Evolution from quasielastic to deep-inelastic transfer in the system132Xe+natFe§

The pronounced isotope shift of⁸⁷Sr versus⁸⁷Sr observed recently in 5sns¹S₀ Rydberg states reflects the singlet-triplet mixing solely caused by magnetic hyperfine interaction. Using semiempirical estimates for the hyperfine coupling constant a_{5 s} and the singlet-triplet splitting ΔE_ST (n) excellent agreement between experimental and calculated values is obtained.     

The reaction mechanism in the system132Xe+56Fe at 5.73 MeV/u: Evidence for a new type of strongly damped collisions

We present data for the¹³²Xe+⁵⁶Fe-system at 5.73 MeV/u laboratory energy. Due to inverted kinematics, where Xe is the projectile, we were able to measure energy spectra as well as angular distributions for reaction products with 20≦Z≦60 with unitZ-resolution; i.e. target- and projectile-like fragments have been investigated. The reaction shows a well focussed quasielastic component, where charge transfer from the light to the heavy collision partner dominates. This apparent tendency towards more asymmetric fragmentation is explained by a potential energy surface which favours such charge transfer in order to minimize the asymmetry energy of the liquid drop. The strongly damped component which constitutes the major part of the reaction cross section exhibits characteristics of a fusion-fission reaction with typical fission fragment kinetic energies and 1/sinΘ _c.m. angular distributions. The maximum cross section is found for the symmetric fragmentation, no clear indication is observed for a diffusion process leading to target- and projectile-like fragments. Our data are difficult to reconcile either with the standard diffusion models or with an equilibrated compound nucleus fission picture. We tentatively conclude that an essential part of the fully damped cross section originates from partial waves for which the compound nucleus has no fission barrier.     

Search for delayed fission products from superheavy nuclei in the reaction136Xe+208Pb

The production of superheavy elements in binary reactions of the type²⁰⁸Pb (¹³⁶Xe, X) Y was investigated atE _c.m.=470 MeV. The experiment was designed to search for delayed fission products from elements withZ between 108 and 116 and fission lifetimes ofΤ?10^?12 s. No fission events were observed the upper limit for the formation cross section being 1.2 Μbarn.     

Search for long-lived superheavy elements in the reaction of136Xe with238U

A search with radiochemical methods for long-lived superheavy elements in 238U targets bombarded with intense beams of¹³⁶Xe ions produced negative results. A formation cross section of ≤1×10^?35 cm² is deduced at 95% confidence level for nuclides with half-lives between 1 and 200 d.     

Search for octupole deformation in neutron-rich Xe isotopes

A search for octupole deformation in neutron-rich Xe isotopes has been conducted through prompt gammaray spectroscopy of secondary fragments produced in the spontaneous fission of²⁴⁸Cm. The spectrometer consisted of the Eurogam 1 array and a set of 5 LEPS detectors. Level schemes were constructed for Xe isotopes with mass number ranging from 140 to 144 and excited states for^143,144Xe nuclei were observed for the first time. None of the level schemes exhibit an alternating parity quasimolecular band, a feature usually expected in nuclei in which octupole correlation effects are strong enough to produce stable octupole deformation. For several isotopes, structures observed in the level schemes are consistent with an octupole softness of the nuclei.     

Search for the Theta+ pentaquark in the reaction gammad --> pK-K+n

A search for the Theta+ in the reaction gammad --> pK-K+n was completed using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. A study of the same reaction, published earlier, reported the observation of a narrow Theta+ resonance. The present experiment, with more than 30 times the integrated luminosity of our earlier measurement, does not show any evidence for a narrow pentaquark resonance. The angle-integrated upper limit on Theta+ production in the mass range of 1.52-1.56 GeV/c2 for the gammad --> pK-Theta+ reaction is 0.3 nb (95% C.L.). This upper limit depends on assumptions made for the mass and angular distribution of Theta+ production. Using Lambda(1520) production as an empirical measure of rescattering in the deuteron, the cross section upper limit for the elementary gamman --> K-Theta+ reaction is estimated to be a factor of 10 higher, i.e., approximately 3 nb (95% C.L.).     

Sub-Coulomb transfer and fission in collisions of129Xe,132Xe and136Xe with238U

Integral cross sections for fission and for one- and two-neutron transfer reactions in the system¹³²Xe+²³⁸U were measured radiochemically in the energy range 0.7≦E/E _Coul≦1. The excitation functions for fission and transfer are found to be essentially parallel below 0.85×E _Coul. Even at the lowest energies the transfer cross sections exceed the fission cross section by more than one order of magnitude. With the other projectiles¹²⁹Xe and¹³⁶Xe different transfer cross sections illustrating their sensitivity for the ground stateQ-values,Q _gg , are observed while the fission cross sections are the same as in the¹³²Xe +²³⁸U reaction. The fission data are interpreted in terms of a continuous transition between Coulomb fission and several transfer-induced fission processes.     

Hard photon production in the reaction Xe+Sn at 50 A MeV

The first results of the analysis of the TAPS experiment performed at GANIL in 1998 are presented. First, the pre-analysis of a typical TAPS experiment (data storage, energy calibration, time alignment, time monitorings and pulse-shape analysis) is described. Secondly, a preliminary inclusive hard photon spectrum of the reaction ¹²⁹Xe+¹¹²Sn at 50 A MeV is shown. The hard photon spectrum exhibits a good agreement with the systematics collected by the TAPS collaboration in the last KVI experiments.     

Gyromagnetic ratios of first 2+ states in126, 128, 130, 132Xe

Gyromagnetic ratios of first 2⁺ states in^{126, 128, 130, 132}Xe were determined by implantation perturbed angular correlations (IMPAC). The effective hyperfine magnetic field together with the transient magnetic field at xenon nuclei in iron was utilized to obtain the precession of the angular correlation. The precession due to the transient field was taken from systematics to be /g=–36±6 mrad. The effective hyperfine magnetic field was determined in an experiment on¹²⁶Xe in iron to be 900±200 kG. The results for theg-factors areg(128)=0.41±0.07,g(130)=0.38±0.07 andg(132)=0.37±0.05. Theg-factor of the 2⁺ state in¹²⁶Xe was determined in a separate experiment using a radioactive source of¹²⁶I to beg(126)=0.37±0.07, and was used as calibration for the IMPAC-data.     

Evidence for a 10+ state in132Te

A new isomeric state witht _1/2=3.9±0.3μs has been observed in the nucleus ₅₂ ¹³² Te₈₀ which has two protons more and two neutrons less than the doubly magic isobar ₅₀ ¹³² Sn₈₂. The deexcitation pattern suggests spin and parity 10⁺ for this level near 2,700 keV which is populated in fission. The energy and the half-life of the isomer can be understood with the assumption that it is the 10⁺ level based on theh ₁₁ ^2/?2 neutron hole configuration.     

Search for η-mesic nuclei in the reaction d + C at JINR

Results of a search for quasi-bound states of the η-meson and a target nucleus obtained during several years using the internal target at the Nuclotron d-beam are presented. Formation of η-mesic nuclei was studied in the reaction d + C in the energy interval 1.5 to 2.2 GeV/nucl. Decay products of S₁₁ resonances excited by η-mesons captured by nucleons in the nuclear target have been analyzed. Measurements were performed with a scintillation spectrometer SCAN. Analysis of obtained data is presented.     

Search for the Theta+ Pentaquark in the gammad--> DeltanK+ reaction measured with the CLAS spectrometer

For the first time, the reaction gammad-->DeltanK+ has been analyzed in order to search for the exotic pentaquark baryon Theta+(1540). The data were taken at Jefferson Laboratory, using the Hall-B tagged-photon beam of energy between 0.8 and 3.6 GeV and the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). No statistically significant structures were observed in the nK+ invariant-mass distribution. The upper limit on the gammad-->DeltaTheta+ integrated cross section has been calculated and found to be between 5 and 25 nb, depending on the production model assumed. The upper limit on the differential cross section is also reported.     

Observation of hyperfine mixing in measurements of a magnetic octupole decay in isotopically pure nickel-like 129Xe and 132Xe ions

We present measurements of high statistical significance of the rate of the magnetic octupole (M3 ) decay in nickel-like ions of isotopically pure 129Xe and 132Xe. On 132Xe, an isotope with zero nuclear spin and therefore without hyperfine structure, the lifetime of the metastable level was established as (15.06+/-0.24) ms. On 129Xe, an additional fast (2.7+/-0.1 ms) decay component was established that represents hyperfine mixing with a level that decays by electric quadrupole (E2 ) radiation.     

Search for Theta++ pentaquarks in the exclusive reaction gammap-->K+K-p

The reaction gammap --> pK+K- was studied at Jefferson Lab with photon energies from 1.8 to 3.8 GeV using a tagged photon beam. The goal was to search for a Theta++ pentaquark, a narrow, doubly charged baryon state having strangeness S=+1 and isospin I=1, in the pK+ invariant mass spectrum. No statistically significant evidence of a Theta++ was found. Upper limits on the total and differential cross section for the reaction gammap --> K-Theta++ were obtained in the mass range from 1.5 to 2.0 GeV/c2, with an upper limit for a narrow resonance with a mass M(Theta++) = 1.54 GeV/c2 of about 0.15 nb, 95% C.L.. This result places a stringent upper limit on the Theta++ width Gamma(Theta++) <0.1 MeV/c2.     

Search for a logarithmic term in the density expansion of the diffusion coefficient of Kr in Xe

Measurements of the diffusion coefficient of Kr in Xe at T = 298 K and in the density range 0–200 amagat are reported. The data are analyzed in order to investigate whether a logarithmic divergence appears in the density expansion of the diffusion coefficient. This analysis shows that a power series expansion is more consistent with our data though the presence of the logarithmic term can not be excluded. The values of the first coefficients of the power series expansion are compared with the theoretical predictions.     

Search for electric dipole moment in 129Xe atom using a nuclear spin oscillator

We aim to measure the electric dipole moment (EDM) of a diamagnetic atom ¹²⁹Xe using an optical-detection nuclear spin maser technique. The relation of EDM in a diamagnetic atom to nuclear Schiff moment and fundamental sources generating it is discussed, and the present status for the development of our experimental setup is presented.