Quadrupole moment of Fr 203

The spectroscopic electric quadrupole moment of the neutron-deficient francium isotope 203Fr was measured by using high-resolution collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) at the CERN Isotope Separation On-Line Device (ISOLDE)facility. A remeasurement of the 207Fr quadrupole momentwas also performed, resulting in a departure from the established literature value. A sudden increase in magnitude of the 203Fr quadrupole moment, with respect to the general trend in the region, points to an onset of static deformation at N =116 in the 87Fr isotopic chain. Calculation of the static and total deformation parameters show that the increase in static deformation only cannot account for the o…

Laser Spectroscopy of Neutron-Rich $^{207,208}$Hg Isotopes: Illuminating the Kink and Odd-Even Staggering in Charge Radii across the $N=126$ Shell Closure

The mean-square charge radii of $^{207,208}$Hg ($Z=80, N=127,128$) have been studied for the first time and those of $^{202,203,206}$Hg ($N=122,123,126$) remeasured by the application of in-source resonance-ionization laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE (CERN). The characteristic \textit{kink} in the charge radii at the $N=126$ neutron shell closure has been revealed, providing the first information on its behavior below the $Z=82$ proton shell closure. A theoretical analysis has been performed within relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov and non-relativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approaches, considering both the new mercury results and existing lead data. Contrary to previous interpretations, it is d…

Nuclear Spins and Magnetic Moments ofCu71,73,75: Inversion ofπ2p3/2andπ1f5/2Levels inCu75

We report the first confirmation of the predicted inversion between the pi2p3/2 and pi1f5/2 nuclear states in the nu(g)9/2 midshell. This was achieved at the ISOLDE facility, by using a combination of in-source laser spectroscopy and collinear laser spectroscopy on the ground states of 71,73,75Cu, which measured the nuclear spin and magnetic moments. The obtained values are mu(71Cu)=+2.2747(8)mu(N), mu(73Cu)=+1.7426(8)mu(N), and mu(75Cu)=+1.0062(13)mu(N) corresponding to spins I=3/2 for 71,73Cu and I=5/2 for 75Cu. The results are in fair agreement with large-scale shell-model calculations.

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…

Spectroscopy of short-lived radioactive molecules: A sensitive laboratory for new physics

The study of molecular systems provides exceptional opportunities for the exploration of the fundamental laws of nature and for the search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Measurements of molecules composed of naturally occurring nuclei have provided the most stringent upper bounds to the electron electric dipole moment to date, and offer a route to investigate the violation of fundamental symmetries with unprecedented sensitivity. Radioactive molecules - where one or more of their atoms possesses a radioactive nucleus - can contain heavy and deformed nuclei, offering superior sensitivity for EDM measurements as well as for other symmetry-violating effects. Radium …

Investigating the large deformation of the 5/2(+) isomeric state in Zn-73: An indicator for triaxiality

Recently reported nuclear spins and moments of neutron-rich Zn isotopes measured at ISOLDE-CERN [C. Wraith et al., Phys. Lett. B 771, 385 (2017)PYLBAJ0370-269310.1016/j.physletb.2017.05.085] show an uncommon behavior of the isomeric state in Zn73. Additional details relating to the measurement and analysis of the Zn73m hyperfine structure are addressed here to further support its spin-parity assignment 5/2+ and to estimate its half-life. A systematic investigation of this 5/2+ isomer indicates that significant collectivity appears due to proton/neutron E2 excitations across the proton Z = 28 and neutron N = 50 shell gaps. This is confirmed by the good agreement of the observed quadrupole mo…

Efficient, high-resolution resonance laser ionization spectroscopy using weak transitions to long-lived excited states

Laser spectroscopic studies on minute samples of exotic radioactive nuclei require very efficient experimental techniques. In addition, high resolving powers are required to allow extraction of nuclear structure information. Here we demonstrate that by using weak atomic transitions, resonance laser ionization spectroscopy is achieved with the required high efficiency (1%–10%) and precision (linewidths of tens of MHz). We illustrate experimentally and through the use of simulations how the narrow experimental linewidths are achieved and how distorted resonance ionization spectroscopy line shapes can be avoided. The role of the delay of the ionization laser pulse with respect to the excitatio…

Nuclear moments of indium isotopes reveal abrupt change at magic number 82

In spite of the high-density and strongly correlated nature of the atomic nucleus, experimental and theoretical evidence suggests that around particular 'magic' numbers of nucleons, nuclear properties are governed by a single unpaired nucleon1,2. A microscopic understanding of the extent of this behaviour and its evolution in neutron-rich nuclei remains an open question in nuclear physics3-5. The indium isotopes are considered a textbook example of this phenomenon6, in which the constancy of their electromagnetic properties indicated that a single unpaired proton hole can provide the identity of a complex many-nucleon system6,7. Here we present precision laser spectroscopy measurements perf…

g factors of $^{31,32,33}$Al: Indication for intruder configurations in the $^{33}$Al ground state

Abstract The g factors of 31,32,33 Al have been measured using the β -nuclear magnetic resonance ( β -NMR) technique on spin-polarized beams produced in the fragmentation of a 36 S (77.5 MeV/u) beam on a 9 Be target. Nearly pure beams of Al ( Z = 13 ) isotopes were selected with the high-resolution fragment separator LISE at GANIL. An asymmetry as high as 6% has been observed in the β -NMR curve for 32 Al implanted in a Si single crystal. The magnetic moment of the N = 20 nucleus 33 Al is obtained for the first time: μ ( Al 33 , I π = 5 / 2 + ) = 4.088 ( 5 ) μ N , while those of 31,32 Al are obtained with improved accuracy: μ ( Al 31 , I π = 5 / 2 + ) = 3.830 ( 5 ) μ N and μ ( Al 32 , I π =…