Signature inversion in the yrare band of <Superscript>119</Superscript>Xe

Excited states of the ¹¹⁹Xe nucleus have been studied by using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with the ¹⁰⁷Ag ( ¹⁶O, p3n) ¹¹⁹Xe fusion-evaporation reaction at a beam energy of 85 MeV. The level scheme of ¹¹⁹Xe has been derived from γ-γ coincidence and γ-γ angular correlation analyses. We have, for the first time, established the second negative-parity favored and unfavored states built on the 11/2^- state, namely the yrare rotational bands in ¹¹⁹Xe. In contrast to the behavior of the yrast bands where the favored states are lying lower in energy, the yrare favored states were observed to lie above the unfavored band. Such a signature inversion in ¹¹⁹Xe is changed to be normal at I = 12?. Received: 8 January 2002 / Accepted: 18 April 2002     

High-spin states in the <Superscript>97</Superscript>Tc nucleus

High-spin states in the ⁹⁷Tc nucleus have been studied by in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with the reaction ⁸²Se(¹⁹F,4nγ) at 68 MeV incident energy. Excited states have been observed up to about 8 MeV excitation and spin 43/2. The observed level scheme is compared with results of shell model calculations. Received: 22 November 2002 / Accepted: 23 December 2002 / Published online: 18 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: bucurescu@tandem.nipne.ro RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Università di Padova, Padova, Italy. Communicated by C. Signorini     

High spin states and evidence for octupole correlations in 117Xe

High-spin states of ¹¹⁷Xe were investigated by means of in-beam γ-ray spectroscopic techniques via the reaction of ²⁸Si bombarding a ⁹²Mo target at beam energies of 100-120 MeV. A positive-parity rotational band decaying into the yrast negative-parity band by a series of enhanced E1 transitions was observed for the first time, implying the existence of octupole correlations in ¹¹⁷Xe. The B(E1) values increase with spin. The νd_5/2 band was firmly established up to 27/2⁺ and the B(M1)/B(E2) ratios were extracted from the relative intensities of γ-rays in this band. The previously known νh_11/2 and νg_7/2 [413]5/2⁺α=−1/2 bands were confirmed and extended up to high spins and two bandcrossings are observed in the latter at ħω=0.33 and 0.44 MeV, respectively. The bandcrossings and configurations of these bands are discussed by TRS and CSM calculations. In a γ–γ–t measurement, the 11/2⁻ and 7/2⁻ levels were identified as two isomers with half-lives of 59.4±20 ns and 16.5±8.0 ns, respectively. Received: 17 June 1997 / Revised version: 29 September 1997     

New insight in the level structure of <Superscript>153</Superscript>Er

The high-spin level structure of the ¹⁵³Er nucleus has been reinvestigated by in-beam γ-ray and electron spectroscopy with (¹⁴N,pxn) reaction. Excitation energies, spin and parity assignments are unambiguously established for the two lowest isomers T _1/2≃ 380 ns and T_1/2\simeq 10 ns. The characteristics of the third one (T _1/2≃ 250 ns) at 5.2 MeV are still questionable but its main decay modes are better known. An extension of the level scheme is proposed up to 8.4 MeV.Experimental results have been discussed in terms of shell model multiplets and compared with the other structures observed in N=85 neighbouring nuclei. Received: 8 November 1999 / Revised version: 13 December 1999     

Lifetime measurement of the ((11/2)−) isomer in 125Cs

A new rotational band has been observed in ¹⁶⁷Lu by ¹⁵²Sm (¹⁹F,4n)reaction at the HI-13 tandem accelerator of CIAE in Beijing. The high spin transition energies of the new band are almost identical to the triaxial superdeformed bands recently discovered in ¹⁶³Lu and ¹⁶⁵Lu. This new band is predicted as a triaxial superdeformed band by total routhian surface calculations. Received: 6 October 1997     

Evidence for deformation in <Superscript>113-116</Superscript>Cd isotopes

High-spin states in ^113-116Cd have been investigated with the fusion-fission reaction ²⁸Si +¹⁷⁶Yb at 145 > MeV. The experiment has been performed with the Eurogam2 array. New rotational bands based on two quasi-particle states have been observed for even-even cadmium isotopes. A new level scheme based on the 11/2⁻ isomeric state is proposed for ¹¹⁵Cd and the one of ¹¹³Cd has been extended to spin (31/2⁻). The decoupled bands identified in both odd-A nuclei are interpreted as being built upon a low-Ωh_11/2 quasi-neutron configuration. Microscopic Hartree-Fock + BCS calculations confirm the prolate deformation in this mass region especially for the odd cadmium isotopes. Received: 21 December 1999 / Revised version: 16 February 2000     

Yrare bands of 121Xe

High-spin states in ¹²¹Xe have been studied via the ¹⁰⁹Ag (16O, p3n) ¹²¹Xe reaction at a beam energy of 80 MeV. Several rotational bands based on one- and three-quasiparticle excitations have been established. Among them, an unfavoured yrare rotational band with unfavoured signature has been newly identified. Received: 19 November 1998     

Beta decay of neutron-rich 118Rh and the lowest excited states in 118Pd

Beta decay of a refractory isotope ¹¹⁸Rh produced in symmetric fission and mass separated by the ion guide technique has been applied for the study of low-lying excited states of ¹¹⁸Pd. The yrast band in ¹¹⁸Pd has been observed up to a 6⁺ state and the lowest states of the asymmetric γ-band have been identified. The measured half-life of ¹¹⁸Rh is (300±60)ms. The systematics of the excited states in neutron-rich Pd-isotopes implies the saturation towards an O(6) symmetry at N = 70. Received: 19 June 2000 / Accepted: 1 August 2000     

Level structure of 99Rh at high spins

High spins states in ⁹⁹Rh were populated via the ⁶⁶Zn(³⁷Cl, 2p2n)⁹⁹Rh reaction at an incident beam energy of 130 MeV. Seventeen new transitions have been observed in the present study and the level scheme has now been extended up to a spin of J∼ 25ħ and an excitation energy of about E _x∼ 10 MeV. The observation of a positive parity E2 cascade based on the 9/2⁺ isomeric level is suggestive of collective behaviour in this nucleus up to high spins. Spherical shell model (within restricted model space) and Cranked shell model calculations were performed to obtain an insight into the observed level structure. The new collective band observed up to a spin of J∼ 25ħ is suggested to be based on (πg _9/2 ³) ⊗ (νg _7/2 ²) quasi-particle excitations. Received: 12 July 1999 / Revised version: 14 September 1999     

Configuration assignments and decay of 126La high-spin bands

High spin states of ¹²⁶La have been populated using the reaction ¹¹⁶Sn+¹⁴N at 68 MeV. γ-rays and conversion electrons were detected with the GAREL array. Multipolarities of the lowest-lying in-band dipole transitions have been determined from the deduced internal conversion coefficients. Experimental B(M1)/B(E2) ratios have been derived for the bands and compared with calculated values using the D?nau-Frauendorf geometrical model. Configurations are proposed for the bands comparing them with cranked shell model calculations and on the basis of the measured B(M1)/B(E2) ratios. The β-decay of ¹²⁶La has also been revisited. The population of the ¹²⁶Ba levels gives a probable spin value of five for the decaying high-spin ¹²⁶La state with T _1/2≈ 64 s which may indicate a signature inversion in the πh_11/2νh_11/2 band. Received: 12 October 1999     

Quadrupole moment measurement of the highly deformed πg 9/2⊗νh 11/2 band in 130Pr

The quadrupole moment for the πg _9/2⊗νh _11/2 band in the ^130>Pr nucleus has been measured using the Doppler-shift attenuation method. A centroid shift analysis was carried out and a value of Q₀=6.1±0.4 eb, corresponding to an axial prolate deformation of β₂=0.35(3), has been determined. This is the first direct experimental confirmation of the deformation-driving character of the πg _9/2 orbital in an odd-odd nucleus in the A≃135 superdeformed region. Received: 23 April 1998     

Investigations of low- and high-spin states of <Superscript>132</Superscript>La

The fusion evaporation reaction ¹²²Sn(¹⁴N, 4n)¹³²La was used to populate the high-spin states of ¹³²La at the beam energy of 60 MeV. A new band consisting of mostly E2 transitions has been discovered. This band has the interesting links to the ground state 2^- and the isomeric state 6^-. A new transition of energy 351 keV connecting the low-spin states of the positive-parity band based on the πh _11/2 ⊗ νh _11/2 particle configuration, has been found. This has played a very important role in resolving the existing ambiguities and inconsistencies in the spin assignment of the band head. Received: 12 August 2002 / Accepted: 18 March 2003 / Published online: 7 May 2003     

Terminating high-spin bands in 101Rh

High spin states of ¹⁰¹Rh have been populated using the reaction ⁷⁰Zn+³⁶S at 130 MeV. γ-rays were detected with the EUROGAM2 array. New high-spin bands have been observed in this nucleus up to 45/2⁻, 57/2⁻ and 65/2⁺ states. They have been interpreted using the Nilsson-Strutinsky cranking formalism as terminating configurations. Two of the bands were observed up to the predicted terminating states which are built up from g_9/2 protons as well as d_5/2, g_7/2 and h_11/2 neutrons relative to a ⁹⁰Zr core. Received: 30 October 1998     

New states in heavy Cd isotopes and evidence for weakening of the N = 82 shell structure

A chemically selective laser ion source has been used in a β-decay study of heavy Ag isotopes into even-even Cd nuclides. Gamma-spectroscopic techniques in time-resolving event-by-event and multiscaling modes have permitted the identification of the first 2⁺ and 4⁺ levels in ¹²⁶Cd₇₈, ¹²⁸Cd₈₀, and tentatively the 2⁺ state in ¹³⁰Cd₈₂. From a comparison of these new states in ₄₈Cd with the E(2⁺) and E(4⁺)/E(2⁺) level systematics of ₄₆Pd and ₅₂Te isotopes and several recent model predictions, possible evidence for a weakening of the spherical N = 82 neutron-shell below double-magic ¹³²Sn is obtained. Received: 13 July 2000 / Accepted: 12 October 2000     

First decay scheme of 113Tc and identification of 113Ru m

Very neutron–rich fission products of the mass chain A=113 obtained from the IGISOL on–line mass separator have been investigated by γγ coincidence techniques and γ-spectra multiscaling. Gamma–rays following β–decay of ¹¹³Tc have been observed for the first time and a new 0.5 s isomeric state has been found in ¹¹³Ru. Received: 10 February 1998     

Intruder states in even-even neutron-rich Pd isotopes

The decays of ¹¹²Rh ^g and ¹¹²Rh ^m obtained as on-line mass separated fission products have been investigated by standard β and γ spectroscopic techniques and γ-γ angular correlations. Low-lying 0⁺ and 2⁺ states are identified in the daughter nucleus ¹¹²Pd. Systematics suggests the existence of an intruder band which is the lowest in ¹¹⁰Pd, i.e. two neutrons before the midshell. Received:13 March 1998     

High spin structure of 117I

High-spin states in ¹¹⁷I have been studied via the ¹⁰³Rh(¹⁸O, 4n) reaction at a beam energy of 85 MeV. Many deformed rotational bands built on the proton h_11/2, g_7/2, and g_9/2 orbitals have been identified. Among them, an unfavoured rotational band and a quasi-gamma band based on the h_11/2 state have been newly observed. Moreover, positive-parity states above I^π= 35/2⁺ reported in the previous work have been rearranged. Several energetically favoured states have been assigned to noncollective oblate states based on various quasiparticle configurations with β₂≈ 0.18–0.19 and γ= 60°. Received: 1 March 1999     

Rotational bands in the near-drip-line nucleus 128Nd

The even-even nucleus ¹²⁸Nd was studied via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy using the ⁴⁰Ca + ⁸²Mo reaction at 190 MeV. Two new bands were observed besides the yrast one, that has been extended up to spin 34⁺. Configurations were assigned to the three bands by analysing their rotational properties and by comparison with the neighboring even-even nuclei. Received: 18 July 2001 / Accepted: 25 October 2001     

Measurement of quadrupole moment of the 134 keV level in <Superscript>131</Superscript>Cs

The time differential as well as time integral perturbed angular correlations of the 486-134 keV cascade in ¹³¹Cs have been studied in a polycrystalline BaSO₄ powder source using a HPGe-BaF₂ detector system. The fundamental quadrupole frequency for the 134 keV level has been found to be ω₀= (4.4 ± 0.4) × 10⁷ rad/s. From a comparison of the quadrupole frequencies of this level and that of the 81 keV level in ¹³³Cs, measured earlier in the same crystalline environment of the source, the absolute value of the quadrupole moment of the 134 keV level in ¹³¹Cs has been found to be 0.022 ± 0.002 b. This value of the quadrupole moment is reported for the first time and compared with the value predicted theoretically within the unified nuclear model with intermediate coupling. Received: 21 October 1999 / Revised version: 22 December 1999     

High-spin states in the deformed 122Ba nucleus

The even-even nucleus ¹²²Ba was studied via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy using the ⁴⁰Ca + ⁹²Mo reaction at 190 MeV. Five bands were observed, four more that can be found in the literature. Configurations were assigned to the various bands from the comparison with the neighboring even-even nuclei. Received: 10 July 2001 / Accepted: 10 October 2001