sided silicon strip detector (DSSSD) at the University of Cologne, Germany. The level scheme of 131Xe is extended to 5 MeV. A pronounced backbending is observed at ~ω ≈ 0.4 MeV along the negative-parity one-quasiparticle νh11/2(α = −1/2) band. The results are compared to t…

AGATA-Advanced GAmma Tracking Array

WOS: 000300864200005

Isospin Properties of Nuclear Pair Correlations from the Level Structure of the Self-Conjugate Nucleus Ru88

The low-lying energy spectrum of the extremely neutron-deficient self-conjugate (N = Z) nuclide 88 44Ru44 has been measured using the combination of the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) spectrometer, the NEDA and Neutron Wall neutron detector arrays, and the DIAMANT charged particle detector array. Excited states in 88Ru were populated via the 54Fe(36Ar; 2n )88Ru fusion-evaporation reaction at the Grand Acc�el�erateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) accelerator complex. The observed -ray cascade is assigned to 88Ru using clean prompt - -2-neutron coincidences in anti-coincidence with the detection of charged particles, con�rming and extending the previously assigned sequence of low-lyin…