New collective structures in Au179 and their implications for the triaxial deformation of the Pt178 core

Recoil-decay tagging spectroscopy of74162W88

Excited states in the highly neutron-deficient nucleus W-162 have been investigated via the Mo-92(Kr-78, 2 alpha) W-162 reaction. Prompt gamma rays were detected by the JUROGAM II high-purity germa ...

First observation of excited states of173Hg

The neutron-deficient nucleus 173Hg has been studied following fusion-evaporation reactions. The observation of gamma rays decaying from excited states are reported for the first time and a tentative level scheme is proposed. The proposed level scheme is discussed within the context of the systematics of neighbouring neutron-deficient Hg nuclei. In addition to the gamma-ray spectroscopy, the alpha decay of this nucleus has been measured yielding superior precision to earlier measurements.

Reduced transition probabilities along the yrast line in W-166

WOS: 000406755100001

Reduced transition probabilities along the yrast line in 166W

Lifetimes of excited states in the yrast band of the neutron-deficient nuclide 166W have been measured utilizing the DPUNS plunger device at the target position of the JUROGAM II γ -ray spectrometer in conjunction with the RITU gas-filled separator and the GREAT focal-plane spectrometer. Excited states in 166W were populated in the 92Mo(78Kr,4p) reaction at a bombarding energy of 380 MeV. The measurements reveal a low value for the ratio of reduced transitions probabilities for the lowest-lying transitions B(E2; 4+ → 2+)/B(E2; 2+ → 0+) = 0.33(5), compared with the expected ratio for an axially deformed rotor (B4/2 = 1.43). peerReviewed

Fine structure in the α decay of 156Lu and 158Ta

Fine structure in the α decay of high-spin states in 156Lu and 158Ta has been identified by means of αγ - coincidence analysis. One new α decay from 156Lu and two from 158Ta were identified, one of which was found to populate a previously unknown state in 154Lu. The hindrance-factor systematics from all four odd-odd, N = 85 nuclei with known α-decaying, πh11/2 coupled states were reviewed and are discussed. These proved consistent with the previously assigned (πh11/2νh9/2 )10+ configuration of the α-decaying state in 156Lu, which differs from the (πh11/2ν f7/2 )9+ assignments in the other three nuclei. peerReviewed

De-excitation of the strongly coupled band in 177Au and implications for core intruder configurations in the light Hg isotopes

International audience; Excited states in the proton-unbound nuclide $^{177}$Au were populated in the $^92}$Mo($^{88}$Sr, p2n) reaction and identified using the Jurogam-II and GREAT spectrometers in conjunction with the RITU gas-filled separator at the University of Jyväskylä Accelerator Laboratory. A strongly coupled band and its decay path to the 11/2−α-decaying isomer have been identified using recoil-decay tagging. Comparisons with cranked Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations based on Skyrme energy functionals suggest that the band has a prolate deformation and is based upon coupling the odd 1h11/2 proton hole to the excited 02+ configuration in the $^{178}$Hg core. Although these…

Lifetime measurements of excited states in $^{162}$W and $^{164}$W and the evolution of collectivity in rare-earth nuclei

International audience; Lifetimes of the first excited 2+ states in the extremely neutron-deficient $^{162}$W and $^{164}$W nuclei have been measured using the recoil distance Doppler shift technique. Experimental B(E2) data for the isotopic chains of hafnium, tungsten, and osmium, from the midshell region near the β-stability line towards the N=82 closed shell and the most neutron-deficient nuclides, are compared with predictions of nuclear deformations and 21+→0g.s.+ reduced transition strengths from different classes of state-of-the-art theoretical model calculations. The results reveal striking differences and deficiencies in the predictive power of current nuclear structure models.

Characterizing the atomic mass surface beyond the proton drip line via a-decay measurements of the s1/2 ground state of 165Re and the h11/2 isomer in 161Ta

The a-decay chains originating from the s1/2 and h11/2 states in 173Au have been investigated following fusion-evaporation reactions. Four generations of a radioactivities have been correlated with 173Aum leading to a measurement of the a decay of 161Tam. It has been found that the known a decay of 161Ta, which was previously associated with the decay of the ground state, is in fact the decay of an isomeric state. This work also reports on the first observation of prompt g rays feeding the ground state of 173Au. This prompt radiation was used to aid the study of the a-decay chain originating from the s1/2 state in 173Au. Three generations of a decays have been correlated with this state lea…

Direct observation of theBa114→Xe110→Te106→Sn102tripleα-decay chain using position and time correlations

The triple $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay chain $^{114}\mathrm{Ba}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{110}\mathrm{Xe}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{106}\mathrm{Te}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{102}\mathrm{Sn}$ has been directly observed for the first time, following the $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}(^{58}\mathrm{Ni},2n)$ reaction. Implantation of $^{114}\mathrm{Ba}$ nuclei into a double-sided silicon-strip detector has allowed their $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ decays to be correlated in position and time with the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ decays of the daughter $(^{110}\mathrm{Xe})$ and granddaughter $(^{106}\mathrm{Te})$ nuclei. In total, 17 events have been assigned to the $^{114}\mathrm{Ba}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{110}\mathrm{Xe}…

Decay of a 19(-) isomeric state in Lu-156

A multiparticle spin-trap isomeric state having a half-life of 179(4) ns and lying 2601 keV above the yrast 10(+) state in Lu-156 has been discovered. The Lu-156 nuclei were produced by bombarding isotopically enriched Cd-106 targets with beams of Ni-58 ions, separated in flight using the gas-filled separator RITU and their decays were measured using the GREAT spectrometer. Analysis of the main decay path that populates yrast states observed previously suggests a spin-parity assignment of 19(-) for the isomeric state, which is consistent with isomeric states identified in the N = 85 isotones. Comparison with other decay paths in Lu-156 indicates that the [pi h(11/)(2)(-1) circle times nu h(…

Lifetime measurements in 166Re : Collective versus magnetic rotation

WOS: 000371740600004

Direct observation of the Ba 114 → Xe 110 → Te 106 → Sn 102 triple α -decay chain using position and time correlations

The triple α-decay chain 114Ba → 110Xe → 106Te → 102Sn has been directly observed for the first time, following the 58Ni(58Ni ,2n) reaction. Implantation of 114Ba nuclei into a double-sided silicon-strip detector has allowed their α decays to be correlated in position and time with the α decays of the daughter (110Xe) and granddaughter (106Te) nuclei. In total, 17 events have been assigned to the 114Ba → 110Xe → 106Te → 102Sn triple α-decay chain. The energy of the 114Ba α decay has been measured to be Eα = 3480(20) keV, which is 70 keV higher than the previously measured value, and the half-life of 114Ba has been measured with improved accuracy, to be 380+190 −110 ms. A revised Q12C value …

Decay of a 19− isomeric state in 156Lu

A multiparticle spin-trap isomeric state having a half-life of 179(4) ns and lying 2601 keV above the yrast 10 + state in 156 Lu has been discovered. The 156 Lu nuclei were produced by bombarding isotopically enriched 106 Cd targets with beams of 58 Ni ions, separated in flight using the gas-filled separator RITU and their decays were measured using the GREAT spectrometer. Analysis of the main decay path that populates yrast states observed previously suggests a spin-parity assignment of 19 − for the isomeric state, which is consistent with isomeric states identified in the N = 85 isotones. Comparison with other decay paths in 156 Lu indicates that the [ π h − 1 11 / 2 ⊗ ν h 9 / 2 ] 10 + st…

Characterizing the atomic mass surface beyond the proton drip line viaα-decay measurements of theπs1/2ground state of165Re and theπh11/2isomer in161Ta

The α-decay chains originating from the πs1/2 and πh11/2 states in 173Au have been investigated following fusion-evaporation reactions. Four generations of α radioactivities have been correlated with 173Aum leading to a measurement of the α decay of 161Tam. It has been found that the known α decay of 161Ta, which was previously associated with the decay of the ground state, is in fact the decay of an isomeric state. This work also reports on the first observation of prompt γ rays feeding the ground state of 173Au. This prompt γ radiation was used to aid the study of the α-decay chain originating from the πs1/2 state in 173Au. Three generations of α decays have been correlated with this stat…

Fine structure in the α decay of high-spin isomers in 155Lu and 156Hf

Fine structure in the α decay of high-spin isomers in 155Lu(25/2−) and 156Hf (8+) has been studied for the first time using αγ -coincidence analysis. Three new α decays from 155Lu(25/2−) and two from 156Hf (8+) have been identified, populating seniority s > 1 states in the N = 82 nuclei 151Tm and 152Yb, respectively. The reduced hindrance factors of the α decays support the previous configuration assignments of the populated states. This is the first observation of states with excitation energy greater than 1.5 MeV being populated following α decay in nuclei outside of the 208Pb region. peerReviewed

Single-particle and collective excitations in the transitional nucleus 166Os

The mean lifetimes of the lowest energy 2(+), 8(+) and 9(-) states in Os-166 have been measured using the recoil distance Doppler-shift method in conjunction with a selective recoil-decay tagging t ...

Decay of a 19− isomeric state in Lu156

A multiparticle spin-trap isomeric state having a half-life of 179(4) ns and lying 2601 keV above the yrast 10(+) state in Lu-156 has been discovered. The Lu-156 nuclei were produced by bombarding ...

New collective structures in 179Au and their implications for the triaxial deformation of the 178Pt core

The extremely neutron-deficient isotope 179Au has been studied by a combination of in-beam γ-ray and isomeric-decay spectroscopy. For in-beam spectroscopy, the recoil-isomer tagging technique was employed, using the known 3/2−, T1/2=328 ns isomer. A new rotational band, associated with the unfavored signature band of the 1h9/2⊕2f7/2 proton-intruder configuration, was revealed. A previously unknown, high-spin isomeric state with an excitation energy of 1743(17) keV and T1/2=2.16(8)µs was discovered. Five decay paths were identified, some of them feeding previously unknown non-yrast excited states, associated with the 1i13/2 proton-intruder configuration. Calculations based on the particle-pl…

α decay of the πh11/2 isomer in Ir164

The α -decay branch of the πh 11 / 2 isomer in 164 Ir has been identified using the GREAT spectrometer. The 164 Ir nuclei were produced using the 92 Mo( 78 Kr ,p 5 n ) 164 Ir reaction and separated in flight using the recoil ion transport unit (RITU) gas-filled separator. The measured α -decay energy of 6880 ± 10 keV allowed the excitation of the πh 11 / 2 state in 160 Re to be deduced as 166 ± 14 keV. The half-life of 164 Ir was measured with improved precision to be 70 ± 10 μ sandan α -decay branching ratio of 4 ± 2% was determined. Improved half-life and branching ratio measurements were also obtained for 165 Ir, but no evidence was found for the ground-state decays of either 164 Ir or 1…

Excited states in the proton-unbound nuclide Ta-158

Excited states in the neutron-deficient odd-odd proton-unbound nuclide $^{158}\mathrm{Ta}$ have been investigated in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, $^{166}\mathrm{Ir}$ nuclei were produced in the reactions of 380 MeV $^{78}\mathrm{Kr}$ ions with an isotopically enriched $^{92}\mathrm{Mo}$ target. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay chain of the ${9}^{+}$ state in $^{166}\mathrm{Ir}$ was analyzed. Fine structure in the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ decay of the ${9}^{+}$ state in $^{162}\mathrm{Re}$ established a 66 keV difference in excitation energy between the lowest-lying ${9}^{+}$ and ${10}^{+}$ states in $^{158}\mathrm{Ta}$. Higher-lying states in $^{158}\mathrm{Ta}$ were popul…

Recoil-decay tagging spectroscopy of 162 74 W 88

Excited states in the highly neutron-deficient nucleus 162W have been investigated via the 92Mo(78Kr, 2α) 162W reaction. Prompt γ rays were detected by the JUROGAM II high-purity germanium detector array and the recoiling fusion-evaporation products were separated by the recoil ion transport unit (RITU) gas-filled recoil separator and identified with the gamma recoil electron alpha tagging (GREAT) spectrometer at the focal plane of RITU. γ rays from 162W were identified uniquely using mother-daughter and mother-daughter-granddaughter α-decay correlations. The observation of a rotational-like ground-state band is interpreted within the framework of total Routhian surface (TRS) calculations, …

Excited states in the proton-unbound nuclide 158Ta

Excited states in the neutron-deficient odd-odd proton-unbound nuclide 158Ta have been investigated in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, 166Ir nuclei were produced in the reactions of 380 MeV 78Kr ions with an isotopically enriched 92Mo target. The α-decay chain of the 9+ state in 166Ir was analyzed. Fine structure in the α decay of the 9+ state in 162Re established a 66 keV difference in excitation energy between the lowest-lying 9+ and 10+ states in 158Ta. Higher-lying states in 158Ta were populated in the reactions of 255 MeV 58Ni ions with an isotopically enriched 102Pd target. Gamma-ray decay paths that populate, depopulate, and bypass a 19− isomeric state have been id…

Fine structure in the α decay of high-spin isomers in Lu155 and Hf156

Fine structure in the a decay of high-spin isomers in Lu-155( 25/2(-)) and Hf-156(8(+))has been studied for the first time using alpha gamma- coincidence analysis. Three new a decays from Lu-155(25 ...

Lifetime measurements in 166Re : Collective versus magnetic rotation

Lifetimes of excited states in the neutron-deficient odd-odd nucleus 166Re have been measured for the first time using the recoil distance Doppler-shift method. The measured lifetime for the (8−) state; τ = 480 (80) ps, enabled an assessment of the multipolarities of the γ rays depopulating this state. Information on electromagnetic transition strengths were deduced for the γ -ray transitions from the (9−), (10−), and (11−) states, and in the case of the (10−) and (11−) states limits on the B(M1) and B(E2) strengths were estimated. The results are compared with total Routhian surface predictions and semiclassical calculations. Tilted-axis cranking calculations based on a relativistic mean-f…

De-excitation of the strongly coupled band in Au177 and implications for core intruder configurations in the light Hg isotopes

Excited states in the proton-unbound nuclide $^{177}$Au were populated in the $^92}$Mo($^{88}$Sr, p2n) reaction and identified using the Jurogam-II and GREAT spectrometers in conjunction with the RITU gas-filled separator at the University of Jyvaskyla Accelerator Laboratory. A strongly coupled band and its decay path to the 11/2−α-decaying isomer have been identified using recoil-decay tagging. Comparisons with cranked Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations based on Skyrme energy functionals suggest that the band has a prolate deformation and is based upon coupling the odd 1h11/2 proton hole to the excited 02+ configuration in the $^{178}$Hg core. Although these configurations might be…

Lifetime measurements of excited states in W-162 and W-164 and the evolution of collectivity in rare-earth nuclei

WOS: 000400140500006

Fine structure in the α decay of Lu156 and Ta158

First observation of excited states of 173Hg

The neutron-deficient nucleus 173Hg has been studied following fusion-evaporation reactions. The observation of the decay of excited states via γ radiation are reported for the first time and a tentative level scheme is proposed. The proposed level scheme is discussed within the context of the systematics of neighboring neutron-deficient Hg nuclei. In addition to the γ -ray spectroscopy, the α decay of this nucleus has been measured yielding superior precision to earlier measurements. peerReviewed

First identification of rotational band structures inRe9175166

Despite that it is more than 100 years since the atomic nucleus was first dis- covered by Ernest Rutherford and coworkers, many of its features still elude our understanding. The fact that the fundamental interactions between the nuclear constituents; nucleons, and ultimately quarks, are not yet known in detail, and the complexity of the nuclear many-body system compound the great challenges facing theoretical interpretations of experimental data. It is therefore important to focus on distinct phenomena where experimental mea- surements can be compared with theoretical predictions, providing stringent tests of theory. One such area is the nuclear phenomenology of collective excitations rela…

Population of a low-spin positive-parity band from high-spin intruder states in 177Au: The two-state mixing effect

The extremely neutron-deficient isotopes 177,179Au were studied by means of in-beam ?-ray spectroscopy. Specific tagging techniques, ?-decay tagging in 177Au and isomer tagging in 179Au, were used for these studies. Feeding of positive-parity, nearly spherical states, which are associated with 2d3/2 and 3s1/2 proton-hole configurations, from the 1i13/2 proton-intruder configuration was observed in 177Au. Such a decay path has no precedent in odd-Au isotopes and it is explained by the effect of mixing of wave functions of the initial state. © 2020

Delayed or absent π(h11/2)2 alignment in Xe111

Delayed or absent π(h11/2)2 alignment in 111Xe

Excited states have been identified in the very neutron-deficient N = Z + 3 nucleus 111Xe for the first time, using the 58Ni(58Ni, αn) heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reaction. γ -ray transitions have been unambiguously assigned to 111Xe by correlation with the characteristic 111Xe → 107Te → 103Sn α-decay chain using the method of recoil-decay tagging. Inspection of γ γ -coincidence data has shown that five of the transitions form a rotational-like sequence. Excitation-energy systematics suggest that the sequence could be the favored signature partner of a band built on an h11/2 neutron. Aligned angular momenta of states in the band have been compared to analogous bands in neighboring xenon is…

Population of a low-spin positive-parity band from high-spin intruder states in Au: The two-state mixing effect

The extremely neutron-deficient isotopes $^{177,179}$Au were studied by means of in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy. Specific tagging techniques, α-decay tagging in $^{177}$Au and isomer tagging in $^{179}$Au, were used for these studies. Feeding of positive-parity, nearly spherical states, which are associated with 2d3/2 and 3s1/2 proton-hole configurations, from the 1i13/2 proton-intruder configuration was observed in $^{177}$Au. Such a decay path has no precedent in odd-Au isotopes and it is explained by the effect of mixing of wave functions of the initial state.

Characterizing the atomic mass surface beyond the proton drip line via {\alpha}-decay measurements of the {\pi}s1/2 ground state of 165Re and the {\pi}h11/2 isomer in 161Ta

The α-decay chains originating from the πs1/2 and πh11/2 states in 173Au have been investigated following fusion-evaporation reactions. Four generations of α radioactivities have been correlated with 173Aum leading to a measurement of the α decay of 161Tam. It has been found that the known α decay of 161Ta, which was previously associated with the decay of the ground state, is in fact the decay of an isomeric state. This work also reports on the first observation of prompt γ rays feeding the ground state of 173Au. This prompt γ radiation was used to aid the study of the α-decay chain originating from the πs1/2 state in 173Au. Three generations of α decays have been correlated with this stat…

Lifetime measurements of excited states in W162 and W164 and the evolution of collectivity in rare-earth nuclei

Lifetimes of the first excited 2(+) states in the extremely neutron- deficient W-162 and W-164 nuclei have been measured using the recoil distance Doppler shift technique. Experimental B(E2) data f ...