Emission spectroscopy of the A<Superscript>1</Superscript>Π–X<Superscript>1</Superscript>Σ<Superscript>+</Superscript> system of AlH

The high-resolution emission spectrum of the A¹ Π–X¹Σ⁺ transition of AlH was observed in the 18 000–25 000 cm^-1 spectral region using a conventional spectroscopic technique. The AlH molecules were excited in an Al hollow-cathode lamp filled with a mixture of Ne carried gas and a trace amount of NH₃. The emission from the discharge was observed with a plane grating spectrograph and recorded by a photomultiplier tube. In total 163 transition wave numbers belonging to six bands (0-0,1 and 1-0,1,2,3) were precisely measured and rotationally analysed. In the final fit the present data have been combined with available high-resolution measurements of the vibration-rotation bands by White et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 99, 8371 (1993)]. This procedure enabled extracting molecular constants for the A¹ Π and X¹ Σ⁺ states of AlH. A very slight local perturbation has been discovered in the v=1 vibration level of the A¹ Π state at J=5. This was probably caused by the interaction with the a³Π state.     

The evaluation of the branching ratios of the decays φ(1020)→2π<Superscript>+</Superscript>2π<Superscript>−</Superscript>π<Superscript>0</Superscript>, π<Superscript>+</Superscript>π<Superscript>−</Superscript>3π<Superscript>0</Superscript>

Combining the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule in the decay φ→ρπ→π⁺π^?π⁰ with the ρ→4π decay amplitudes, we calculate the φ→2π⁺2π^?π⁰ and φ→π⁺π^?3π⁰ ones. The partial widths of the above φ decays are evaluated, and the excitation curves in e⁺e^? annihilation are obtained, assuming reasonable particular relations among the parameters characterizing the anomalous terms of the HLS Lagrangian. The evaluated branching ratios B_φ→π⁺_π^?_3π⁰ ≈ 2 × 10^?7 and B_φ→2π⁺_2π^?_π⁰ ≈ 7 × 10^?7 are such that, with the luminosity L=500 pb^?1 attained at DAΦNE φ factory, one may already possess about 1685 events of the decays φ→5π.     

Perturbative analysis of the 2νββ decays of <Superscript>100</Superscript>Mo and <Superscript>116</Superscript>Cd

We have performed a theoretical analysis of the ground-state-to-ground-state transitions in ¹⁰⁰Mo and ¹¹⁶Cd, based on the quasiparticle random-phase approximation and on a straightforward perturbative scheme. The results show that the single-state dominance found in the realistic calculations of the nuclear matrix elements, which is consistent with data, can be viewed as a result of the interference between few two-quasiparticle configurations. Received: 12 August 2002 / Accepted: 23 October 2002 / Published online: 18 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: civitarese@fisica.unlp.edu.ar Communicated by V.V. Anisovich     

Comparison of the Effects of Different <Superscript>19</Superscript>F <Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis> Pulses on the Sensitivity and Phaseability of the <Superscript>19</Superscript>F-<Superscript>13</Superscript>C HSQC

The ¹⁹F-¹³C heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) experiment is vital for the structural elucidation of polyfluorinated organic species, yet its sensitivity and phaseability are limited by difficulties in uniform excitation of the widely disperse ¹⁹F spectral window. Adiabatic pulses of different types have previously been employed to generate effective π pulses for inversion and refocussing, but a systematic comparison of various adiabatic and other inversion pulses has not been published. In this work, it was observed that the use of a broadband inversion pulse (BIP) during the t ₁ evolution period resulted in properly phaseable spectra for experiments optimized to detect ¹ J _CF, in contrast to CHIRP or WURST adiabatic pulses. For the INEPT and reverse-INEPT transfer segments of the HSQC, optimal sensitivity for resonances distant from the transmitter frequency was afforded by optimized universal rotation (BURBOP) or CHIRP pulses. In HSQC experiments with delays optimized for two-bond correlations, only the use of BURBOP pulses in INEPT and reverse-INEPT sequences afforded spectra cleanly phaseable across the F ₂ and F ₁ spectral windows. This observation is supported by off-resonance pulsed field gradient spin-echo experiments.     

Potential energy of <Superscript>∞</Superscript>H<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>-</Superscript></Stack>(<Superscript>2</Superscript>∑<Stack><Subscript>u</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> in the bound-state region

An accurate calculation of the lowest negative electronic state of H ₂ ^- (fixed nuclei) is reported using the CCSD(T) method and doubly augmented cc-pv5z basis set. Comparison has been made with the reference data by Senekowitsch et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 111 (1984) 211]. Owing to larger size of the basisset and inclusion of triple excitations, no vertical shift in this work is necessary to reproduce the asymptotics of H + H ^-. In addition, the effect of basis-set truncation is estimated, based on the complete-basis-set extrapolation method. The contribution of correlated electron-proton motion to the electron-energy curve for H₂ ^– dynamics is pointed out.Dedicated to Prof. Jií Horáek on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Two-neutrino positron double-beta decay of <Superscript>106</Superscript>Cd for the 0<Superscript>+</Superscript> → 0<Superscript>+</Superscript> transition

The two-neutrino positron double-beta decay of ¹⁰⁶Cd for the 0 ⁺ 0⁺ transition has been studied in the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov model in conjunction with the summation method. In the first step, the reliability of the intrinsic wave functions of ¹⁰⁶Cd and ¹⁰⁶Pd nuclei has been tested by comparing the theoretically calculated results for yrast spectra, reduced B(E2: 0⁺ 2⁺) transition probabilities, quadrupole moments Q(2⁺) and gyromagnetic factors g(2⁺) with the available experimental data. In the second step, the nuclear transition matrix element M₂ and the half-life T_1/2² for the 0 ⁺ 0⁺ transition have been calculated with these wave functions. Moreover, we have studied the effect of deformation on the nuclear transition matrix element M₂.     

Measurement of the Dalitz-decay branching ratio of the π<Superscript>0</Superscript>

The ratio is measured by comparing the production rates of the π⁰ in the two decay channels. The analysis is based on approximately four million hadronic decays of the Z boson recorded by the ALEPH detector in the years 1991 to 1995. The value of is determined to be . A recalculation of the Particle Data Group world average gives rise to a slightly improved error, and moves the world average closer to the theoretical value.     

On the energy of the 8<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>−</Superscript></Stack> 1479-keV level in <Superscript>178</Superscript>Hf

The difference in the 332-and 326-keV transition energies from ¹⁷⁸Ta decay is measured with a magnetic β spectrometer and a γ spectrometer. The energy of the 332-keV transition (E(332) = 331 607 ± 4 eV) and the energy of the 8 ₂ ^? 1479-keV level in ¹⁷⁸Hf (E(1479) = 1479001 ± 6 eV) are determined with high accuracy.     

Conversion electron measurement in the β<Superscript>-</Superscript>-decay of <Superscript>151</Superscript>Pr

The β^--decay of ¹⁵¹Pr produced by the thermal neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U has been studied using an on-line isotope separator. From an internal-conversion electron measurement with a Si(Li) detector, K-conversion coefficients were obtained for 20 γ-transitions. Spins and parities of 6 excited levels in ¹⁵¹Nd were newly determined from the deduced multipolarities: even parities for the 543 and 627 keV levels, odd parities for 250 and 599 keV, (3/2, 5/2)⁺ for 685 keV, and (1/2, 3/2)⁺ for 880 keV. The level structure was compared with the rotation-vibration coupling Nilsson model. Received: 28 June 2002 / Accepted: 31 October 2002 / Published online: 25 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: ykojima@hiroshima-u.ac.jp Communicated by J. ?yst?     

Scheme of the β-decay of <Superscript>234</Superscript>Th

The scheme of the β-decay of ²³⁴Th is still not completely clear. Only the upper bound (10 keV) of the energy of the isomeric transition from level T_1/2 = 1.17 min of the ²³⁴Pa nucleus is known, and the correspondence between gamma quanta of several energies emitted in the β-decay of ²³⁴Th and specific nuclear levels of ²³⁴Pa has not been established. In this work, the isomeric transition energy of 2.6 ± 0.5 keV is determined via the γ-spectrometry of a ²³⁴Th source in γγ-coincidences, and a new ²³⁴Pa level populated in the β-decay of ²³⁴Th is introduced.     

Inversion of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis><Superscript>π</Superscript>=1<Superscript>−</Superscript> states in <Superscript>156</Superscript>Gd and <Superscript>170</Superscript>Yb

For the ¹⁵⁶Gd and ¹⁷⁰Yb nuclei, where the inversion of levels in the K^π=1^? bands is observed, the energies of rotational levels are calculated on the basis of the Coriolis interaction model for the states of two bands whose quantum numbers are K^π=1^?. New 0^? levels are introduced in ¹⁷⁰Yb, and the structure of ¹⁷⁰Er is refined. The interaction parameters calculated for six nuclei are considered within the structure predicted by the quasiparticle-phonon model.     

Cross sections for the photofission of <Superscript>243</Superscript>Cm, <Superscript>245</Superscript>Cm, <Superscript>249</Superscript>Bk,and <Superscript>249</Superscript>Cf isotopes in the energy range from the threshold to 10–12 MeV

The relative method was used to measure the photofission cross sections for ²⁴³Cm and ²⁴⁹Cf isotopes in the energy range from 6 to 12 MeV, for ²⁴⁵Cm in the energy range from 5 to 10 MeV, and for ²⁴⁹Bk in the energy range from 5.5 to 10 MeV. The measurements were performed with an energy step of 50 to 200 keV by using the microtron installed at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (Obninsk). The cross section for ²³⁸U photofission was used as a reference in these measurements. Data on the cross sections for ²⁴³Cm, ²⁴⁵Cm, and ²⁴⁹Bk photofission were obtained for the first time, while data on the cross section for ²⁴⁹Cf photofission were obtained for the first time only in the energyregion E<10 MeV. The data on the ²⁴⁵Cm nucleus suggest that, in the energy region around 6 MeV, the cross section for its photofission has a maximum, which is likely to be due to the low-energy resonance structure of the dipole-photoabsorption cross section. For ²⁴⁹Cf, an anomalously large value of the photo fission cross section is observed in the region of the first maximum of the giant dipole resonance (E≈11 MeV). By comparing the energy dependences obtained for the fissilities of the ²⁴³Cm and ²⁴⁹Bk isotopes from photofission data with the fissilities from direct-reaction data, it is found that the observed fission thresholds agree and that there is a plateau-like dependence at energies above 7.5 MeV. For the ²⁴⁵Cm and ²⁴⁹Cf nuclei, there are no similar data for performing such a comparison. Data on the fissilities as obtained from the present series of relative measurements that employ the microtron bremsstrahlung spectrum are analyzed.     

Role of various mechanisms in the formation of a <Superscript>12</Superscript>C nucleus in the reaction <Superscript>13</Superscript>C(<Superscript>3</Superscript>He, <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>)<Superscript>12</Superscript>C

The contributions of various mechanisms to the production of the final nucleus ¹²C in the reaction ¹³C(³He, α)¹²C are estimated. These are neutron stripping and the transfer of the heavy cluster ⁹Be in the pole approximation or via a sequential transfer of virtual ⁸Be and a neutron. It is shown that the sequential mechanism of heavy-cluster transfer must be taken into account in order to describe correctly experimental data over the whole angular range.     

(EC + β<Superscript>+</Superscript>) decays of the 11/2<Superscript>-</Superscript> isomer and 1/2<Superscript>+</Superscript> ground state of <Superscript>143</Superscript>Dy

The 1/2⁺ ground state and a 11/2^- isomer of very neutron-deficient isotope ¹⁴³Dy were produced by irradiation of an enriched target of ¹⁰⁶Cd with ⁴⁰Ca and studied by using a helium-jet fast tape-transport system in combination with proton-γ, X-γ and γ-γ coincidence measurements. A simple ( EC + β⁺) decay scheme of ^143mDy with a half-life of 3.0(3) s and a tentative ( EC + β⁺) decay scheme of ^143gDy with a half-life of 5.6(10) s are proposed. As a by-product, the 347- and 545-keV γ transitions in ¹³⁸Sm following the β-delayed proton emission of ¹³⁹Gd decay and the 323-keV γ transition in ¹³⁹Eu following the β-delayed proton emission of ¹⁴⁰Tb decay could be observed for the first time. Received: 20 August 2002 / Accepted: 28 October 2002 / Published online: 11 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: xsw@ns.lzb.ac.cn Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Decays of baryon resonances into ΛK<Superscript>+</Superscript>, ΣK<Superscript>+</Superscript> and Σ<Superscript>+</Superscript>K<Superscript>0</Superscript>

Cross-sections, beam asymmetries, and recoil polarisations for the reactions γp → K ⁺Λ;γp → K ⁺Σ⁰, and γp → K ⁰Σ⁺ have been measured by the SAPHIR, CLAS, and LEPS Collaborations with high statistics and good angular coverage for centre-of-mass energies between 1.6 and 2.3 GeV. The combined analysis of these data with data from π and η photoproduction reveals evidence for new baryon resonances in this energy region. A new P₁₁ state with mass 1840 MeV and width 140 MeV was observed contributing to most of the fitted reactions. The data demand the presence of two D₁₃ states at 1875 and, optimistically, at 2170 MeV.     

The formation of the superheavy hydrogen isotope <Superscript>6</Superscript>H in the absorption of stopped π<Superscript>−</Superscript>-mesons by nuclei

An experimental search for the superheavy hydrogen isotope ⁶H was conducted through studying the absorption of stopped π^?-mesons by ⁹Be and ¹¹B nuclei. A structure in the missing mass spectrum caused by the resonance states of ⁶H was observed in three reaction channels, namely, ⁹Be(π^?, pd)X, ¹¹B(π^?, d³He)X, and ¹¹B(π^?, p⁴He)X. The parameters of the lowest state E_r=6.6±0.7 MeV and Γ=5.5±2.0 MeV (E_r is the resonance energy with respect to the disintegration into the triton and three neutrons) are evidence that ⁶H is a more weakly bound system than ⁴H and ⁵H. Three excited states of ⁶H were observed. Their resonance levels (E_1r=10.7±0.7 MeV, Γ_1r=4±2 MeV, E_2r=15.3±0.7 MeV, Γ _2r=3±2 MeV, and E_3r=21.3±0.4 MeV, Γ_3r=3.5±1.0 MeV) are energetically capable of disintegrating into six free nucleons.     

Investigation of the low-lying nucleon resonances in reactions of π<Superscript>+</Superscript>π<Superscript>−</Superscript> pair electroproduction on protons

The cross sections of the reaction ep → e′p′π⁺π^? for small photon virtualities were measured on a CEBAF large acceptance spectrometer (CLAS detector) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility for the first time. A complete set of one-dimensional cross sections of the reaction was obtained for photon virtualities in the range 0.2 GeV² < Q ² < 0.6 GeV² and invariant masses of the final hadronic system in the range 1.3 GeV < W < 1.6 GeV. A preliminary analysis of the obtained data in the framework of the phenomenological model demonstrated that the Q ² dependence of the electromagnetic form factors for the P ₁₁ (1440) and D ₁₃ (1520) resonances can be determined in the kinematic region (which is the most sensitive to the contribution from the meson cloud) and that the axial transition form factor p → Δ can be derived.     

Production of Heavy Helium <Superscript>5</Superscript>Hе in the Absorption of Stopped Pions by <Superscript>10,11</Superscript>B Nuclei

Helium ⁵Hе states are sought in missing-mass (MM) spectra from reactions of the absorption of stopped pions: ¹⁰В(π^?, dt)Х and ¹¹В(π^?, tt)Х. The experiment is conducted using the LANL accelerator equipped with a two-arm semiconductor charged-particle spectrometer. The parameters of the ground state agree with the literature data. The best fit for the first excited level is obtained at E_r = 1.8(5) MeV and Γ = 4.7(7) MeV. Neither of the two reactions produce statistically significant evidence for the presence of highly excited (E_x ≥ 20 MeV) states of ⁵Hе.     

Study of the parameters of the He(3 <Superscript>3</Superscript>S)-He(2 <Superscript>3</Superscript>P) line *

We have observed emission spectrum in dense plasmas of helium excited by a corona discharge at 706.69 nm. In continuation of an analysis of spectra obtained in gaseous helium at 300 K, we report on a study of the line parameters of the observed spectra. We discuss the major importance of temperature and perturber density in the broadening, shift and asymmetry measured from calculated profiles within a unified line shape semi-classical theory. The comparison is done with existing data derived from experimental spectra at 300 K. The theoretical work is extended at lower temperatures down to 40 K.