Constraints on neutron skin thickness and symmetry energy of 208Pb through Skyrme forces and cluster model

We used the cluster structure properties of the 212Po to estimate the neutron skin thickness of 208Pb.For this purpose,we considered two important components:(a)alpha decay is a low energy phenomenon;therefore,one can expect that the mean-field,which can explain the ground state properties of 212Po,does not change during the alpha decay process.(b)212Po has a high alpha cluster-like structure,two protons and two neutrons outside its core nucleus with a double magic closed-shell,and the cluster model is a powerful formalism for the estimation of alpha decay preformation factor of such nuclei.The slope of the symmetry energy of 208Pb is estimated to be 75±25 MeV within the selected same mean-fields and Skyrme forces,which can simultaneously satisfy the ground-state properties of parent and daughter nuclei,as their neutron skin thicknesses are consistent with experimental data.     

On absolute values of α-decay rates

A possible way to remove the discrepancy between calculated and measured α-widths is discussed. The decay rates of ²¹²Po and ²¹⁰Po are computed with the help of shell-model wave functions for parent and daughter nucleus.     

CR-39 alpha particle spectrometry for the separation of the radon decay product 214Po from the thoron decay product 212Po

In this work, it is presented an experimental assembly based on electric capture of radionuclides in order to discriminate the alpha activity of ²¹⁴Po (radon decay product) from ²¹²Po (thoron decay product) one. The alpha activity was registered with CR-39 analyzing etch pit diameters and optical density. This discrimination may allow for the estimation of the relative contribution of the alpha activity due to thoron decay products compared to the total activity due to radon decay products.     

Alpha-clustering effects in heavy nuclei

The study of cluster structures in light nuclei is extending to the heavy nuclei in these years. As for the stable N = Z nuclei, from the lighter ⁸Be, ¹²C nuclei to the heavier ²⁰Ne and even the ⁴⁰Ca and ⁴⁴Ti medium nuclei, the α cluster structures have been well studied and confirmed. In heavy nuclei, due to the dominated mean field, the existence of α cluster structure is not clear as light nuclei but some clues were found for indicating the core+α cluster structure in some nuclei, in particular, the ²⁰⁸Pb+α structure in ²¹²Po. We review some recent progress about the theoretical and experimental explorations of the α-clustering effects in heavy nuclei. We also discuss the possible α cluster structure of heavy nuclei from the view of α decay.     

Influence of a continuum on cluster-decay processes

A microscopic approach to cluster decay including single-particle states in a continuum is given. The equations of motion describing cluster-like states are derived within the multistep shell-model approach. The lowest collective two-particle eigenmodes are used as building blocks for α-like states. Good agreement with low-lying states in ²¹²Po is obtained. The spectroscopic factor for the α decay between ground states is reproduced. It is shown that only by including the continuum part of the single-particle spectrum is the decay width for α-and cluster-decay processes reproduced. The α-like structure of the lowest states in ²¹²Po is analyzed, and strong high-lying resonances are predicted.     

New outlook on the possible existence of superheavy elements in nature

A consistent interpretation is given to some previously unexplained phenomena seen in nature in terms of the recently discovered long-lived high-spin super-and hyperdeformed isomeric states. The Po halos seen in mica are interpreted as being due to the existence of such isomeric states in corresponding Po or nearby nuclei that eventually decay by γ or β decay to the ground states of ²¹⁰Po, ²¹⁴Po, and ²¹⁸Po nuclei. The low-energy 4.5-MeV α-particle group observed in several minerals is interpreted as being due to a very enhanced α transition from the third minimum of the potential-energy surface in a superheavy nucleus with atomic number Z=108 (Hs) and atomic mass number around 271 to the corresponding minimum in the daughter.     

Measurement of the 214Po half-life by the DEVIS track setup

Measurement of the ²¹⁴Po half-life with the DEVIS track setup at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP, Moscow) by means of a procedure based on determining lifetimes of individual nuclei is described. The value obtained for the ²¹⁴Po half-life is 163.8 ± 3.0 µs. The possibility of reaching the accuracy of the measurements that is required for testing the statement that the decay of some nuclei has a nonexponential character and the source intensity necessary for this are discussed.     

The problem of gamma-laser and controlling ofMössbauer nuclei decay (theory and practice)

This paper discusses the control process of the radioactive Mössbauer nuclei spontaneous decay probability. The possibility of using this effect in order to produce an optimized gamma-laser is considered. For the first time, the experiment has shown radioactive lifetime doubling for ⁵⁷Fe nuclei and a general lifetime increase (including conversion and non-Mössbauer decay channels) by 2%.     

Absolute alpha-decay width of212Po in a mixed shell-and-cluster model

We have reproduced the absolute width of theα decay of the ground state of²¹²Po in a model in which the shell model is combined with a²⁰⁸Pb+α cluster model, and found that the amount of core+α clustering in the parent state is ～30%.     

Experimental study of excitation functions and isomer ratios for 211, 212Po

Excitation functions have been measured for ground states and isomers populated in the ²⁰⁸Pb(α, n)²¹¹Po, ²⁰⁹Bi(α, np)²¹¹Po, ²⁰⁹Bi(α, p)²¹²Po and ²⁰⁹Bi(α, n)²¹²At reactions for α-beams ranging from 45 MeV to 172.5 MeV. The experimental results have been compared with theoretical calculations assuming direct and preequilibrium reaction mechanisms, respectively. It is found that the experimental excitation functions can be reproduced satisfactorily by calculations in the framework of the preequilibrium model. Isomer ratios have been extracted from the data as well. Their energy dependence can be reproduced by an optical-model calculation for beam energies larger than about 60 MeV.     

Shell model calculations of two to four identical-“particle” systems near 208Pb

The structure of the nuclei ^204–206Pb, ^210–212Pb, ²¹⁰Po, ²¹¹At, and ²¹²Rn is studied in terms of conventional nuclear shell models. An inert ²⁰⁸Pb core is assumed, and active particles (holes) are distuibuted in the low-lying single-particle (hole) orbits. Experimental single-particle energies are used for the one-body part of the effective residual interaction. Realistic interaction matrix elements developed for this mass region by Kuo and Herling are used for the matrix elements of the two-body part of the residual interactions. As much as possible, other effective one-body operators for electromagnetic observables are derived from experimental data on the single-particle (hole) nuclei ²⁰⁷Pb, ²⁰⁹Pb, and ²⁰⁹Bi. Observables treated are ground state binding energies, excitation energies, strengths for one- and two-particle transfers, and E2 and M1 observables. Generally, excellent agreement is found. The configuration mixing calculations do not remove anomalies in the magnetic moments of excited states in ²⁰⁶Pb and ²¹²Rn. Many states in these nuclei are predicted by the models which have not been observed as yet. It is found that a truncation scheme for doubly even nuclei treated here in which only seniority-0 and seniority-2 states are allowed is potentially very useful.     

Optimisation of a hybrid photoneutron source in a linear accelerator using GEANT4 and MCNPX Monte Carlo codes

The \(\alpha \) decay half-lives of hyper and normal isotopes of Po nuclei are studied in the present work. The inclusion of \(\Lambda \)–N interaction changes the half-life for \(\alpha \) decay. The theoretical predictions on the \(\alpha \) decay half-lives of normal Po isotopes are compared with experimental results and are seen to be matching well with each other. The neutron shell closure at \(N = 126\) is found to be the same for both normal and hypernuclei. The Geiger–Nuttal (G–N) law for \(\alpha \) decay is unaltered in the case of hypernuclei. The hypernuclei will decay into normal nuclei by mesonic or non-mesonic decay modes. Since the half-lives of normal Po nuclei are well within the experimental limits, our theoretical results suggest experimental verification of the \(\alpha \) emission from hyper Po nuclei in a cascade process.     

Two-body beta decay of stored few-electron ions

The combination of the projectile fragment separator FRS and the cooler-storage ring ESR at the accelerator facility of GSI Darmstadt offers the unique opportunity to study beta decay of stored highly-charged ions. Basic nuclear properties such as masses and half-lives are measured by applying the mass- and time-resolved Schottky Mass Spectrometry (SMS). The relative mass-to-charge ratio is directly correlated to the relative revolution frequency. The SMS is sensitive to single stored ions and the decay of each stored ion can be precisely determine by steady monitoring of the corresponding revolution frequencies. On this basis the single particle decay-spectroscopy has been developed which allows for an unambiguous time-resolved and background-free identification of a certain decay branch. In this contribution we discuss experiments on the orbital electron capture (EC) of radioactive ions in the ESR. Fully ionized, hydrogen- and helium-like ¹⁴⁰Pr and ¹⁴²Pm ions have been selected for these studies. These nuclei decay to stable daughter nuclei via either the three-body ?? ^?+?- or the two-body EC-decay by a single allowed Gamow?CTeller (1^?+? ??0^?+?) transition.     

Woods-Saxon-Gaussian potential and alpha-cluster structures of alpha + closed shell nuclei

The Woods-Saxon-Gaussian(WSG) potential is proposed as a new phenomenological potential to systematically describe the level scheme, electromagnetic transitions, and alpha-decay half-lives of the alpha-cluster structures in various alpha + closed shell nuclei. It modifies the original Woods–Saxon(WS) potential with a shifted Gaussian factor centered at the nuclear surface. The free parameters in the WSG potential are determined by reproducing the correct level scheme of ~(212) Po=~(208) Pb+α. It is found that the resulting WSG potential matches the M3 Y double-folding potential at the surface region and makes corrections to the inner part of the cluster-core potential. It was also determined that the WSG potential, with nearly identical parameters to that of ~(212) Po(except for a rescaled radius), could also be used to describe alpha-cluster structures in ~(20) Ne =~(16) O+α and ~(44) Ti =~(40) Ca+α. In all three cases, the calculated values of the level schemes, electromagnetic transitions, and alpha-decay half-lives agree with the experimental data, which indicates that the WSG potential could indeed capture many important features of the alpha-cluster structures in alpha + closed shell nuclei. This study is a useful complement to the existing cluster-core potentials in literature. The Gaussian form factor centered at the nuclear surface might also help to improve our understanding of the alpha-cluster formation, which occurs in the same general region.     

Coulomb excitation of neutron-rich 138,140,142Xe at REX-ISOLDE

We report on “safe” Coulomb excitation of neutron-rich ^138,140,142Xe nuclei. The radioactive nuclei have been produced by ISOLDE at CERN and post-accelerated by the REX-ISOLDE facility. The γ-rays emitted by the decay of excited states have been detected by the MINIBALL array. Recent results are presented.     

Nuclear structure investigations of heavy actinide and trans-actinide isotopes

Detailed studies of radioactive decay properties of the transfermium nuclei ²⁴⁷Md, ²⁵³No, ^255,257Rf, and ²⁶¹Sg have been performed by means of α-decay or α?γ-coincidence measurements, which allowed for (tentative) assignments of spin and parity for the ground states and low excited levels. The results have been compared with those from theoretical calculations.     

Theories of alpha-decay

The derivation of the width for α-decay is examined with particular emphasis on methods which do not involve arbitrary channel radii. A new method of treating the initial decaying states is introduced and the use of ambiguous phenomenological potentials is avoided. This method yields consistent and acceptable quantitative results for the g.s. to g.s. (ground state) transitions in even polonium isotopes and for the branching ratio for the decay of the isomeric state ^212mPo.     

Coriolis anti-pairing theory of nuclear rotations nuclear meissner-effect

It is shown that the ground-state rotational bands of spherical nuclei are formed by a gradual alignment of the angular momenta of valence nucleons along the rotation axis. The predicted spin and excitation energy values of the first rotational state in ²¹²Po nucleus are J = 16⁺ and E = 2.91 MeV which is in reasonable agreement with the experimental data (J = (18⁺), E = 2.93 MeV).     

Reactions on 209Bi induced by intermediate energy protons and the effect of direct reactions

Excitation functions and ranges of recoil nuclei in the ²⁰⁹Bi(p, 3n)²⁰⁷Po, ²⁰⁹Bi(p, 4n) ²⁰⁶Po and ²⁰⁹Bi(p, p3n)²⁰⁶Bi reactions have been measured for incident energies from 18 MeV up to 52 MeV. It has been found that the recoil ranges in (p, p3n) reactions are rather shorter than those in (p, 4n), and that beyond E_p = 40 MeV the high energy tail of the excitation function for (p, p3n) is roughly flat, in contrast to the decreasing tail for (p, 4n). A theoretical analysis of the excitation functions and of the nuclear recoil ranges has been made. It has been found that in (p, p3n) reactions the direct process plays a very important part in the reaction mechanism. It is also found that the reaction mechanisms of (p, 3n) and (p, 4n) reactions should be interpreted by means of an admixture of the equilibrium compound process and the pre-equilibrium decay process at bombarding energies up to 40 MeV and 50 MeV, respectively, and that the direct process seems to appear at bombarding energies higher than these respective energies.