Rearrangements in neutron shell closures far from stability

A survey of experimental results obtained at GANIL (Caen, Prance) on the study of the properties of very neutron-rich nuclei (Z = 6–20, A = 20–60) near the neutron drip line and resulting in an appearance of further evidence for the new magic number N = 16 is presented. Very recent data on mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclei at GANIL and some characteristics of binding energies in this region are discussed. Nuclear binding energies are very sensitive to the existence of nuclear shells and together with the measurements of instability of doubly magic nuclei ¹⁰He and ²⁸0 they provide information on changes in neutron shell closures of very neutron-rich isotopes. The behaviour of the two-neutron separation energies S_2n derived from mass measurements gives a very clear evidence for the existence of the new shell closure N = 16 for Z = 9 and 10 appearing between 2s_1/2 and ld_3/2 orbitals. This fact, strongly supported by the instability of C, N and O isotopes with N > 16, confirms the magic character of N = 16 for the region from carbon up to neon while the shell closure at N = 20 tends to disappear for Z ≤ 13. Decay studies of these hardly accessible short-lived neutron-rich nuclei from oxygen to silicon using the in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy are also reported.     

Breakdown of the Z = 64 shell gap below N = 82

The systematic behavior of 2₁⁺ and 4₁⁺ state energies in GdXe nuclei, below the neutron N = 82 shell gap, are examined in terms of the product of numbers of valence proton and neutron particles, N_pN_n. To produce a smooth dependence of these spectroscopic quantities as functions of N_pN_n, requires that the Z = 64 shell gap disappears for neutron numbers less than, or approximately equal to, N = 78.     

In beam gamma spectroscopy of62Zn

The decay scheme of⁶²Zn has been investigated by studying the yield functions, angular distributions and coincidence relation-ships of theγ-rays emitted in the⁶³Cu(p, 2nγ) and⁶⁰Ni(α, 2nγ) reactions. Spins up to7? were assigned to the observed states. Nuclear Reactions ⁶⁰Ni(α, 2nγ)⁶²Zn,E _α=28–35 MeV and⁶³Cu(p, 2nγ)⁶²Zn,E _p = 22–31 MeV; measuredE _γ,I _γ(θ),I _γ(E _p , andI _γ,E _α-γ coincidences,⁶²Zn deduced decay scheme. Enriched target, Ge(Li) detectors.     

Research on neutron-rich nuclei in the region of the nuclear shells N=20 and N=28

The results of the joint experiments carried out by the Dubna-GANIL (France) and the Dubna-RIKEN (Japan) collaborations aimed at synthesizing new isotopes close to the neutron shells N=20 and N=28 and at studying their properties are presented. Gamma-spectroscopic methods were used to study low-lying states in ^30,32Mg, ^26–28Ne, ²²O, and ¹⁸C. The ratios E(4⁺)/E(2⁺) were determined. A direct method was used to measure the masses of 20 nuclides located between the shells N=20 and N=28. The decay properties were determined for ³⁰Ne and ^26,27,29F. Information obtained in this way suggests the existence of a deformation close to the neutron shell N=20. The results of experiments devoted to searches for the doubly magic nucleus ²⁸O are also presented. Only the upper limit on the cross section for its production was deduced, which can be taken as evidence of its instability.     

New magic nuclei and conditions of their formation

The systematic studies of the arrangement features of single-particle nucleon subshells in even-even ^90,92,94,96Zr isotopes and behavior of some known “magicity parameters” in isotopes and isotones neighboring the ⁹⁶Zr nucleus have led to the interpretation of ⁹⁶Zr as a new doubly magic nucleus. Analysis of the structure of nucleon shells in the ⁹⁶Zr nucleus revealed a feature, which consisted in that near the Fermi energy it had filled proton (π1f _5/2) and neutron (v2d _5/2) subshells with an identical and large total momentum j = 5/2, which was called the j-j coupling. Above the π1f _5/2 shell, there is another filled shell (π2p _1/2) with two j = 1/2 protons. Applied to other filled shells, this empirical rule allowed revealing several new nontraditional magic nuclei: ⁹⁶Sr (Z = 38, N = 58), π1f _5/2, v2d _5/2, and v3s _1/2 subshells; ⁵⁴Ca (Z = 20, N = 34), π2p _3/2, v1d _3/2, and v2p _1/2 subshells; a pair of ³⁰Si (Z = 14, N = 16) and ³⁰S (Z = 16, N = 14) nuclei, π1d _5/2, v1d _5/2, and (π/v)2s _1/2 subshells; and a pair of ¹⁴C (Z = 6, N = 8) and ¹⁴O (Z = 8, N = 6) nuclei, 1p _3/2, v1p _3/2, and v2p _1/2 subshells. The existence of the magic nuclei ^52,54Ca is widely discussed in the literature, the possibility of the existence of the other nuclei found is confirmed by the systematics of the behavior of the “magicity” parameters. The fact that shells with some nucleon numbers different from the classical magic numbers are closed may be due to the manifestation of a new type of interaction between nuclear protons and neutrons occupying certain subshells.     

Emergence of new magic numbers,N = 16 and 32 by tensor interaction in Skyrme–Hartree–Fock theory

Melting of N = 20 shell and development of N = 16 and 32 shells for neutron-rich nuclei have been studied extensively by including tensor interaction in Skyrme–Hartree–Fock theory optimized to reproduce the splitting Δ1f shells of ^40,48Ca and ⁵⁶Ni nuclei. Evolution of gap generated by the energy difference of single-particle levels ν2s _1/2 and ν1d _3/2 has been found to be responsible for shell closure at N = 16. The splitting pattern of spin–orbit partners 2p shell model state in Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe and Ni isotopes indicates the formation of a new shell at N = 32 region.     

Magnetic moment measurements in64Zn and66Zn

The ratios of the ∥g∥-factors of the 7^?, 4.635 MeV level in⁶⁴Zn and 6^?, 4.074 MeV and 7^?, 4.250 MeV levels in⁶⁶Zn has been found to be (1±0.18)∶(0.64±0.14)∶(0.60±0.12) by means of the recoil-into-gas (helium) integral perturbed angular correlation technique. The studied states were populated by the reactions⁵¹V(¹⁶O,p2n)⁶⁴Zn atE ₀=51 MeV and⁵⁵Mn(¹⁴ N,2pn)⁶⁶Zn atE _N =54 MeV.     

New neutron magic number <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis> = 16 for neutron-rich nuclei

A survey of experimental results obtained at GANIL (Caen, France) on the study of the properties of very neutron-rich nuclei (Z=6–20, A=20–60) near the neutron drip line and resulting in an appearance of further evidence for the new magic number N=16 is presented. Very recent data on mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclei at GANIL and some characteristics of binding energies in this region are discussed. Nuclear binding energies are very sensitive to the existence of nuclear shells, and together with the measurements of instability of doubly magic nuclei ¹⁰He and ²⁸O, they provide information on changes in neutron shell closures of very neutron-rich isotopes. The behavior of the two-neutron separation energies S_2n derived from mass measurements gives very clear evidence for the existence of the new shell closure N=16 for Z=9 and 10 appearing between the 2s_1/2 and 1d_3/2 orbitals. This fact, strongly supported by the instability of C, N, and O isotopes with N>16, confirms the magic character of N=16 for the region from carbon up to neon, while the shell closure at N=20 tends to disappear for Z≤13. Decay studies of these hardly accessible short-lived neutron-rich nuclei from oxygen to silicon using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy are also reported.     

Investigation of 38Ar levels by 37Cl+p reactions: (I). Yield curves,excitation energies and branching ratios

Yield measurements have been performed on the reactions ³⁷Cl(p, p₀)³⁷Cl, ³⁷Cl(p, α₀)³⁴S (E_p = 1.17–1.70 MeV) and ³⁷Cl(p, n₀)³⁷Ar, ³⁷Cl(p.γ)³⁸Ar (E_p = 0.64–2.92 MeV); detailed investigations are restricted to resonances below E_p = 1.79 MeV. Resonance energies, strengths and (some) widths are reported for 12, 26 and 247 resonances in the reactions (p, p₀), (p, n₀) and (p, γ), respectively.Simultaneous (p, α₀) and (p, γ) yield measurements over selected E_p intervals in the E_p = 0.88–1.64 MeV range established the existence of 42 resonances decaying by both γ and α₀ emission. Analysis of the γ-ray spectra of 100 ³⁷Cl(p, γ)³⁸Ar resonances leads to precision excitation energies (ΔE_x = 0.1–2 keV) of 57 bound states (E_x < 8 MeV) and branching ratios of the resonances and of 50 bound states.     

Spectroscopic information from the63Cu(p, γ)64Zn reaction in the GDR region

The proton capture cross sections for the reaction⁶³Cu(p, γ_i)⁶⁴Zn leading to several resolved states in the⁶⁴Zn nucleus have been measured forE _p =6.5–11.0 MeV. The excitation functions have been reproduced by the combined CN and DSD models. The extracted spectroscopic factors compared with those derived from the stripping reaction are found to show a distinct correlation.     

A pilgrimage through superheavy valley

We searched for the shell closure proton and neutron numbers in the superheavy region beyond Z = 82 and N = 126 within the framework of non-relativistic Skryme–Hartree–Fock (SHF) with FITZ, SIII, SkMP and SLy4 interactions. We have calculated the average proton pairing gap Δ_p, average neutron pairing gap Δ_n, two-nucleon separation energy S _2q and shell correction energy E _shell for the isotopic chain of Z = 112–126. Based on these observables, Z = 120 with N = 182 is suggested to be the magic numbers in the present approach.     

Calculations of the energy spectra of Zn,Ga, and Ge isotopes by the shell model

The effective Hamiltonian which was determined empirically by Koops and Glaudemans is tested in shell model calculations for the^65–68Zn,^67–69Ga, and^68–70Ge nuclei in the full (1p _3/2,0f _5/2,1p _1/2) ⁿ space. The resulting energy spectra are compared with the experimental spectra and results of previous calculations. The overall agreement with experiment is as satisfactory for these nuclei as for the Ni and Cu isotopes, by which the Hamiltonian was determined. It is noticed that the spectra of⁶⁷Zn and^67,69Ga calculated in this work are similar to those provided by the Alaga model.     

Fine-structure energy levels and autoionizing width calculations of magnesium-like Ni XVII

We have calculated highly excited fine-structure energy levels and their autoionizing width of 3pns ³ P ₁ (n = 11–26), 3pns ¹ P ₁ (n = 10–22), 3pnd ³ D ₁ (n = 11–26), 3pnd ³ P ₁ (n = 10–21), 3pnd ¹ P ₁(n = 10–21), 3dnp ³ D ₁ (n = 7–30), 3dnp ³ P ₁ (n = 7–28), 3dnp ¹ P ₁ (n = 7–28), 3dnf ³ D ₁ (n = 7, 9–27), 3dnf ³ P ₁ (n = 7, 9–27), and 3dnf ¹ P ₁ (n = 7, 9–27) for magnesium-like Ni XVII. The calculations are based upon the relativistic Breit-Pauli R-matrix approximation combining with the QB method of Quigley-Berrington (L. Quigley, K. A. Berrington, Pelan J. Comput. Phys. Commun. 114, 225 (1998)). We have reported the many unpublished energy values and autoionizing width of the J = 1 odd states of magnesium-like Ni XVII.     

Magnetic moment of 57Ni

An extra neutron added to a doubly magic nuclear core should give a nuclear magnetic moment, μ, in close agreement with the Schmidt value. However, the magnetic moment of ⁵⁷Ni, measured through nuclear alignment at 3–20 mK, is equal to ∣μ∣ = 0.88±0.06 μ_N which is only 45% of the Schmidt value. Comparison with several nuclear structure calculations is made.     

Analysis of single-particle energies of the neutron states in the 64,66,68,70Zn isotopes within a mean field model with dispersive optical potential

The dynamics of the shell parameters of ^{64, 66, 68, 70}Zn nuclei close to the Fermi energy, obtained by the joint evaluation of data from the stripping and pick-up reaction of a nucleon on one and the same nucleus, demonstrates how the difference between the neutron single-particle spectra of the levels of ⁷⁰Zn and ⁶⁸Ni nuclei with the number N = 40 arises. The experimental data are analyzed within a mean field model with dispersive optical potential. The calculation results describe very well the dimunution of the energy gap between the 1g _9/2 and 2p _1/2 levels in Zn isotopes, in comparison with Ni isotopes.     

Decay Mechanism of 290,292114* Superheavy Nuclei Formed in 48Ca-Induced Reactions

We calculate the neutron-evaporation residue cross sections σ _3n , σ _4n , and σ _5n in the hot-fusion reactions ⁴⁸Ca+^242,244Pu →^290,292114 ^? over a wide range of compound-nucleus excitation energies ( $E_{\text{CN}}^{*}$ = 34–53 MeV). We work with the dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM), with a single parameter, the neck-length parameter ΔR. To calculate neutron-evaporation cross sections, we choose the superheavy proton magic Z = 126 and neutron magic N = 184. Among the 3n, 4n, and 5n production cross sections for ^{290, 292}114^?, only the 3n decay cross sections of ²⁹²114^? correspond to spherical fragmentation. The 4n and 5n cross sections of ²⁹²114^? and 3n, 4n, and 5n cross sections of ²⁹⁰114^? could only be fitted after the inclusion of quadrupole deformations β _2i within the optimum orientation approach. Changes in the angular momentum and N/Z ratio do not significantly influence the fragmentation paths of ^{290, 292}114^? superheavy nuclei. Larger barrier modification is required for the lower angular momentum states and lighter neutron clusters. The contribution of the fusion–fission component is also computed for the compound nucleus ²⁹²114^? in the energy range $E_{\text{CN}}^{*}$ = 27–47 MeV.     

Thermal neutron induced α-particle reaction on64, 65, 67Zn and77Se

The (_n th,α) reaction spectroscopy was done on^{64, 65, 67}zn and⁷⁷Se at the 87 m curved thermal neutron guide of the Grenoble high flux reactor. In each of the⁶⁴Zn(n, α)⁶¹ Ni and⁶⁷ Ni(n, α) ⁶⁴Ni reactions, one line showed up corresponding to anα-particle transition to the first excited state in⁶¹Ni and⁶⁴Ni withσ _α1=11±3 μb and 159±20 μb respectively. In the case of the radioactive⁶⁵Zn(T _1/2=244d) nucleus, two lines showed up corresponding to the ground state and the first excited state transitions in⁶²Ni with large values ofσ _α0=1.0±0.1b andσ _α1=1.0±0.1b. For the⁷⁷Se(n, α)⁷⁴Ge reaction, the ground state and first excited transitions were present withσ _α0=940±20 μb andσ _α1 = 30±5 μb respectively. The spin-parity (J ^π) of the neutron resonance contributing at thermal energy are discussed.     

Proton capture by 15N at stellar energies

Excitation functions of the ¹⁵N(p, γ)¹⁶O proton capture reaction have been obtained at θ_γ = 45° and E_p = 150–2500 keV. Below E_p = 400 keV, the reaction is dominated by capture into the ground state of ¹⁶O. The observed excitation function for the latter process can be explained if, in addition to the two well-known J^π = 1^? resonances at E_p = 338 and 1028 keV, a direct radiative capture process (DC → 0) is included in the analysis. The direct capture component in the capture reaction is enhanced through interference effects on the tails of the two resonances. From the observed direct capture cross section, a single-particle spectroscopic factor of C²S(1p) = 1.8 ± 0.4 has been deduced for the ground state in ¹⁶O. The extrapolated astrophysical S-factor of S(0) = 64 ± 6 keV · b for the ¹⁵N(p, γ₀)¹⁶O reaction is a factor of 2.5 larger than previously reported. This result amplifies the role of the oxygen side cycle in the CNO hydrogen burning process.The observed excitation function of the ¹⁵N(p, α₁γ₁)¹²C reaction at E_p = 150 – 2500 keV shows that this reaction makes a negligible contribution to hydrogen burning at stellar energies [S(0) ≈ 0.1 keV · b] compared to ${}^{15}\text{N}\text{(}\text{p}\text{, γ}{}_0\text{)}{}^{16}\text{O and}{}^{15}\text{N}\text{(}\text{p}\text{, α}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>o</mtext>}}\text{)}{}^{12}\text{C}$.     

Lifetimes of some excited states in 64Ni, 66Zn and 68Zn

Mean lives and excitation energies of the lowest levels in⁶⁴Ni,⁶⁶Zn and⁶⁸Zn were measured with the aid of the (α, α′γ) and (α, pγ) reactions. The γ-rays were detected in coincidence with the outgoing particles. The following mean lives were determined from DSA measurements: 400 ± 150 fs for the level at E_x = 1.35 MeV in ⁶⁴Ni; 270 ± 100, 210 ± 110, 330 ± 200, 80 ± 70 fs for the levels at E_x = 1.87, 2.45, 2.83, 2.94 MeV in ⁶⁶Zn, and 1300 ± 300, > 160, 600 ± 200 fs for the levels at E_x = 1.08, 1.89 and 2.76 MeV in ⁶⁸Zn, respectively.