0000000000256320
AUTHOR
Karlheinz Langanke
Beta decay of $^{56}$Cu
AbstractThe proton-rich isotope 56 Cu was produced at the GSI On-Line Mass Separator by means ofthe 28 Si( 32 S, p3n) fusion–evaporation reaction. Its β -decay properties were studied by detecting β -delayed γ rays and protons. A half-life of 93± 3 ms was determined for 56 Cu. Compared to theprevious work, six new γ rays and three new levels were assigned to the daughter nucleus 56 Ni. Themeasured Gamow–Teller strength values for five 56 Ni levels are compared toshell-model predictions. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 21.10.-k; 23.40.-s; 21.60.Cs; 27.40.+zKeywords: R ADIOACTIVITY 56 Cu ( β + ) [from 28 Si( 32 S, p3n)]; Measured E γ , I ; Deduced β -intensity and β -st…
Discovery of an Exceptionally Strong β -Decay Transition of F20 and Implications for the Fate of Intermediate-Mass Stars
A significant fraction of stars between 7 and 11 solar masses are thought to become supernovae, but the explosion mechanism is unclear. The answer depends critically on the rate of electron capture on ^{20}Ne in the degenerate oxygen-neon stellar core. However, because of the unknown strength of the transition between the ground states of ^{20}Ne and ^{20}F, it has not previously been possible to fully constrain the rate. By measuring the transition, we establish that its strength is exceptionally large and that it enhances the capture rate by several orders of magnitude. This has a decisive impact on the evolution of the core, increasing the likelihood that the star is (partially) disrupte…
Qvalue and half-life of double-electron capture in184Os
The observation of neutrinoless double-beta transitionswould reveal physics beyond the Standard Model, asit would establish neutrinos to be Majorana particles,which implies a violation of the lepton number conserva-tion. Experiments searching for these transitions have fo-cused on the detection of neutrinoless double-beta decay(0 ) rather than neutrinoless double-electron capture(0). One reason among others is in general the sig-ni cantly shorter half-life of the 0 process. However,in the case of neutrinoless double-electron capture, thetransition is expected to be resonantly enhanced if theinitial and the nal state of the transition are degeneratein energy [1{3].In this work, we inves…
Electron Capture Processes in Intermediate Mass stars
Intermediate mass stars develop a degenerate core constituted of O, Ne and Mg during their evolution. As the density in the core increases electron capture sets in igniting Ne and O burning. Particularly important is electron capture on 20Ne that has been found recently to be dominated by a second forbidden transition from the 0+ ground state of 20Ne to the 2+ ground state of 20F. We have performed shell–model calculations to determine the transition strength and provide an updated value of the electron capture rate and the expected branching ratio to the corresponding β–decay process. peerReviewed
Muonic radioactive atoms - a unique probe for nuclear structure
Muonic atoms have been a source of high-precision experimental nuclear structure data for decades, through muonic X-rays that yield information on nuclear charge distributions. The intense driver beams for production of radioactive beams in so-called second generation facilities will simultaneously be capable of producing unprecedented amounts of low-energy muons. This paper concerns some of the potential synergies of combining unions with radioactive nuclei. as one possible new tool to be used at future RIB facilities. As a case study, muonic capture rates into highly excited states in Ni-78 have been calculated.
The triple-alpha-reaction at low temperatures.
We have studied the triple-α-reaction at low temperatures which is of importance on accreting white dwarfs and neutron stars. Although we have improved a recent investigation of Nomoto, Thielemann and Miyaji on several points, we find a reaction rate for the relevant temperature range (T=107−108K) which is rather similar to the previous result. In particular, our improved study confirms that helium might be ignited on accreting white dwarfs at temperaturesT≦4.107 K.
The Role of Fission in the r-process
We have developed a full set of fission rates that include spontaneous fission, neutron-induced fission, beta-delayed fission and, neutrino-induced fission, that are supplemented with realistic distributions of fission yields. Using this new input data we have carried out r-process calculations assuming adiabatic expansions that mimic the conditions achieved in the supernova neutrino driven wind. We have explored the sensitivity of the final abundances to different mass models. The resulting abundance distribution turns out to be very sensitive to the strength of the N = 82 shell gap far from stability. Mass models with a strong shell gap converge to an r-process distribution that is indepe…
Measurement of the 2+→0+ ground-state transition in the β decay of F20
We report the first detection of the second-forbidden, nonunique, 2+→0+, ground-state transition in the β decay of F20. A low-energy, mass-separated F+20 beam produced at the IGISOL facility in Jyvaskyla, Finland, was implanted in a thin carbon foil and the β spectrum measured using a magnetic transporter and a plastic-scintillator detector. The β-decay branching ratio inferred from the measurement is bβ=[0.41±0.08(stat)±0.07(sys)]×10-5 corresponding to logft=10.89(11), making this one of the strongest second-forbidden, nonunique β transitions ever measured. The experimental result is supported by shell-model calculations and has significant implications for the final evolution of stars tha…