Search results for "Experimental nuclear physics"
showing 10 items of 42 documents
Relative proton and γ widths of astrophysically important states in 30S studied in the β-delayed decay of 31Ar
2013
Resonances just above the proton threshold in 30S affect the 29P(p,gamma)30S reaction under astrophysical conditions. The (p,gamma)-reaction rate is currently determined indirectly and depends on the properties of the relevant resonances. We present here a method for finding the ratio between the proton and gamma partial widths of resonances in 30S. The widths are determined from the beta-2p and beta-p-gamma decay of 31Ar, which is produced at the ISOLDE facility at the European research organization CERN. Experimental limits on the ratio between the proton and gamma partial widths for astrophysical relevant levels in 30S have been found for the first time. A level at 4688(5) keV is identif…
Identification of isomeric states in the N=73 neutron-deficient nuclei 132Pr and 130La
2012
Decays from isomeric states in the neutron-deficient N=73 nuclei 132Pr and 130La have been observed for the first time. Half-lives of 486(70) ns and 2.46(4) μs were measured for two isomeric states in 132Pr. The decay from the 486ns (8 -) isomer has been interpreted as a hindered E1 transition from the bandhead state of the excited πh 11/2νg 7/2 configuration. The decay from the 2.5 μs (8 +) isomer is consistent with the Weisskopf estimate for a low-energy E2 transition. An analogous 0.74(3) μs decay from an (8 +) isomer in the neighboring isotone 130La has also been observed which similarly can be explained if the transition has E2 character. The Weisskopf interpretation for the isomer hin…
Evidence of a sudden increase in the nuclear size of proton-rich silver-96
2021
Understanding the evolution of the nuclear charge radius is one of the long-standing challenges for nuclear theory. Recently, density functional theory calculations utilizing Fayans functionals have successfully reproduced the charge radii of a variety of exotic isotopes. However, difficulties in the isotope production have hindered testing these models in the immediate region of the nuclear chart below the heaviest self-conjugate doubly-magic nucleus 100Sn, where the near-equal number of protons (Z) and neutrons (N) lead to enhanced neutron-proton pairing. Here, we present an optical excursion into this region by crossing the N = 50 magic neutron number in the silver isotopic chain with th…
Unveiling the strong interaction among hadrons at the LHC
2020
One of the key challenges for nuclear physics today is to understand from first principles the effective interaction between hadrons with different quark content. First successes have been achieved using techniques that solve the dynamics of quarks and gluons on discrete space-time lattices1,2. Experimentally, the dynamics of the strong interaction have been studied by scattering hadrons off each other. Such scattering experiments are difficult or impossible for unstable hadrons3–6 and so high-quality measurements exist only for hadrons containing up and down quarks7. Here we demonstrate that measuring correlations in the momentum space between hadron pairs8–12 produced in ultrarelativistic…
A Geant4 simulation package for the sage spectrometer
2012
International audience; A comprehensive Geant4 simulation was built for the SAGE spectrometer. The simulation package includes the silicon and germanium detectors, the mechanical structure and the electromagnetic fields present in SAGE. This simulation can be used for making predictions through simulating experiments and for comparing simulated and experimental data to better understand the underlying physics.
Alpha-decay studies of the francium isotopes 198Fr and 199Fr nuclei
2013
Very neutron deficient francium isotopes have been produced in fusion evaporation reactions using 60Ni ions on 141Pr targets. The gas-filled recoil separator RITU was employed to collect the fusion products and to separate them from the scattered beam. The activities were implanted into a position sensitive silicon detector after passing through a gas-counter system. The isotopes were identified using spatial and time correlations between the implants and the decays. Two α-particle activities, with Eα = 7613(15) keV and T1/2 = (15+12 −5 ) ms and Eα = 7684(15) keV and T1/2 = (16+13 −5 ) ms were identified in the new isotope 198Fr. In addition, the half-life and α-particle energy of 199Fr wer…
Spectroscopy of the proton drip-line nucleus 203Fr
2013
The nucleus 203Fr has been studied through γ -ray and electron spectroscopy, using the recoil-decay tagging technique. A 13/2+ state, with a half-life of 0.37(5) μs, has been observed in 203Fr. Both the α-decay branch and the internal de-excitation of the 1/2+ isomer in 203Fr have been studied. Furthermore, the corresponding 1/2+ state, with a half-life of 0.31(8) s, has been found in 199At. In addition, transitions feeding the 9/2− ground state of 203Fr have been identified. The observed level pattern suggests that the ground state is still spherical. peerReviewed
Octupole correlations in the structure of 0$_2^+$ bands in the N=88 nuclei 150Sm and 152Gd
2013
Knowledge of the exact microscopic structure of the 01 + ground state and first excited 02 + state in 150Sm is required to understand the branching of double β decay to these states from 150Nd. The detailed spectroscopy of 150Sm and 152Gd has been studied using (α,xn) reactions and the γ -ray arrays AFRODITE and JUROGAM II. Consistently strong E1 transitions are observed between the excited Kπ = 02 + bands and the lowest negative parity bands in both nuclei. These results are discussed in terms of the possible permanent octupole deformation in the first excited Kπ = 02 + band and also in terms of the “tidal wave” model of Frauendorf. peerReviewed
First prompt in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy of a superheavy element: the 256Rf
2013
Using state-of-the-art γ-ray spectroscopic techniques, the first rotational band of a superheavy element, extending up to a spin of 20 ¯h, was discovered in the nucleus 256Rf. To perform such an experiment at the limits of the present instrumentation, several developments were needed. The most important of these developments was of an intense isotopically enriched 50Ti beam using the MIVOC method. The experimental set-up and subsequent analysis allowed the 256Rf ground-state band to be revealed. The rotational properties of the band are discussed and compared with neighboring transfermium nuclei through the study of their moments of inertia. These data suggest that there is no evidence of a…
Beta-delayed fission of 186, 188Bi isotopes
2013
By using the technique of correlating implanted evaporation residues and their subsequent fission decay, β-delayed fission (βDF) of 186Bi has been identified for the first time and βDF of 188Bi has been unambiguously confirmed. The experiments were performed at the velocity filter SHIP (GSI, Darmstadt). The βDF probabilities for both nuclides were qualitatively estimated, and, in particular indications for a large value in the case of 186Bi are regarded. peerReviewed