Coulomb excitation paths of high-K isomer bands in 178Hf

Three distinctly different mechanisms are shown to populate the K(pi)=6(+) (t(1/2)=77 ns), 16(+) (31 yr), and 8(-) (4 s) isomer bands of 178Hf by Coulomb excitation. High spin states of the three isomer bands were populated by Coulomb excitation of a hafnium target with a 650 MeV 136Xe beam. Although direct population of high-K bands is highly K-forbidden, isomer bands in 178Hf were populated up to spins 13(+)(K=6), 20(+)(K=16), and 14(-)(K=8) with in-band gamma yields of approximately 10(-4) of the ground state band. The data are consistent with a rapid increase in K mixing with increasing spin in the isomer bands.     

Study of the gamma emission from the 31-yr isomer of 178Hf induced by x-ray irradiation

A sample containing 6.3×10¹⁴ nuclei of the 16⁺ isomer of ¹⁷⁸Hf having a half-life of 31 yr and an excitation energy of 2.446 MeV was irradiated with x-ray pulses from a device operated at 15 mA to produce bremsstrahlung with an endpoint energy of 90 keV. The gamma spectra of the isomeric target were taken with a Ge detector. The intensity of the 325.5-keV (6⁺ → 4⁺) transition in the ground-state band of ¹⁷⁸Hf was found to increase by about 2%. Such an enhanced decay of the ¹⁷⁸Hf isomer is consistent with an integrated cross section value of 3×10^?23 cm² keV if resonance absorption occurs within energy ranges corresponding to the maxima of the x-ray flux, either near 20 keV or at the energies of the characteristic emission lines of W.     

Preparation of the 178m2Hf isomer used in the induced gamma decay experiment by X-ray from synchrotron radiation facility

It is widely acknowledged that the ^178m2Hf nuclide is the most suitable substance to study the decay characteristic of the isomer induced by low-energy X-ray. In order to conduct the experiment on the induced gamma emission, the research group has started producing the ^178m2Hf nuclide based on the ¹⁷⁶Yb(??, 2n)^178m2Hf reaction. After the chemical purification is conducted, the sample is prepared and used in Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. During the production of isomer, the natural metal Yb target is got through magnetron sputtering. Bombarded by ?? particles about 27 MeV, the ^178m2Hf nuclide reaches about 10¹². Yb target prepared in this way is most suitable for the production of ^178m2Hf nuclide in the CS30 cyclotron. There are various nuclides in the irradiated target and the main long-lived nuclides are ¹⁷³Lu, ¹⁷²Lu, ¹⁷⁵Hf, ¹⁷²Hf and ⁶⁵Zn. The chemical separation of ^178m2Hf is studied and its process is monitored by radioactive tracer. The above result shows that decontamination factors of Zn and Lu are 10⁵ and 10³, respectively, and the yield of hafnium is 69%. Under the protection of vacuum filtration technology, the purified ^178m2Hf isomers are entirely transferred to the surface of filter paper, in order to form the sample which satisfies requirements of X-ray triggering the ^178m2Hf isomer decay experiment in Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility in the future.     

Calculations of electric quadrupole moments and charge radii for high-K isomers

Configuration-constrained potential-energy-surface calculations are performed to investigate high-K isomers in ⁹⁷Y, ¹³⁰Ba, ¹⁷⁶Yb, ¹⁷⁷Lu, and ¹⁷⁸Hf that were observed to have increased electric quadrupole moments but decreased charge radii relative to the states on which they are built. Taking into account the effects of deformation change and unpaired protons, our calculations can reproduce the enhancement of electric quadrupole moments for the isomers in ⁹⁷Y, ¹³⁰Ba, ¹⁷⁶Yb, ¹⁷⁷Lu and the K ^π = 8^? isomer in ¹⁷⁸Hf, and can reproduce the reduction of charge radii for the K ^π = 27/2^? isomer in ⁹⁷Y and the K ^π = 16⁺ isomer in ¹⁷⁸Hf.     

Anomalous isomeric decays in 174Lu as a probe of K mixing and interactions in deformed nuclei

A K(pi)=13+, 280 ns four-quasiparticle isomer in the odd-odd nucleus 174Lu has been identified and characterized. The isomer decays to both K(pi)=7(+) and K(pi)=0(+) rotational bands obtained from the parallel and antiparallel coupling of the proton 7/2+[404] and neutron 7/2+[633] orbitals. K mixing caused by particle-rotation coupling explains the anomalously fast transition rates to the 7+ band but those to the 0+ band are caused by a chance degeneracy between the isomer and a collective state, allowing the mixing matrix element for a large K difference to be deduced.     

Production, chemical and isotopic separation of the178m2Hf high-spin isomer

The ^178m2Hf with its long-lived (T_1/2=31 y), high-spin I^π = 16⁺, isomeric state, is a challenge for new and exotic nuclear physics studies. The ^178m2Hf isomer has been produced in microweight quantities using the ¹⁷⁶Yb(α,2n) nuclear reaction, by irradiation with a high-intensity beam using the U-200 cyclotron in Dubna. Radiochemistry and mass separation methods have been developed, with the aim to separate and purify the produced Hf material. Thin targets of isomeric hafnium-178 on carbon backings have been prepared and used in experiments with neutron, proton and deuteron beams. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis></Superscript> = 0<Superscript>+</Superscript> rotational bands in the <Superscript>178</Superscript>Hf nucleus

The results obtained by studying the angular distributions of gamma rays with respect to the neutron-beam axis in the reaction ¹⁷⁸Hf(n, n′γ) involving the deexcitation of the K ^π = 0⁺ rotational bands of ¹⁷⁸Hf are presented.New information about themultipole-mixing parameter δ in gamma transitions from the levels of these bands is obtained. The K ^π = 0₄⁺ band is constructed anew. The relationship between the parameter δ for the (2⁺0 _n −2⁺0₁) gamma transition and the energy gap Δ _n = E _lev(2⁺0 _n ) − E _lev(0⁺0 _n ), on one hand, and the quasiparticle structure of the rotational band, on the other hand, is discussed for ¹⁷⁸Hf on the basis of the quasiparticle-phonon model.     

Gamma-Ray Transitions Induced in Nuclear Spin Isomers by X-Rays

Because of the high density of energy storage and the large cross section for its release, nuclear spin isomers have attracted considerable recent interest. The triggering of induced gamma emission from them has encouraged efforts to develop intense sources of short-wavelength radiation. One of the more interesting examples is the 16⁺ 4-qp isomer of ¹⁷⁸Hf which stores 2.445 MeV for a half-life of 31 years meaning that as a material, such isomeric ¹⁷⁸Hf would store 1.3 GJ/g. Recently, a sample containing 6.3×10¹⁴ nuclei of the isomer of ¹⁷⁸Hf was irradiated with X-ray pulses derived from a device operated at 15 mA to produce bremsstrahlung radiation with end point energies set to values between 60 and 90 keV. Emission of gamma radiation from the sample was increased by 1–2% above the quiescent value of spontaneous emission. Such an accelerated decay of the ¹⁷⁸Hf isomer is consistent with an integrated cross section of 2.2×10⁻²² cm² keV if the resonant absorption of the X-rays takes place below 20 keV as indicated by the use of selective absorbing filters in the irradiating beam. The work reported here describes the current experimental focus and results recently obtained with the use of coincident detection of emitted gamma photons by several detectors. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Search for parity and time reversal violations in hindered gamma-decay

We discuss various possibilities to improve the sensitivity of parity and time reversal asymmetry measurements in gamma decaying nuclei. We compare the best known parity violating case^180mHf to a similar isotope^178mHf. Although the parity violation may not be as large, the 178 isomer is better suited to eliminate experimental systematic problems. We introduce a new detector to enhance the sensitivity of such measurements. Our first experiments indicate applicability of these detectors to P symmetry tests.     

High-spin yrast and non-yrast bands in 176Os, 178Os and 180Os

High-spin yrast and non-yrast states have been identified in ¹⁷⁶Os, ¹⁷⁸Os and ¹⁸⁰Os using (¹⁶O, xn) reactions, and γ-ray techniques. Band crossing anomalies are observed in each of the positive-parity yrast bands. The magnitude of these anomalies decreases with decreasing neutron number, an effect attributed to the change in the moment of inertia of the ground state rotational bands. A 23 ns isomer, predominantly K^π = 7^?, is identified at 1930 keV in ¹⁸⁰Os. The configuration of this isomer is discussed on the basis of the properties of its rotational band. Negative parity, odd and even spin, sideband sequences are observed in each isotope. Their relationship to rotation-aligned octupole and 2-quasiparticle bands is discussed from their excitation energies, band spacings, and decay properties. Detailed calculations for Coriolis mixed bands are carried out for the likely 2-quasiproton and 2-quasineutron configurations. An anomaly observed at spin 17 in the odd-spin negative-parity sequence in ¹⁸⁰Os is attributed to a band crossing with a fourquasiparticle configuration.     

Brute-force orientation of178m 2Hf and magnetic moments of178m 1Hf and178m 2Hf

Gamma-ray anisotropy measurements have been carried out with brute-force oriented^178m ₂Hf (16⁺) to derive its magnetic moment 7.26 (±0.16; +0.2/−0) nm and E2/M1 mixing ratios of some γ-transitions observed in the decay of this isomer. This magnetic moment is in agreement with an earlier proposed four-quasi-particle configuration. The magnetic moment of the 8⁻ isomer at 1147.7 keV (4.0 s) is estimated to be between 1.4 and 5.3 nm, which confirms mixing of the {p[514]9/2 +p[404]7/2}8⁻ and {n[514]7/2+n[624]9/2}8⁻ configurations, which summed together give the 16⁺ isomer.     

Deuteron-induced reaction studies of the nuclear structure of178Hf

The level structure of¹⁷⁸Hf is interpreted on the basis of the population of the states following¹⁷⁸Hf (d, d′),¹⁷⁷Hf (d, p) and¹⁷⁹Hf (d, t) reactions. Evidence for quadrupole and octupole vibrational bands and unmixed and intermixed two-quasiparticle configurations is presented.     

Quadrupole moment of the 11(-) intruder isomer in 196Pb and its implications for the 16(-) shears band head

The quadrupole moment of the 11(-) isomer in 196Pb has been measured by the level mixing spectroscopy method. This state has a pi(3s(-2)(1/2)1h(9/2)1i(13/2))11(-) configuration which is involved in most of the shears band heads in the Pb region. The first directly measured value of Q(s)(11(-)) = (-)3.41(66) b, coupled to the previously known quadrupole moment of the nu(1i(-2)(13/2))12(+) isomer allows us to estimate the quadrupole moment of the 16(-) shears band head as Q(s)(16(-)) = -0.32(10) b. The experimental values are compared to tilted axis cranking calculations, giving insight into the validity of the additivity approach to couple quadrupole moments and on the amount of deformation in the shears bands.     

使用α粒子轰击天然镱靶制备~(178m2)Hf同质异能素及样品γ能谱分析

178m2Hf是一种长半衰期(T1/2=31 a)、高自旋态(Iπ=16+)的Hf同质异能素.利用四川大学CS-30回旋加速器产生的30 MeV,100μA的α束流轰击天然Yb靶,通过176Yb(α,2n)反应制备178m2Hf.采用高纯Ge探测器测量未提纯样品和放化分离后的样品的γ能谱,选取178m2Hf的426,495和574 keV三个特征峰,使用高斯双峰拟合方法解谱,确定了未提纯样品中178m2Hf的含量达到1012量级,提纯后的样品中178m2Hf含量为1011量级.还对靶中其他放射性杂质核素(175Hf,172Lu,172Hf,177Lu,173Lu)的含量进行了分析.     

Coulomb excitation of the Kπ=16+ rotational band in 178Hf

A heavy-ion multiple Coulomb excitation experiment on a very exotic target containing microweight quantities of ¹⁷⁸Hf in the K^πn = 16⁺ isomeric state has been performed at 4.77 MeV/u ²⁰⁸Pb beam energy. The first excited I^π = 17⁺ state has been observed at an excitation energy of 357.4 ± 0.3 keV with respect to the isomeric state. The intrinsic electric quadrupole moment of Q ₀ = 8.2 ± 1.1 b has been derived from the experimental data within the rigid rotor model.     

Particle-number conserving analysis for the 2-quasiparticle and high-K multi-quasiparticle states in doubly-odd 174,176Lu

Two-quasiparticle bands and low-lying excited high-K four-, six-, and eight-quasiparticle bands in the doubly-odd ^{174, 176}Lu are analyzed by using the cranked shell model (CSM) with the pairing correlations treated by a particle-number conserving (PNC) method, in which the blocking effects are taken into account exactly. The proton and neutron Nilsson level schemes for ^{174, 176}Lu are taken from the adjacent odd-A Lu and Hf isotopes, which are adopted to reproduce the experimental bandhead energies of the one-quasiproton and one-quasineutron bands of these odd-A Lu and Hf nuclei, respectively. Once the quasiparticle configurations are determined, the experimental bandhead energies and the moments of inertia of these two- and multi-quasiparticle bands are well reproduced by PNC-CSM calculations. The Coriolis mixing of the low-K (K=|Ω₁-Ω₂|) two-quasiparticle band of the Gallagher-Moszkowski doublet with one nucleon in the Ω = 1/2 orbital is analyzed.     

Hf高自族态推转壳模型PNC方法研究

用推转壳模型ＰＮＣ方法研究了１６６Ｈｆ９４－１７０Ｈｆ９８核，计算了这三个核晕带和次晕带间的带交叉频率、带间互作用强度、顺排角动量和转动惯量等，并与实验值作了比较，结果表明在Ｎｉｌｓｓｏｎ势参数完全按照Ｌｕｎｄ系统学选取的情况下，理论计算值与实验值符合得较好．     

Experimental consequences ofSU(3) symmetry in ans d g Boson Model

Energies of collective levels in¹⁷⁸Hf and²³⁴U are compared with predictions of theSU (3) limit of thesdg Interacting Boson Model. All known positive parity states of¹⁷⁸Hf below 1.8 MeV (with the exception of a 0⁺ band) have been satisfactorily reproduced. Most of the bands in²³⁴U are also described by the model. However, a few predicted states have no experimental counterpart. The introduction of theg-bosons strongly reduces the previously observed discrepancies between experimentalB(E2)'s in²³⁸U and thesd-IBM calculation.     

Coulomb excitation of the Kπ=16+ rotational band in178Hf

A heavy-ion multiple Coulomb excitation experiment on a very exotic target containing microweight quantities of¹⁷⁸Hf in the K^π = 16⁺ isomeric state has been performed at 4.77 MeV/u²⁰⁸Pb beam energy. The first excited I^π = 17⁺ state has been observed at an excitation energy of 357.4±0.3 keV with respect to the isomeric state. The intrinsic electric quadrupole moment ofQ ₀=8.2±1.1 b has been derived from the experimental data within the rigid rotor model.