Evolution of nuclear structure in neutron-rich odd-Zn isotopes and isomers

Collinear laser spectroscopy was performed on Zn (Z=30) isotopes at ISOLDE, CERN. The study of hyperfine spectra of nuclei across the Zn isotopic chain, N=33–49, allowed the measurement of nuclear spins for the ground and isomeric states in odd-A neutron-rich nuclei up to N=50. Exactly one long-lived (&

β decay of Ni75 and the systematics of the low-lying level structure of neutron-rich odd- A Cu isotopes

Background: Detailed spectroscopy of neutron-rich odd-A Cu isotopes is of great importance for studying the shell evolution in the region of Ni78. While there is experimental information on excited states in Cu69−73,77,79 isotopes, the information concerning Cu75 is very limited. Purpose: Experimentally observed single-particle, core-coupling, and proton-hole intruder states in Cu75, will complete the systematics of these states in the chain of isotopes. Method: Excited states in Cu75 were populated in the β decay of Ni75 isotopes. The Ni nuclei were produced by the in-flight fission of U238 projectiles, and were separated, identified, and implanted in a highly segmented Si detector array f…

Is Seniority a Partial Dynamic Symmetry in the First $\nu g_{9/2}$ Shell?

The low-lying structures of the midshell νg9/2 Ni isotopes 72Ni and 74Ni have been investigated at the RIBF facility in RIKEN within the EURICA collaboration. Previously unobserved low-lying states were accessed for the first time following β decay of the mother nuclei 72Co and 74Co. As a result, we provide a complete picture in terms of the seniority scheme up to the first (8+) levels for both nuclei. The experimental results are compared to shell-model calculations in order to define to what extent the seniority quantum number is preserved in the first neutron g9/2 shell. We find that the disappearance of the seniority isomerism in the (81+) states can be explained by a lowering of the se…

Investigating the large deformation of the 5/2+ isomeric state in Zn73 : An indicator for triaxiality

Shape staggering of midshell mercury isotopes from in-source laser spectroscopy compared with density-functional-theory and Monte Carlo shell-model calculations

Neutron-deficient Hg177-185 isotopes were studied using in-source laser resonance-ionization spectroscopy at the CERN-ISOLDE radioactive ion-beam facility in an experiment combining different detection methods tailored to the studied isotopes. These include either α-decay tagging or multireflection time-of-flight gating for isotope identification. The endpoint of the odd-even nuclear shape staggering in mercury was observed directly by measuring for the first time the isotope shifts and hyperfine structures of Hg177-180. Changes in the mean-square charge radii for all mentioned isotopes, magnetic dipole, and electric quadrupole moments of the odd-A isotopes and arguments in favor of I=7/2 s…

Dipole and quadrupole moments of Cu73–78 as a test of the robustness of the Z=28 shell closure near Ni78

Nuclear spins and precise values of the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments of the ground-states of neutron-rich $^{76-78}$Cu isotopes were measured using the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at ISOLDE, CERN. The nuclear moments of the less exotic $^{73,75}$Cu isotopes were re-measured with similar precision, yielding values that are consistent with earlier measurements. The moments of the odd-odd isotopes, and $^{78}_{29}$Cu ($N=49$) in particular, are used to investigate excitations of the assumed doubly-magic $^{78}$Ni core through comparisons with large-scale shell-model calculations. Despite the narrowing of the $Z=28$ shell gap between $N\sim45…

Quadrupole moments of odd-A 53−63Mn: Onset of collectivity towards N=40

Physics letters / B 760, 387 - 392 (2016). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2016.07.016

Enhanced Quadrupole and Octupole Strength in Doubly Magic Sn132

The first 2+ and 3- states of the doubly magic nucleus Sn132 are populated via safe Coulomb excitation employing the recently commissioned HIE-ISOLDE accelerator at CERN in conjunction with the highly efficient MINIBALL array. The Sn132 ions are accelerated to an energy of 5.49 MeV/nucleon and impinged on a Pb206 target. Deexciting γ rays from the low-lying excited states of the target and the projectile are recorded in coincidence with scattered particles. The reduced transition strengths are determined for the transitions 0g.s.+→21+, 0g.s.+→31-, and 21+→31- in Sn132. The results on these states provide crucial information on cross-shell configurations which are determined within large-sca…

Changes in nuclear structure along the Mn isotopic chain studied via charge radii

The hyperfine spectra of $^{51,53-64}$Mn were measured in two experimental runs using collinear laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE, CERN. Laser spectroscopy was performed on the atomic $3d^5\ 4s^2\ ^{6}\text{S}_{5/2}\rightarrow 3d^5\ 4s4p\ ^{6}\text{P}_{3/2}$ and ionic $3d^5\ 4s\ ^{5}\text{S}_2 \rightarrow 3d^5\ 4p\ ^{5}\text{P}_3$ transitions, yielding two sets of isotope shifts. The mass and field shift factors for both transitions have been calculated in the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock framework and were combined with a King plot analysis in order to obtain a consistent set of mean-square charge radii which, together with earlier work on neutron-deficient Mn, allow the study of nuclear struc…

Nuclear charge radii of 62−80Zn and their dependence on cross-shell proton excitations

Nuclear charge radii of 62−80Zn have been determined using collinear laser spectroscopy of bunched ion beams at CERN-ISOLDE. The subtle variations of observed charge radii, both within one isotope and along the full range of neutron numbers, are found to be well described in terms of the proton excitations across the Z=28 shell gap, as predicted by large-scale shell model calculations. It comprehensively explains the changes in isomer-to-ground state mean square charge radii of 69−79Zn, the inversion of the odd-even staggering around N=40 and the odd-even staggering systematics of the Zn charge radii. With two protons above Z=28, the observed charge radii of the Zn isotopic chain show a cum…

$^{78}$Ni revealed as a doubly magic stronghold against nuclear deformation

Nuclear magic numbers, which emerge from the strong nuclear force based on quantum chromodynamics, correspond to fully occupied energy shells of protons, or neutrons inside atomic nuclei. Doubly magic nuclei, with magic numbers for both protons and neutrons, are spherical and extremely rare across the nuclear landscape. While the sequence of magic numbers is well established for stable nuclei, evidence reveals modifications for nuclei with a large proton-to-neutron asymmetry. Here, we provide the first spectroscopic study of the doubly magic nucleus $^{78}$Ni, fourteen neutrons beyond the last stable nickel isotope. We provide direct evidence for its doubly magic nature, which is also predi…

Characterization of the shape-staggering effect in mercury nuclei

In rare cases, the removal of a single proton (Z) or neutron (N) from an atomic nucleus leads to a dramatic shape change. These instances are crucial for understanding the components of the nuclear interactions that drive deformation. The mercury isotopes (Z = 80) are a striking example1,2: their close neighbours, the lead isotopes (Z = 82), are spherical and steadily shrink with decreasing N. The even-mass (A = N + Z) mercury isotopes follow this trend. The odd-mass mercury isotopes 181,183,185Hg, however, exhibit noticeably larger charge radii. Due to the experimental difficulties of probing extremely neutron-deficient systems, and the computational complexity of modelling such heavy nucl…