Rotational bands and signature inversion phenomena in πh9/2⊗νi13/2 and πi13/2⊗νi13/2 structures in odd-odd 176Ir

The ^109,111,113Rh nuclei have been produced as fission fragments in the fusion reaction ¹⁸O + ²⁰⁸Pb at 85 MeV. Their level schemes have been built from gamma-rays detected using the Euroball IV array. High-spin states of the neutron-rich ^111,113Rh nuclei have been identified for the first time. Several rotational bands with the odd proton occupying the πg _9/2, πp _1/2 and π(g _7/2/d _5/2) sub-shells have been observed. A band of low-energy transitions has been identified at excitation energy around 2 MeV in ^109,111Rh, which can be interpreted in terms of three-quasiparticle excitation, πg _9/2νh _11/2νg _7/2/d _5/2. In addition another structure built on states located at low excitation energy (608 keV in ¹¹¹Rh, 570 keV in ¹¹³Rh) points out that, as already observed in the lighter isotopes ^107,109Rh, triaxial deformation plays a role in the neutron-rich Rh isotopes well beyond the mid-shell. Received: 15 July 2002 / Accepted: 9 October 2002 / Published online: 3 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: porquet@csnsm.in2p3.fr RID="b" ID="b"Present address: CSNSM IN2P3-CNRS and Université Paris-Sud 91405 Orsay, France. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: CEA/Saclay, DSM/DAPNIA/SPhN, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France. Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Rotational bands in the doubly odd 130Cs nucleus

The band structures built on the 5^- isomeric state ( T _1/2 = 3.46 m) in the doubly odd ¹³⁰Cs nucleus have been established up to I = 24? via the ¹²⁴Sn(¹¹B, 5n)¹³⁰Cs reaction. The previously observed bands based on the πh _11/2⊗νh _11/2, πg _7/2⊗νh _11/2 and πd _5/2⊗νh _11/2 configurations and a positive-parity side band with multiple connections to the α = 0 signature partner of the yrast πh _11/2⊗νh _11/2 band have been extended to higher spins. A new band based on the πh _11/2⊗νg _7/2 configuration is observed. The yrast πh _11/2⊗νh _11/2 band exhibits anomalous signature splitting whose magnitude decreases up to spin 15 and then increases without restoring the normal signature splitting. Received: 20 February 2001 / Accepted: 9 May 2001     

High-spin structure of the neutron-rich odd-odd 106, 108 45Rh and 110, 112 47Ag isotopes

The ^{106, 108}Rh and ^{110, 112}Ag nuclei have been produced as fission fragments following the fusion reaction ²⁸Si + ¹⁷⁶Yb at 145 MeV bombarding energy and studied with the Eurogam2 array. The yrast high-spin states of these four odd-odd nuclei, which are observed for the first time, consist of rotational bands in which the odd proton occupies the πg _9/2 subshell and the odd neutron the νh _11/2 subshell. Their behaviour as a function of spin values does not vary with the number of neutrons: as observed in the odd-N neighbouring nuclei, the motion of the odd neutron remains decoupled from the motion of the core, from N = 61 to N = 65. Moreover, the staggering observed in the yrast bands of odd-odd isotopes is strongly reduced as compared to the large values displayed by the rotational bands built on the πg _9/2 subshell in the odd-A Rh and Ag isotopes. The results of particle-rotor calculations indicate that this reduction is related to a change of the core deformation. Received: 1 June 2001 / Accepted: 23 July 2002 / Published online: 10 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: porquet@csnsm.in2p3.fr RID="b" ID="b"Present address: CSNSM IN2P3-CNRS and Université Paris-Sud 91405 Orsay, France. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: NAC, Faure, ZA 7131, South Africa. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: Department of Nuclear Physics, ANU, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia. Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Maximally aligned states in 99Ag

Excited states of ⁹⁹Ag were populated via the ⁵⁰Cr + ⁵⁸Ni (261 MeV) reaction using the NORDBALL detector array equipped with charged-particle and neutron detector systems for reaction channel separation. On the basis of the measured γγ-coincidence relations and angular distribution ratios a significantly extended level scheme has been constructed up to E _x ∼ 7.8 MeV and I = 35/2. The experimental results were described within the framework of the shell model. Candidates for states fully aligned in the πg _9/2 ^-3ν(d _5/2, g _7/2)² valence configuration space were found at 4109 and 6265 keV. Received: 18 June 2002 / Accepted: 11 October 2002 / Published online: 4 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: sohler@atomki.hu Communicated by J. ?yst?     

Investigations of low- and high-spin states of <Superscript>132</Superscript>La

The fusion evaporation reaction ¹²²Sn(¹⁴N, 4n)¹³²La was used to populate the high-spin states of ¹³²La at the beam energy of 60 MeV. A new band consisting of mostly E2 transitions has been discovered. This band has the interesting links to the ground state 2^- and the isomeric state 6^-. A new transition of energy 351 keV connecting the low-spin states of the positive-parity band based on the πh _11/2 ⊗ νh _11/2 particle configuration, has been found. This has played a very important role in resolving the existing ambiguities and inconsistencies in the spin assignment of the band head. Received: 12 August 2002 / Accepted: 18 March 2003 / Published online: 7 May 2003     

High-spin study of odd- A 49In isotopes beyond the neutron mid-shell

The ^{115, 117, 119, 121}In nuclei have been produced as fission fragments in three reactions induced by heavy ions: ¹²C + ²³⁸U at 90MeV bombarding energy, ¹⁸O + ²⁰⁸Pb reaction at 85MeV, and ³¹P + ¹⁷⁶Yb at 152MeV. Their level schemes have been built from gamma-rays detected using the EUROBALL III and IV arrays. High-spin states of ^{117, 119, 121}In nuclei have been identified for the first time. Moreover, isomeric states lying around 2.5MeV have been established in ^{119, 121}In from the delayed coincidences between the fission fragment detector SAPhIR and the gamma array. Most of the observed states can be described by coupling a proton g _9/2 hole to a Sn core, while the intruder band based on an orbital from the π[g _7/2/d _5/2] sub-shells behaves as the ground-state band of neighbouring Cd isotopes. Received: 24 May 2002 / Accepted: 11 June 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: porquet@csnsm.in2p3.fr RID="b" ID="b"Present address: CEA-DIF, DAM/DCRE/SDE/LDN, 91680 Bruyères-le-Chatel, France. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: CSNSM IN2P3-CNRS and Université Paris-Sud 91405 Orsay, France. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: CEA/Saclay, DSM/DAPNIA/SPhN, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France. Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Rotational structures in the 125Cs nucleus

The collective band structures of the ¹²⁵Cs nucleus have been investigated by in-beam γ-ray spectroscopic techniques following the ¹¹⁰Pd ( ¹⁹F, 4n) reaction at 75MeV. The previously known level scheme, with rotational bands built on πg_7/2, πg_9/2 and πh_11/2 orbitals, has been extended and evolves into bands involving rotationally aligned ν(h_11/2)² and π(h_11/2)² quasiparticles. A strongly coupled band has been reassigned a high-K πh_11/2 ⊗ νg_7/2 ⊗ νh_11/2 three-quasiparticle configuration and a new side band likely to be its chiral partner has been identified. Configurations assigned to various bands are discussed in the framework of Principal/Tilted Axis Cranking (PAC/TAC) model calculations.     

In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of 42Ca

High-spin states of the ⁴²Ca nucleus, populated in the 68 MeV ¹⁸O + ³⁰Si reaction, have been studied in a γ-γ-recoil coincidence experiment. The level scheme of ⁴²Ca has been extended up to 13.7 MeV. An elaborate decay pattern with various paths, together with high-quality DCO and polarization information assigns spins and parities for almost all observed levels. The sequence of non-yrast positive-parity states is discussed and compared with highly deformed bands in ³⁶Ar and ⁴⁰Ca. Received: 26 November 2002 / Accepted: 11 December 2002 / Published online: 18 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Malgorzata.Lach@ifj.edu.pl RID="b" ID="b"Present address: TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada. RID="†" ID="†"Deceased. Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Candidates for chiral doublet bands in 136Nd

The even-even nucleus ¹³⁶Nd was studied via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy using the ¹⁶O + ¹²⁵Te reaction at 100 MeV and the EUROBALL array. One new dipole band was observed. Together with a previously identified dipole band, whose position in the level scheme is revised, the new band forms a doublet structure similar to the recently observed chiral bands in the odd-odd neighboring nuclei. This would be the first case of a chiral doublet in an even-even nucleus. Received: 23 May 2002 / Accepted: 30 September 2002 / Published online: 27 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: costel.petrache@unicam.it RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung D-64291 Darmstadt, Germany. Communicated by C. Signorini     

Beta-decay of the N = Z nucleus 72Kr

The beta-decay of the N = Z, even-even nucleus ⁷²Kr has been studied at the ISOLDE PSB facility at CERN. Measurements of βγ and βγγ coincidences have enriched the decay scheme of the daughter nucleus ⁷²Br with 27 new low spin levels. A more precise half-life of T _1/2 = 17.1(2) s has been determined. Strong feeding to the ⁷²Br ground state is established yielding an unambiguous J ^π = 1⁺ assignment for this state. Candidates for the ⁷²Br g.s. wave function are discussed in the framework of a self-consistent deformed mean-field calculation with SG2 Skyrme force and pairing correlations. A search for beta-delayed particle emission was made and an upper limit of 10^-6 for this decay branch obtained. The cumulated experimental level density of 1⁺ states has been fitted with the constant temperature formula. The comparison indicates that most likely all 1⁺ levels up to 1.2 MeV have been observed in this investigation. The corresponding nearest-neighbour level spacing does not follow a Poisson distribution. The Gamow-Teller strength distribution is compared, in terms of nuclear deformation, with different calculations made in the framework of the quasiparticle random phase approximation. Received: 7 February 2002 / Accepted: 31 October 2002 / Published online: 6 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: borge@pinar2.csic.es RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Centre d' Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan, Le Haut Vigneau, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex, France. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: University Mentouri, 25000 Constantine, Algeria. Communicated by J. ?yst?     

High-spin states in the <Superscript>97</Superscript>Tc nucleus

High-spin states in the ⁹⁷Tc nucleus have been studied by in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with the reaction ⁸²Se(¹⁹F,4nγ) at 68 MeV incident energy. Excited states have been observed up to about 8 MeV excitation and spin 43/2. The observed level scheme is compared with results of shell model calculations. Received: 22 November 2002 / Accepted: 23 December 2002 / Published online: 18 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: bucurescu@tandem.nipne.ro RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Università di Padova, Padova, Italy. Communicated by C. Signorini     

Rotational structures in 123Cs

High-spin states in ¹²³Cs, populated via the ¹⁰⁰Mo ( ²⁸Si, p4n) fusion-evaporation reaction at E _lab = 130 MeV, have been investigated employing in-beam γ-ray spectroscopic techniques. Rotational bands, built on πg _7/2, πg _9/2 and the unique-parity πh _11/2 orbitals, have been extended and evolve into bands involving rotationally aligned ν(h _11/2)² and π(h _11/2)² quasiparticles. A three-quasiparticle band based on the high-K πh _11/2 ⊗ νg _7/2 ⊗ νh _11/2 configuration has also been observed. Total Routhian Surface (TRS) calculations have been used to predict the nuclear shape parameters ( β₂, β₄, γ) for the various assigned configurations. The assigned configurations have been discussed in the framework of a microscopic theory based on the deformed Hartree-Fock (HF) and angular-momentum projection techniques.     

Rotational alignment of the h11/2 band in 157Dy

High-spin states of ¹⁵⁷Dy were investigated using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy techniques with a ¹⁵⁰Nd(¹²C, 5n) reaction. Three rotational bands with the h _9/2, i _13/2 and h _11/2 configurations were observed up to (43/2^-), 53/2⁺ and 45/2^-, respectively. Interband M1 transitions in the h _11/2 (high-Ω) band were also measured up to the highest-spin state. The high-spin states were well reproduced by calculations using the tilted-axis-cranking model (TAC). The B(M1)/B(E2) ratio, Routhian and the tilted angle of the angular-momentum vector are found to be in good agreement with the result of the TAC calculation. Received: 22 August 2002 / Accepted: 26 September 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: hayakawa@jball4.tokai.jaeri.go.jp Communicated by W. Henning     

Measurement of 2+ 1 level lifetimes in 162Yb and 162Er by fast electronic scintillation timing

Lifetime measurements for the 2⁺ ₁ levels of ¹⁶²Er and ¹⁶²Yb were obtained in β⁺/ɛ decay at the Yale Moving Tape Collector by fast electronic scintillation timing of β⁺γ coincidences. Received: 2 September 2002 / Accepted: 1 October 2002 / Published online: 4 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: mark.caprio@yale.edu Communicated by J. ?yst?     

Lifetimes and side-feeding population of the yrast band levels in 131La

Lifetimes of yrast levels with spins I^π = 23/2^--43/2^- in ¹³¹La populated in the ¹²²Sn(¹⁴N, 5n) reaction at a beam energy of 70MeV are measured by the Doppler Shift Attenuation method. A model of side-feeding population is presented. The model parameters are determined in an experiment based on the lineshape of γ-transitions from two highest spin levels and from the intensity distribution along the yrast band. The properties of the h_11/2 band in ¹³¹La are compared with the theoretical predictions obtained in the framework of the Core-Quasi-Particle Coupling and the self-consistent Total Routhian Surface models.     

Investigations into the alpha-decay of <Superscript>195</Superscript>At

The low-energy nuclear structure and decay properties of the neutron-deficient isotopes ¹⁹⁵At and ¹⁹¹Bi have been studied. ¹⁹⁵At was produced in the reaction ¹⁴²Nd(⁵⁶Fe,p2n)¹⁹⁵At and ¹⁹¹Bi as the daughter activity of ¹⁹⁵At. The activities were implanted in a position-sensitive silicon detector after being separated from the primary beam by a gas-filled recoil separator. The 1/2⁺ intruder state was determined to be the ground state in ¹⁹⁵At with an alpha-decay energy of E _α = 6953(3) keV and a half-life T _1/2 = 328(20) ms. Another state with an alpha-decay energy E _α = 7075(4) keV and a half-life T _1/2 = 147(5) ms was found to decay to a 148.7(5) keV excited state in ¹⁹¹Bi for which a spin and parity of 7/2^- were deduced. Consequently, the same 7/2^- character was assigned to the initial state at 32(7) keV in ¹⁹⁵At on the basis of unhindered alpha-decay. The 9/2^- state, being the ground state in heavier odd-mass astatine isotopes, was not observed. Received: 16 September 2002 / Accepted: 19 December 2002 / Published online: 25 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: heikki.kettunen@phys.jyu.fi RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Laboratory of Radiochemistry, P.O. Box 55, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 14, FIN-00881 Helsinki, Finland. Communicated by W. Henning     

Configuration assignments and decay of 126La high-spin bands

High spin states of ¹²⁶La have been populated using the reaction ¹¹⁶Sn+¹⁴N at 68 MeV. γ-rays and conversion electrons were detected with the GAREL array. Multipolarities of the lowest-lying in-band dipole transitions have been determined from the deduced internal conversion coefficients. Experimental B(M1)/B(E2) ratios have been derived for the bands and compared with calculated values using the D?nau-Frauendorf geometrical model. Configurations are proposed for the bands comparing them with cranked shell model calculations and on the basis of the measured B(M1)/B(E2) ratios. The β-decay of ¹²⁶La has also been revisited. The population of the ¹²⁶Ba levels gives a probable spin value of five for the decaying high-spin ¹²⁶La state with T _1/2≈ 64 s which may indicate a signature inversion in the πh_11/2νh_11/2 band. Received: 12 October 1999     

Observation of a πh9/2 ⊗ νi13/2 oblate band in 188Tl

Excited states in ¹⁸⁸Tl have been studied experimentally using the ¹⁵⁷Gd (³⁵Cl, 4n) reaction at a beam energy of 170MeV. A rotational band built on the πh _9/2 ⊗ νi _13/2 configuration with oblate deformation has been established for ¹⁸⁸Tl. Based on the structure systematics of the oblate πh _9/2 ⊗ νi _13/2 bands in the heavier odd-odd Tl nuclei, we have tentatively proposed spin values for the new band in ¹⁸⁸Tl. The πh _9/2 ⊗ νi _13/2 oblate band in ¹⁸⁸Tl shows low-spin signature inversion, and it can be interpreted qualitatively by the two-quasiparticle plus rotor model including a J-dependent p-n residual interaction.     

First observation of the ν9/2[404] orbital in the A ∼ 100 mass region

A new band, populated by the spontaneous fission of ²⁴⁸Cm and studied by means of prompt γ-ray spectroscopy using the EUROGAM2 array, was observed in ⁹⁹Zr. The 1038.8 keV band head with a half-life T _1/2 = 54(10) ns is interpreted as a K-isomer, corresponding to the 9/2[404] neutron-hole excitation. It is the first observation of this orbital in the mass A ∼ 100 region. The quadrupole moment, Q ₀ = 3.9(3) eb deduced for the new band indicates a large deformation of β = 0.41, which is produced by a specific shape-coexistence mechanism, known in other regions and now found in the A ∼ 100 nuclei. Received: 11 September 2002 / Accepted: 31 October 2002 / Published online: 17 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: urban@fuw.edu.pl Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Observation of signature inversion in odd-odd 178Ir

High spin states in ¹⁷⁸Ir have been studied via the ¹⁵²Sm(³¹P, 5nγ)¹⁷⁸Ir reaction through excitation functions, X-γ and γ-γ-t coincidence measurements. According to the band structure characteristics and the measured intraband B(M1)/B(E2) ratios, two rotational bands are identified and assigned to be associated with the πh _9/2⊗νi _13/2 and πh _11/2⊗νi _13/2 configurations, respectively. Both bands show the signature inversion feature. Received: 23 March 2000 / Accepted: 31 July 2000