Beta decay of 93Pd

The very neutron-deficient isotope ⁹³Pd was produced in fusion-evaporation reactions of a ⁴⁰Ca beam on a ⁵⁸Ni target. The reaction products were separated at the GSI Online Mass Separator, using ion sources of the FEBIAD type. The -decay properties of ⁹³Pd were studied by detecting -delayed protons and -delayed -rays. The feeding of excited levels in the daughter nucleus ⁹³Rh and the -decay half-life of ⁹³Pd were determined. The experimental results are discussed in comparison to shell model predictions. Received: 19 April 2000 / Accepted: 17 June 2000     

Large-scale mean-field calculations from proton to neutron drip lines using the D1S Gogny force

Large-scale axial mean-field calculations from proton to neutron drip lines have been performed within the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method based on the D1S Gogny force. Nearly 7000 nuclides have been studied under the axial symmetric hypothesis and various properties are displayed on an Internet web site for every individual nucleus. Some global properties are presented such as the positions of the drip lines, the nuclide ground-state deformations and binding energies as well as regions where possible super- or hyper-deformation might be encountered.     

Beta decay of the proton-rich nuclei 102Sn and 104Sn

The β decays of ¹⁰²Sn and ¹⁰⁴Sn were studied by using high-resolution germanium detectors as well as a Total Absorption Spectrometer (TAS). For ¹⁰⁴Sn, with three new β-delayed γ-rays identified, the total Gamow-Teller strength (B_GT) value of 2.7(3) was obtained. For ¹⁰²Sn, the γ-γ coincidence data were collected for the first time, allowing us to considerably extend the decay scheme. This scheme was used to unfold the TAS data and to deduce a B_GT value of 4.2(8) for this decay. This result is compared to shell model predictions, yielding a hindrance factor of 3.6(7) in agreement with those obtained previously for ⁹⁸Cd and ¹⁰⁰In. Together with the latter two, ¹⁰²Sn completes the triplet of Z ⩽ 50, N ≥ 50 nuclei with two proton holes, one proton hole and one neutron particle, and two neutron particles with respect to the doubly magic ¹⁰⁰Sn core.     

Decay properties of N ≃ Z nuclei

This review focusses on recent results obtained by using fusion-evaporation reactions for the production of N ≃ Z nuclei, the on-line mass separator of GSI for the preparation of the radioactive samples, and charged-particle and γ-ray detectors for performing decay spectroscopy. The experimental results on prompt and β-delayed disintegration modes are discussed in comparison with theoretical model predictions. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: e.roeckl@gsi.de     

Search for spontaneous transition of nuclei to a superdense state

We report the results of an experimental search for spontaneous transition of nuclei from ordinary to superdense state in NaI(Tl). New limits on the superdense-state parameters are presented.     

Interplay of direct and spin-flip contributions in Gamow-Teller decay to odd-odd N = Z nuclei

Strengths of Gamow-Teller decays of T_z = ±1 nuclei to T_z = 0 odd-odd nuclei have been calculated by using spherical shell model and deformed Nilsson wave functions. The role and competition of the microscopic direct and spin-flip mechanisms generating Gamow-Teller transitions are analyzed. Analytical expressions derived for the B(GT) values give useful insight into the regularities of B(GT) values along the N = Z line. The crucial role of configuration mixing is discussed.     

First measurement of β-decay properties of the proton drip-line nucleus 60Ga

By using the fusion-evaporation reaction ²⁸Si(³⁶Ar,p3n) and spectroscopy of β-delayed γ-rays and charged particles on mass-separated sources, β-decay properties of the neutron-deficient isotope ⁶⁰Ga were studied for the first time. The half-life of ⁶⁰Ga was determined to be 70(15) ms, and, based on βγγ coincidences, the isobaric-analogue state in ⁶⁰Zn was identified at 4851.9(7) keV. A semiempirical proton separation energy value of 40(70) keV was deduced for ⁶⁰Ga. The experimental results on half-life, mass excess, proton separation energy, and structure of the ⁶⁰Zn daughter states are discussed in comparison with various model predictions, including large-scale shell model calculations. Received: 4 September 2001 / Accepted: 12 November 2001     

Two-particle scattering on the lattice: Phase shifts,spin-orbit coupling,and mixing angles

We determine two-particle scattering phase shifts and mixing angles for quantum theories defined with lattice regularization. The method is suitable for any non-relativistic effective theory of point particles on the lattice. In the center-of-mass frame of the two-particle system we impose a hard spherical wall at some fixed large radius. For channels without partial-wave mixing the partial-wave phase shifts are determined from the energies of the nearly spherical standing waves. For channels with partial-wave mixing further information is extracted by decomposing the standing wave at the wall boundary into spherical harmonics, and we solve coupled-channels equations to extract the phase shifts and mixing angles. The method is illustrated and tested by computing phase shifts and mixing angles on the lattice for spin-1/2 particles with an attractive Gaussian potential containing both central and tensor force parts.     

The β-delayed one- and two-proton emission of 27S

In an experiment performed at the GANIL LISE3 facility, radioactive ²⁷S isotopes have been produced by projectile fragmentation of a 95 AMeV ³⁶Ar primary beam. After selection by means of the LISE3 separator, the isotope of interest was implanted in a silicon-detector telescope where its half-life ( T _1/2 = 15.5(15) ms) and its main decay branches were measured. Received: 19 October 2001 / Accepted: 5 December 2001     

Interaction of the single-particle and collective degrees of freedom in non-magic nuclei: The role of phonon tadpole terms

A method of consistent treatment of phonon contributions to the self-energy and gap terms in non-magic nuclei is developed in so-called g ² approximation, where g is the creation amplitude of a low-lying phonon. The method simultaneously takes into account both usual non-local and local phonon tadpole terms. Relations that allow the tadpoles to be calculated without introduction of new parameters are derived. As an application of the method, the effect of the phonon tadpoles on the single-particle strength distribution, single-particle energies and gap values is considered. Hypothesis of the surface nature of pairing correlations is discussed in the light of the tadpole effect.     

Beta decay of 94Pd and of the 71 s isomer of 94Rh

The β decay of ⁹⁴Pd and of the 71s isomer of ⁹⁴Rh was investigated by using total γ-ray absorption techniques. Several levels in ⁹⁴Rh are established, including a new low-lying isomer characterized by a half-life of 0.48(3)μs and a de-exciting transition of 55keV. E2 multipolarity is determined for this transition by measuring the intensities of its γ-rays and the characteristic X-rays from its electron conversion. On the basis of the measured reduced β-decay transition rates to known ⁹⁴Ru levels and shell model considerations, the spin-parity of the 71s and the 0.48μs isomers of ⁹⁴Rh is assigned to be (4⁺) and (2⁺), respectively. The β-decay strength distributions measured for ⁹⁴Pd and the 71s isomer of ⁹⁴Rh yield Q _EC values of 6700(320) and 9750(320)keV for these decays and give evidence for the population of those states below and above the magic N = 50 gap that belong to both components of the 0g spin-orbit doublet.     

Ground-state spin of 59Mn

Beta-decay of ⁵⁹Mn has been studied at PSB-ISOLDE, CERN. The intense and pure Mn beam was produced using the Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS). Based on the measured β-decay rates the ground-state spin and parity are proposed to be J ^π = 5/2^-. This result is consistent with the systematic trend of the odd-A Mn nuclei and extends the systematics one step further towards the neutron drip line. Received: 17 November 2000 / Accepted: 16 February 2001     

Beta decay of 101Sn

The β decay of the very neutron-deficient isotope ¹⁰¹Sn was studied at the GSI on-line mass separator using silicon detectors for recording charged particles and germanium detectors for γ-ray spectroscopy. Based on the β-delayed proton data the production cross-section of ¹⁰¹Sn in the ⁵⁰Cr + ⁵⁸Ni fusion-evaporation reaction was determined to be about 60nb. The half-life of ¹⁰¹Sn was measured to be 1.9(3)s. For the first time β-delayed γ-rays of ¹⁰¹Sn were tentatively identified, yielding weak evidence for a cascade of 352 and 1065keV transitions in ¹⁰¹In. The results for the ¹⁰¹Sn decay as well as those from previous work on the ¹⁰³Sn decay are discussed by comparing them to predictions obtained from shell model calculations employing a new interaction in the ⁸⁸Sr to ¹³²Sn model space.     

Nuclear spectroscopy near the proton drip line in the lanthanide region: The122La nucleus

Excited states in the very neutron-deficient¹²²La nucleus have been established for the first time using the⁹²Mo(⁴⁰Ca, 2α1p1n) reaction at beam energies of 190 and 200MeV. The observed transitions were grouped in three bands. Configurations have been assigned to the observed bands based on the properties extracted from the experimental data and on cranked shell model calculations.     

Calculations of 6He + p elastic-scattering cross-sections using folding approach and high-energy approximation for the optical potential

Calculations of microscopic optical potentials (OPs) (their real and imaginary parts) are performed to analyze the ⁶ He + p elastic-scattering data at a few tens of MeV/nucleon (MeV/N). The OPs and the cross-sections are calculated using three model densities of ⁶He . Effects of the regularization of the NN forces and their dependence on nuclear density are investigated. Also, the role of the spin-orbit terms and of the non-linearity in the calculations of the OPs, as well as effects of their renormalization are studied. The sensitivity of the cross-sections to the nuclear densities was tested and one of them that gives a better agreement with the data was chosen.     

The neutron and proton two-particle nucleus 134Sb: New low-spin states observed in the decay of 134Sn and an estimate of the energy of the 7- isomer

Excited states in the ¹³⁴Sb nucleus, populated in the β^--decay of ¹³⁴Sn, have been studied at the mass separator OSIRIS. The ¹³⁴Sn activity was produced via fast neutron-induced fission of ²³⁸U target. A main result was the discovery of a very low-lying first-excited state of ¹³⁴Sb, at 13keV, which has led to a strong revision of the level scheme. The new results are compared with different theoretical calculations and with the known data for the analogous neutron and proton two-particle nucleus in the ²⁰⁸Pb region. On the basis of this comparison, the energy of the ( πg _7/2νf _7/2)_7- isomer is estimated to be about 250keV, some 100keV lower than previously reported. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: anovak@fuw.edu.pl     

Beta decay of 103Sn

The β decay of ¹⁰³Sn, a three-neutron-particle nucleus with respect to the ¹⁰⁰Sn core, was investigated at the GSI on-line mass separator using an array of 17 germanium crystals and a total absorption spectrometer. A total of 31 β-delayed γ-rays (29 new) of the ¹⁰³Sn →¹⁰³ In decay were observed and, on the basis of β-γ-γ coincidences, the ¹⁰³Sn decay scheme was established for the first time. By means of total absorption spectroscopy, β intensities, the Gamow-Teller strength distribution and the summed Gamow-Teller strength value of 3.5±0.5 were determined for this decay. Its half-life and Q_EC value were found to be 7.0±0.2 s and 7.64±0.7 MeV, respectively. The β-delayed proton branching ratio was measured to be 1.2±0.1%. The results are discussed in comparison with shell-model predictions based on realistic and empirical interactions.     

Suppression of band crossing in the neutron-rich nuclei 172, 173Yb due to the absence of a static pair field

High-spin states in the neutron-rich nuclei ^172,173Yb have been populated in a ¹⁷⁰Er(⁷Li,(p,d,t)xn) incomplete-fusion reaction and the emitted γ-radiation was detected with the GASP array. The signature partners of the 7/2⁺[633] rotational band of the odd-N ¹⁷³Yb isotope have been newly established and were observed up to spin values of (45/2⁺) and (43/2⁺), respectively. The ground-state band of the even-even nucleus ¹⁷²Yb has been observed up to a spin value of (22⁺). No band crossings were found in these bands. To explain this observation, it is proposed that the static pair field is absent, considering that the neutron odd-even mass differences reach for these nuclei very small values and that the band crossing is absent in cranked shell modell calculations without pairing. The results indicate, however, that strong dynamic correlations are still present.     

Alpha-gamma decay studies of 255Rf, 251No and 247Fm

The decay of the isotopes ²⁵⁵Rf, ²⁵¹No and ²⁴⁷Fm produced in the reactions , and was investigated by means of α-γ spectroscopy. Previously observed γ transitions in coincidence with α decays of ²⁵⁵Rf were confirmed, their energies and line intensities were measured more precisely, and their multipolarities were determined as E1. In ²⁵¹No a new isomeric state at E ^* > 1700keV with a half-life of ≈ 2μs was identified. The decay of ²⁴⁷Fm was measured more precisely. A partial level scheme of the daughter nucleus ²⁴³Cf could be established.     

Frontiers and challenges of the nuclear shell model

Two recent developments of the nuclear shell model are presented. One is a breakthrough in computational feasibility owing to the Monte Carlo Shell Model (MCSM). By the MCSM, the structure of low-lying states can be studied with realistic interactions for a wide, nearly unlimited basically, variety of nuclei. The magic numbers are the key concept of the shell model, and are shown to be different in exotic nuclei from those of stable nuclei. Its novel origin and robustness will be discussed. Received: 1 May 2001 / Accepted: 4 December 2001