Nuclear levels in228Th populated in the decay of228Pa

The electron-capture decay of²²⁸Pa to levels in²²⁸Th has been studied using mass-separated sources and high-resolutionγ-ray and conversion-electron spectroscopy. A level at 979.5 keV is assigned as 2⁺ member of a second excited K_π=0⁺ band, with the 0⁺ band head at 938.6 keV. The 2⁺ and 3⁺ members of a second excited K_π=2⁺ band at 1153.5 and 1200.5 keV, which decay by strongE0 transitions to the 969 keVγ-vibrational band, are confirmed. In addition we tentatively propose a K_π=1⁺ band at 944 keV. The K_π=0^?, 1^? and 2^? members of the octupole quadruplet are confirmed, and theγ decay of these levels is analysed in an approach, in which the mixing of the octupole bands by the Coriolis interaction is taken into account. It is suggested that octupole correlations might be important for theE1 transition moments. A total of 29 levels is observed between ～1.4 and ～2.0 MeV, for which the nuclear structure, and the possible assignment to rotational bands, is unclear.     

Level structure of217Rn and221Ra investigated in the alpha-decay225Th →221Ra →217Rn

The nuclei²²¹Ra and²¹⁷Rn have been investigated in the α-decay chain²²⁵Th→²²¹Ra →²¹⁷Rn through γ-ray and conversion-electron studies. The short-lived²²⁵Th nuclei (T _1/2=8min) were produced in the²²⁶Ra(α, 5n) reaction, and γ-rays and conversion electrons were measured — between the irradiation periods — in coincidence with αparticles. In²²¹Ra the five lowest levels are interpreted as members of aK=5/2 paritydoublet with ΔE_π=104 keV. These levels, as well as a higher-lying K^π=3/2⁺ band, are consistent with an octupole deformation of²²¹Ra, as expected from theoretical considerations. In²¹⁷Rn only three excited levels are observed, with a favoured α-decay to a 5/2⁺ excited level thus establishing positive parity for the ground state of²²¹Ra.     

Band mixing in156Gd and158Gd

A detailed investigation of the energies and intensities of the γ-rays that depopulate the low spin levels of the β- and γ-vibrational bands of¹⁵⁶Gd and the γ-vibrational band of¹⁵⁸Gd has been conducted. Both singles and γ-γ coincidence measurements were made on sources of 15-d¹⁵⁶Eu and 46-min¹⁵⁸Eu by use of large volume, high resolution Ge(Li) detectors. In addition to the γ-band at 1154.09 keV, twoK ^π=0⁺ bands were observed in¹⁵⁶Gd with band heads at 1049.45 and 1168.11 keV, respectively. The 2⁺ and 3⁺ members of the γ-vibrational band in¹⁵⁸Gd were observed at 1187.12 and 1265.43 keV, respectively, as well as a newK ^π=0⁺ band at 1195.98 keV. A first order perturbational treatment of the branching ratios was applied to both nuclei. In addition, the mixing between the ground state, the β-, and the γ-vibrational bands of¹⁵⁶Gd is considered from two approaches, but neither satisfactorily explains all the experimentalB(E2) ratios.     

Search for missing predicted high-spin states in28Si

New shell model calculations have predicted several high-spin (I ^π=5⁺ and 6⁺) levels in²⁸Si near 10 MeV excitation energy which are missing from or ambiguous in existing experimental studies. Angular distributions, linear polarizations and Doppler-shifts ofγ-rays have been measured for theγ-decay of theE _p=1,911 and 2,073 KeV resonances of the²⁷Al(p, γ) reaction in an attempt to discover these missing states or confirm the discrepancies between experiment and theory. The excitation energies and spin-parities of the resonances were determined as 13,424.4±0.2 keV,I ^π=5⁺ and 13,582.3±0.5 keV,I ^π=6⁺. States populated in theγ-decay of these resonances were assigned spins and parities as follows: 11,777 keV,I ^π=5⁺; 11,331 keV,I ^π=6⁺; 10,417 keV,I ^π=5⁺; 9,417 keV,I ^π=4⁺ and 8,945 keV,I ^π=5⁺. On the basis ofγ-ray transition rates T=1 is assigned to the 13,424 keV level and T=0 to the 10,417 and 11,777 keV levels. With the new data excellent agreement is achieved between the experimental spectrum of²⁸Si and the new shell model predictions. These data provide evidence for aK ^π=3⁺ rotational band comprised by the 6,276, 6,889, 8,945 and 11,331 keV levels. This band emerges also from the shell model wave functions as do theK ^π=0⁺ bands based on the ground state and the 6,691 keV state.     

The energy of levels of45Sc up to 3 MeV from the44Ca (p, γ)45Sc reaction

The gamma-ray decay of the 1658 keV resonance, which is a member of the isobaric analogues of the 1904 keV 3/2^? level in⁴⁴Ca, has been studied with a Ge(Li) detector. A number of gamma-ray transitions are described and associated with the decay of 15 levels between 1.50 and 3.05 MeV. These observations have made it possible to deduce spin and parity assignments to some of the levels. By comparing excited levels of⁴³Sc and⁴⁵Sc it has been possible to assign certain levels as members of one negative-parity band and two positive-parity bands withK ^π=1/2⁺ and 3/2⁺.     

The decay of121g+m In to levels in121Sn

The decay of¹²¹ g+m In to the excited states of¹²¹Sn was investigated.¹²¹In was produced by the¹²²Sn(γ,p)¹²¹In reaction on an enriched SnO₂ target. Strong indications of the isomeric transition of 321 keV to the¹²¹In ground state were found. In the beta decay of^121m In excited states at 60.1, 908.9, 1101.9, 1120.4, 1403.0, 2864.1, 3119.8 and 3228 keV in¹²¹Sn withJ ^π values 1/2⁺, 3/2(5/2)⁺, 3/2⁺, 5/2⁺, 5/2⁺ and 1/2⁺ or 3/2⁺ for the three levels around 3 MeV, are fed. In the decay of the¹²¹In ground state only the 7/2⁺ level in¹²¹Sn at 925.3 keV is fed.     

Studies of 158, 160, 162, 164, 166Dy levels with the (t,p) reaction

Angular distributions of the ^{156, 158, 160, 162, 164}Dy(t, p) reactions have been measured using 17 MeV tritons from the McMaster University Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. The reaction products were analyzed with a magnetic spectrograph and detected with photographic emulsions, resulting in overall peak widths of 15–20 keV (FWHM). Levels populated with L=0 transitions were identified from the unambiguous angular distributions, and at least one previously-unknown I^π = 0⁺ state was found in each nuclide studied. New I^π=0⁺ levels were found at energies of 1269, 1549, 1743, and 2000 keV in ¹⁵⁸Dy, 1457 and 1709 keV in ¹⁶⁰Dy, 2126 keV in ¹⁶²Dy, 1774 keV in ¹⁶⁴Dy, and 1149 keV in ¹⁶⁶Dy. Also, the previously proposed 0⁺ assignment for the 1655.4 keV level in ¹⁶⁴Dy has been confirmed. For the neutron-rich nuclide ¹⁶⁶Dy there was previously no information on excited states listed in the Nuclear Data Sheets, and many levels have been located in the present study, including the gamma band and an excited K^π=0⁺ band. The 1457 keV 0⁺ state in ¹⁶⁰Dy is a possible candidate for the bandhead of the previously reported S-band. The fraction of the L=0 strength which feeds excited states is unsually high in several cases, and particularly for ¹⁶⁴Dy, in which the total L=0 strength to excited levels is ∼35% of that for the ground state. This can be explained qualitatively in terms of a “sub-shell closure” corresponding to the gap in the Nilsson diagram at N=98, and supports the earlier explanation of large L=0 strengths to excited states in the ¹⁶¹Dy(t, p) ¹⁶³Dy reaction as being due to this gap. Most of the L^π=0⁺ excited states observed in previous (p, t) studies were not populated in the present work, thus ruling out a pairing vibrational interpretation for these levels.     

Study of the excited states of119Sn by the decay of119g+m In

The decay of^119g+m In to the excited states of¹¹⁹Sn was investigated.¹¹⁹In was produced by the¹²⁰Sn(γ,p)¹¹⁹In reaction on an enriched SnO₂ target. The isomeric transition of 311.25 keV to the¹¹⁹In ground state was observed. In the beta decay of^119m In excited states at 23.9, 920.5, 921.4, 1089.0, 1187.9 and 1249.6keV in¹¹⁹Sn withJ ^π values of 3/2⁺, 3/2⁺, 5/2⁺, 5/2⁺, 3/2⁺ and 1/2⁺ respectively, are fed. In the decay of the¹¹⁹In ground state only the 7/2⁺ level in¹¹⁹Sn at 787.0 keV is fed.     

Study of low-lying states in151Eu via (n,n′γ) reaction

The levels of¹⁵¹Eu have been investigated in the (n,n′γ) reaction using nuclear reactor fast neutrons. The energies, intensities and angular distributions of theγ-rays have been measured with the Ge(Li) spectrometer. Four rotational bands with the following band heads and Nilsson configurations have been identified: ground state band, 5/2⁺ [402]; 21.5 keV, 7/2⁺[404]; 196.5 keV, 3/2⁺[411]; 260.5 keV, 5/2⁺[413]. The low spin states at 332.2 and 336.2 keV have been tentatively assigned to the l/2⁺[411] Nilsson orbital, but 522.8, 580.0 and 587.0 keV states to the 1/2⁺[420] Nilsson orbital. The negative parity levels at 353.7, 522.1 and probably 546.2 keV have been proposed basing on theh _11/2 proton state.     

Messung des Elektroneneinfangs am Kern176m Lu

The electron capture of^176m Lu to the ground state and to the first excited state of¹⁷⁶Yb has been observed by measuring the YbK x-rays and the 82,2 keV gamma-rays from the gamma decay of the first excited state in¹⁷⁶Yb. With the data of the 88,36 keV gammarays following the beta decay of^176m Lu to the first excited state of¹⁷⁶Hf the electron capture/beta decay ratio of^176m Lu was found to be (0,95±0,16)·10^?4. The electron capture branching ratio to the ground state and to the first excited state of¹⁷⁶Yb was found to be 40/60±30%. By analyzing the 88,36keV gamma-rays and the HfKx-rays the halflife of^176m Lu was evaluated to be 3,66±0,04 h. The value for theK-conversion coefficient of the 88,36keV transition was determined from the x-ray/gamma-ray ratio to be 1,19±0,09.     

Isomeric states in180Os

Two new isomers have been observed in¹⁸⁰Os. A high-K isomer withI, K ≧20 and a half-life ofT _1/2=12+4 ns have been established. It deexcites via two transitions into the 18⁺ level of the yrare band indicating an unusually smallK-hindrance factor. Evidence for an isomer withI, K>16 and a half-life ofT _1/2=41±10 ns was found. A half-life of 17±3 ns was measured for the previously known 7^? state at 1862 keV. The decay scheme of the previously known 7^? isomer at 1928 keV has been extended and a revised version is presented.     

Excited levels of 148Ce

Available experimental data on excited levels of the ¹⁴⁸Ce nucleus are analyzed. With the aid of model concepts and systematics that cover neighboring nuclei, the spectrum of ¹⁴⁸Ce is supplemented with a K ^π = 2^? rotational band that has a bandhead at 1368.98 keV, which extends up to the 16^? state at 3897.9 keV, and which is new. Three states at E = 1422.85, 1786.57, and 2198.6 keV of spin-parity 5⁺, 7⁺, and 9⁺, respectively, are included in the gamma-vibrational band featuring the known 2⁺ and 3⁺ levels at 989.90 and 1116.63 keV, respectively. A significant difference in the behavior of the moments of inertia in positive-and negative-parity bands is highlighted.     

The decay scheme of 228Fr and K = 0 BANDS in 228Ra

The γ-rays following the β^?-decay of ²²⁸Fr have been studied by means of γ-ray singles including multi-spectrum analysis and γ-γ coincidence measurements using Ge(Li) spectrometers. Most of the observed γ-transitions could be placed in the level scheme of ²²⁸Ra. The accuracy the energy of the first-excited state in ²²⁸Ra has been improved and 35 new excited levels have been established, 11 of them grouped into the ground-state band, the low-lying K^π = 0^? band with the head at 474.14 keV and two excited K^π = 0⁺ bands with heads at 721.17 and 1041.9 keV. Candidates for two close-lying K^π = 2⁺ bands have also been found. It is concluded that the ground state octupole deformation, if any, is less pronounced in ²²⁸Ra than in lighter radium isotopes.     

Supplementary data concerning the58Ni(p,p′ γ) reaction

Angular correlation measurements for the⁵⁸Ni(p, p′ γ) reaction were performed atE _p =8.1 MeV. Method II of Litherland and Ferguson was used to determine multipole mixing ratios of the γ-radiation and spins of most of the excited levels up to 4.11 MeV. The results confirm for the most part recent measurements of van Patteret al.; the 2775 keV state was verified to have a spin ofJ=2. Several discrepancies and additional information concerning the 3531, 3774, 3898 and 4108 keV levels are discussed. A spin value ofJ=1 is assigned to the 3531 keV level, clearly ruling out former assignments of 4⁺ and 0⁺. AJ=4 assignment is proposed for the 3774 keV state, contrary to the generally assumed value ofJ=3, which these measurements do not support.     

The binary and ternary fission of thorium,lead and platinum induced by 12.2 GeV protons

We have investigated the decay of^123g+mIn to excited states of¹²³Sn.¹²³In was produced by the¹²⁴Sn(y,p)¹²³In reaction on an enriched SnO₂ target. The isomeric transition to the¹²³In ground state was not observed. In the beta decay of^123m In excited states at 24, 150.9, 920.5, 1194, 2621, 3151, 3256 and 3306 keV in¹²³Sn withJπ values 3/2⁺, 1/2⁺, (5/2⁺), 5/2⁺, 1/2⁺, (1/2⁺, 3/2⁺), 3/2⁺ and (l/2⁺, 3/2⁺), are fed. In the β decay of the¹²¹In ground state only the 7/2⁺ level at 1154 keV in¹²³Sn is observed.     

The decay scheme of the 3-s Isomer of100Nb and the properties of levels in100Mo

Theβ ^? decay of the longer-lived isomer in¹⁰⁰Nb has been studied at the fission-product separator JOSEF. Measurements ofγ-ray singles spectra, ofγ-γ coincidences and ofγ-γ angular correlations have been performed. A value oft _1/2=2.99(11)s has been determined for the isomer which probably hasI ^π=4⁺ or 5⁺. A scheme of the levels of¹⁰⁰Mo which are populated in the decay of this isomer has been established. Information on the spins of several states of¹⁰⁰Mo has been obtained. Thus,I=0 levels have been identified at 1,505, 2,038 and 2,087 keV. The mixing ratios have been determined for the 2₂ ⁺→2₁ ⁺ and 2₃ ⁺→2₁ ⁺ transitions. The results provide evidence for a vibrational structure of¹⁰⁰Mo with separate bands based on the ground state and on the first excited 0⁺ level.     

Structure of theN=59 nucleus97Sr: coexistence of spherical and deformed states

A band with a rotational pattern based on a state at 585.1 keV has been identified in theN=59 neutron-rich nucleus⁹⁷Sr. Its properties lead to the [422] 3/2 Nilsson-orbital assignment for the band head. There is evidence for a second band with the head at 644.7 keV and the configuration [541] 3/2. Since the ground state and the lowest excited levels are spherical, shape coexistence is established for⁹⁷Sr. A deformed nature of several levels at 500–600 keV results also from QRPA-model calculations. The structure of the low-lying spherical levels has been studied in the frame of the IBF model. The results of the present investigations lead to a better understanding of theN=59 isotones which constitute the link between the spherical and deformed nuclei atA～100 as a species with shape coexistence but without any indications of particular softness.     

On the decay of116gIn

The decay of the 1⁺, 14 s ground state of¹¹⁶In produced by neutron capture has been reinvestigated using Ge(Li) detectors. It is found that besides the ground state of¹¹⁶Sn, excited levels at 1293.6 (2⁺), 1756.9 (0⁺), 2225.3 (2⁺), 2545.7 (0⁺, 1⁺, 2⁺), 2649.8(2⁺), 2790.7(2⁺) and 2844.6(2⁺) keV are populated, while no evidence could be obtained for the population of the 0⁺ and 2⁺ levels at 2030 and 2112.4 keV, respectively. The activation cross-section for^116m2In (2.16s,I ^π = 8^?) has been deduced as 83±8 b.     

Low-lying states in112In

Low-lying states below 500 keV excitation in¹¹²In have been investigated via the¹¹²Cd(p, nγ) reaction. New levels have been established atE ^x=206.5keV and 456.1 keV from the measuredγ-ray excitation functions,γ?γ coincidences and the precision measurements of the (p, n) threshold energy of the ground state and of the 206.5 keV state of¹¹²In. Spins and parities of the 206.5 keV state (2⁺) and the 456.1 keV state (3⁺) and multipolarities and mixing ratios of the deexcitationγ-rays have been determined from the angular distributions and linear polarizations of the deexcitation γ-rays as well as the excitation functions of the residual levels. Possible configurations of the newly-found levels are discussed. Half-lives of two states have been remeasured:T _1/2=15.2±0.1 min for the ground state andT _1/2=20.9±0.1 min for the 156.4 keV (4⁺) state. The ground stateQ-value for the¹¹²Cd(p, n)¹¹² In reaction has been measured to be ?3.376±0.006 MeV.     

Half-life measurements of intrinsic states in deformed odd-mass nuclei

The half-lives of the following intrinsic states in deformed odd-mass nuclei has been measured by delayed coincidences with a time-to-amplitude converter:

1. 5/2 5/2⁺[642] at 86.5 keV in¹⁵⁵Gd:T _1/2=6.7±0.3 ns, which results in the determination of theE1,ΔK=1 transition probability to the ground state 3/2 3/2^?[521] and first rotational state 5/2 3/2^?[521], yielding hindrance factors ofF _N ≈5.5 and ≈1.8 (F _W =3.1×10⁴ and 2.3×10⁴) respectively.
2. (3) 5/2 5/2^?[512] at 191.4 keV in¹⁶⁹Yb:T _1/2=3.35±0.15 ns and at 122.39 keV in¹⁷¹Yb:T _1/2=265±20 ns which results in the determination of the transition probabilities of theE1,ΔK=1 transitions to the ground states 7/2 7/2⁺[633], of theK-forbiddenM1 transitions to the 5/2 and 3/2 1/2^?[521] and of theE2 transitions to the 5/2, 3/2 and 1/2 1/2^?[521] states in both nuclei.

TheE1 transition probabilities are compared to the transitions between the same Nilsson states in¹⁷³Yb and¹⁷⁵Hf discussing the influence of the position of the Fermi surface — obtained from recent stripping and pick-up reactions — on these transition probabilities. Additional information on the decay scheme of¹⁷¹Lu→¹⁷¹Yb is obtained by delayed coincidence measurements. For testing the used time-to-amplitude converter the well known half-lives of the 482 keV level in¹⁸¹Ta (T _1/2=10.4±0.3 ns) and of the 279 keV level in²⁰³Tl (T _1/2=0.285 ±0.015 ns) were measured, in good agreement with other measurements.