0000000000269898
AUTHOR
D. Ralet
On the Road to FAIR: 1st Operation of AGATA in PreSPEC at GSI
International audience; The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), under construction at Darmstadt will provide intense relativistic beams of exotic nuclei at its Superconducting-FRagment Separator. High-resolution in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy will be performed in the HISPEC experiment, using the European Advanced GAmma-ray Tracking Array (AGATA). The PreSPEC-AGATA campaign is the predecessor of HISPEC and runs from 2012 to 2014 at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH. Up to19 AGATA modules were used at GSI's F Ragment Separator in 2012. We report on the status of the experiment including preliminary results from performance commissioning.
Kr-96(36)60-Low-Z Boundary of the Island of Deformation at N=60
Prompt.-ray spectroscopy of the neutron-rich Kr-96, 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 pi = 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 R-4/2 = 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 = 36, of s…
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…
Lifetime measurements of excited states in neutron-rich Ti53 : Benchmarking effective shell-model interactions
Level lifetimes of the yrast (5/2(-)) to 13/2(-) states in the neutron-rich nucleus Ti-53, produced in a multinucleon-transfer reaction, have been measured for the first time. The recoil distance Doppler-shift method was employed and lifetimes of the excited states were extracted by a lineshape analysis aided by GEANT4-based Monte-Carlo simulations. The experiment was performed at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds facility in Caen, France, by using the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array for the gamma-ray detection coupled to the large-acceptance variable mode spectrometer for an event-by-event particle identification and the Cologne plunger for deep-inelastic reactions. Reduced trans…
Role of the Δ Resonance in the Population of a Four-Nucleon State in the Fe56→Fe54 Reaction at Relativistic Energies
The 54Fe nucleus was populated from a 56Fe beam impinging on a Be target with an energy of E=A ¼ 500 MeV. The internal decay via γ-ray emission of the 10þ metastable state was observed. As the structure of this isomeric state has to involve at least four unpaired nucleons, it cannot be populated in a simple two-neutron removal reaction from the 56Fe ground state. The isomeric state was produced in the low-momentum (-energy) tail of the parallel momentum (energy) distribution of 54Fe, suggesting that it was populated via the decay of the Δ0 resonance into a proton. This process allows the population of fournucleon states, such as the observed isomer. Therefore, it is concluded that the obser…
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 = …
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 ...
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.
Isospin symmetry in thesdshell: Transition strengths in the neutron-deficientsdshell nucleusAr33
Reduced transition strengths of the deexciting transitions from the first two excited states in 33Ar were measured in a relativistic Coulomb excitation experiment at the GSI Helmholtz center. The radioactive ion beam was produced by fragmentation of a primary 36Ar beam on a 9Be target followed by the selection of the reaction product of interest via the GSI Fragment Separator. The 33Ar beam hit a secondary 197Au target with an energy of approximately 145 MeV/nucleon. An array of high-purity germanium cluster detectors and large-volume BaF2 scintillator detectors were employed for γ -ray spectroscopy at the secondary target position. The Lund-York-Cologne Calorimeter was used to track the ou…
Conceptual design of the AGATA 1$\pi$ array at GANIL
The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) has been installed at the GANIL facility, Caen-France. This setup exploits the stable and radioactive heavy-ions beams delivered by the cyclotron accelerator complex of GANIL. Additionally, it benefits from a large palette of ancillary detectors and spectrometers to address in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of exotic nuclei. The set-up has been designed to couple AGATA with a magnetic spectrometer, charged-particle and neutron detectors, scintillators for the detection of high-energy γ rays and other devices such as a plunger to measure nuclear lifetimes. In this paper, the design and the mechanical characteristics of the set-up are described. Based on sim…
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…
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…
Isospin dependence of electromagnetic transition strengths among an isobaric triplet
*Aydın, Sezgin ( Aksaray, Yazar )
Artificial neural networks for neutron/ γ discrimination in the neutron detectors of NEDA
Three different Artificial Neural Network architectures have been applied to perform neutron/? discrimination in NEDA based on waveform and time-of-flight information. Using the coincident ?-rays from AGATA, we have been able to measure and compare on real data the performances of the Artificial Neural Networks as classifiers. While the general performances are quite similar for the data set we used, differences, in particular related to the computing times, have been highlighted. One of the Artificial Neural Network architecture has also been found more robust to time misalignment of the waveforms. Such a feature is of great interest for online processing of waveforms. Narodowe Centrum Nau…
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…
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…