Measured Cd III Stark widths

The Stark FWHM (Full-Width at Half of the Maximal line intensity, W) have been measured for 16 doubly ionized cadmium (Cd III) spectral lines in a pulsed helium discharge in the wavelength interval between 200 nm and 304 nm. The helium discharge was created in the linear low pressure pulsed arc operated at 19 000 K electron temperature and 5.0×¹⁰²² m−3 electron density. The cadmium atoms were sputtered from the cadmium (99.9% purity) cylindrical plates located in the linear part of the discharge tube. The high density of the Cd III ions is boosted by cascade ionization processes via the well populated Cd II energy levels due to the Penning and charge exchange effects. The shapes of the Cd III lines are recorded using a spectrograph (McPherson model 209, 1.33 m focal-length with 2400 grooves/mm holographic grating) and intensified CCD camera (Andor DH740-18F-03) as a high-sensitive detection system. The Stark parameters introduced in this Letter are the first published experimental Cd III Stark widths.     

Muon capture rates in Se and Cd isotopes

Energy and time spectra of γ rays following nuclear capture of negative muons in natural Se and Cd and isotopically enriched ⁷⁶Se and ¹⁰⁶Cd targets have been measured with HPGe detectors. Total muon lifetimes in Se and Cd isotopes and partial μ capture rates to excited levels of ⁷⁶As and ¹⁰⁶Ag are obtained. These results are necessary for calculation of nuclear matrix elements of the 2β decay of ⁷⁶Ge and ¹⁰⁶Cd respectively.     

The Gamow-Teller beta decay of100Cd

Neutron-deficient isotopes of cadmium were produced in thep(600 MeV)+^natSn spallation reaction. The ISOLDE facility provided mass-separated beams of these isotopes. The production yield was 10³ to 10⁴ atoms/s for¹⁰⁰Cd and roughly two orders of magnitude less for⁹⁸Cd. The properties of the¹⁰⁰Cd→¹⁰⁰Ag decay were studied in detail by X-ray,γ-ray and conversion electron spectroscopy. Forty nineγ-transitions were assigned to this decay, and all but five of them were placed in the decay scheme. The half-life was determined to be 49.1±0.5 s. TheQ _EC value of 3890±70 keV was deduced from a comparison of experimental and theoreticalβ ⁺/(EC+β ⁺ probability ratios. Seven 0⁺→1⁺ Gamow-Teller transitions with log ft values between 3.5 and 4.9 were identified. The total (summed) strength is about five times smaller than predicted by the shell model for the transformation of ag _9/2 proton into ag _7/2 neutron. The quenching of the Gamow-Teller strength and other questions of nuclear structure are discussed for the¹⁰⁰Cd decay. The properties of⁹⁸Cd are inferred by extrapolation of^104,102,100Cd data, and some preliminary experimental results on⁹⁸Cd decay are presented.     

New features in systematics of low-spin states in even106–120Cd

Low- spin states in even^106–112Cd and¹¹⁶Cd were investigated by in-beam and off-beam γ-ray and conversion electron spectroscopy. New spin assignments and decay branching ratios for the levels in¹⁰⁶Cd,¹⁰⁸Cd and¹¹⁰Cd were obtained. From the new systematical data for the even^106–120Cd, it is inferred that two sets of low-lying 0⁺ states cross between¹¹⁴Cd and¹¹⁶Cd. One of these sets appears to have features of both intruder and two-quadrupole-phonon states.     

High-spin states in106Cd

Levels of¹⁰⁶Cd, populated by¹⁰⁴Pd(α, 2nγ)¹⁰⁶Cd have been studied measuring direct and delayedγ-ray spectra,γ-γ coincidences andγ-ray angular distributions. A decay level scheme is proposed including states up to 4659.8 keV. IntenseE2 transition cascades have been observed. The half-life of an isomeric level located at 4659.8 keV has been measured:T _1/2= 62±6ns. Nuclear Reactions ¹⁰⁴Pd(α, 2nγ),E _α=31MeV; measuredE _γ,I _γ,γ-γ coinc, σ(θ)T _1/2.¹⁰⁶Cd deduced levels,J, π, Enriched targets. Ge(Li) detectors.     

Synthesis and photoluminescent properties of ZnS:Cd nanoparticles and their phase-transferred nanocomposite with polyvinylpyrrolidone

ZnS:Cd nanoparticles were synthesized in a reverse micelle system by controlling reaction factors with mercaptoacetic acid (MPA) as a surfactant and N,N-dimethylformamide as an oil phase. X-ray diffraction pattern shows that the ZnS:Cd nanoparticles exhibit a cubic structure and its mean size is calculated around 4 nm. With different molar ratios of Zn²⁺/S^2?, the relative intensity of the emission peaks at 400 and 556 nm changes dramatically due to the more sulfur vacancies which resulted from the imbalance of Zn²⁺ and S²⁺ ions. Furthermore, hydrophobic phase-transferred ZnS:Cd nanoparticles were obtained using octylamine, and a highly luminescent phase-transferred ZnS:Cd/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanocomposite was prepared by blending the phase-transferred ZnS:Cd with PVP. Infrared absorption suggests that octylamine has been successfully connected with the MPA-coated ZnS:Cd nanoparticles. Unlike the MPA-coated ZnS:Cd which has a very strong emission at 556 nm, the phase-transferred ZnS:Cd has a strong emission at 435 nm, which is ascribed to surface passivation and electron redistribution. In addition, luminescent intensity enhancement was observed for the phase-transferred ZnS:Cd/PVP nanocomposites with various Cd²⁺ doping concentrations.     

Double-β decay of116Cd

The NEMO-2 tracking detector located in the Fréjus Underground Laboratory was designed as a prototype of the detector NEMO-3 to study 0ν and 2ν double-beta decay (ββ) physics. After ten months of nearly continuous running with an enriched cadmium source (0.92 mol·y of¹¹⁶Cd) aββ2ν half-life ofT _1/2=(3.75±0.35(stat)±0.21(syst))·10¹⁹ y was measured. Limits with 90% CL on the¹¹⁶Cd half-lives of 5.0·10²¹ y forββ0ν decay and of 1.2·10²¹ y forββ0νχ ⁰ decay with a Majoron (χ ⁰) were obtained. Theoretical predictions for 0ν and 2ν decays of¹¹⁶Cd are also presented.     

Lifetimes and configuration mixing in 110Cd

Lifetimes of excited states in ¹¹⁰Cd have been measured by the Doppler shift attenuation method in the reaction (α,2nγ) at E _α= 25 MeV. Lifetime values for 8 states and lifetime limits for 3 states were obtained. The band structures of ¹¹⁰Cd have been interpreted in terms of a modified version of the interacting boson model (IBM + 2 q.p.). The calculations explain well the excitation energies and electromagnetic transition probabilities up to J ^π= 16⁺, except for the 10⁺ ₁ state. The structural features are discussed in terms of collective and two quasiparticle excitations. Received: 20 March 1999 / Revised version: 28 May 1999     

Optical properties of laser-produced plasmas from Cd and layered crystalline CdAl2Se4 targets

An experimental investigation into emission by plasmas from Cd and crystalline CdAl₂Se₄ targets irradiated with a pulse-periodic YAG: Nd³⁺ laser is presented. The laser operates at a pulse width of 20 ns and provides 1−2×10⁹ W/cm² at the focus. The spectral and time characteristics of the emission are examined. The main findings are as follows: (1) The strongest lines correspond to the transitions from the 6³ S ₁ and 5³ D ₂ levels of Cd I. (2) With the Cd target, the recombination bottlenecks are 5² D _5/2 of Cd II (E _up=20.11 eV) and 8³ D _{1, 3} of Cd I (E _up=8.60–8.65 eV). (3) The average electron temperature outside the core of the plume is 0.64 eV. (4) For the 508.6-nm line of Cd I, the high filling rate of the 6³ S ₁ upper energy level may be related to the rapid recombination of cadmium ions with electrons via the intermediate levels of Cd⁻ at 6.82 and 7.24 eV.     

EPR of Cu2+ in cadmium saccharin [Cd(sac)2(H2O)4]·2H2O and [Cd(sac)2(HydEt-en)2] complexes in single-crystal and powder forms

The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of Cu²⁺ in [Cd(sac)₂(H₂O₄]·2H₂O and [Cd(sac)₂(HydEt-en)₂] (HydEt-en=N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-ethylenediamine) single crystals and powder were examined at room temperature. A detailed study of the spectra of the compounds indicates the replacement of Cd²⁺ in the host compounds with Cu²⁼. [Cd(sac)₂(H₂O)₄]·2H₂Oshows the presence of two sites for Cu²⁺ and [Cd(sac)₂(HydEt-en)₂] has a single site. The principal values for theg-tensor and the hyperfine tensor for Cu²⁺ in the two compounds were obtained. The Cu²⁺ ion was found to be mostly in the 3d_x ²−y ² orbital and the ground-state wavefunction of [Cd(sac)₂(HydEten]₂] was constructed.     

Hyperfine Fields at the Cd Site in La0.67Cd0.25MnO3 CMR Manganites

Although Cd and Ca ions have the same valence and cation size, their incorporation into vacancy-doped La manganites induce different properties. While the incorporation of Ca leads to high Tc up to 250 K and induces a metallic-like behaviour, the incorporation of Cd severely reduces Tc and promotes insulator-like behaviour. In this work, the Cd hyperfine fields have been measured with the Perturbed Angular Correlations (PAC) technique after implantation and annealing of ^111m Cd in La–Cd–MnO₃ samples. The PAC results are compared with measurements of the resistivity and magnetization performed on the same samples. The mixed La and Mn site Cd occupancy is suggested as a possibility to explain the properties of the La–Cd–MnO₃ system.     

Quadrupole collective properties of 114Cd

The nucleus ¹¹⁴Cd has been Coulomb excited using beams of ¹⁶O, ⁴⁰Ca, ⁵⁸Ni and ²⁰⁸Pb. Several new states have been observed and an almost complete set of reduced E2 matrix elements for the lowest-lying positive-parity states in ¹¹⁴Cd have been measured. In total, about 40 E2 matrix elements have been determined in a model-independent way, including the static quadrupole moments of the 4⁺₁, 6⁺₁, 2⁺₂ and 2⁺₃ states. Large negative static quadrupole moments were found for the 4⁺₁ and 6⁺₁ states and a large positive quadrupole moment for the 2⁺₂ state. All E2 matrix elements involved in the deexcitation of the quintuplet of states at an energy of about 1.2 Me V were determined. The data are compared with predictions by various models, including a configuration mixing calculation within the framework of the IBA model, the harmonic vibrator and a model in which the states of a near-harmonic vibrator are mixed with those of a rotational intruder band with a large deformation. Although no perfect match is obtained, the data favour a vibration-like structure involving levels up to the four-quadrupole phonon multiplet.     

Collective band structures in106,107Cd

Levels in^106,107Cd have been studied with the reactions⁸²Se(³⁰Si, 5-6n)^106,107Cd. The bands observed in the experimental are mostly due to the N=4 and h_11/2 neutron structures.     

Deexcitation of Cd 53P1 atoms in collisions with ground state atoms and molecules

Collisions of excited Cd 5³P₁ atoms were investigated using atomic fluorescence spectroscopy. Cadmium vapor, together with a quenching gas, was irradiated in a quartz fluorescence vessel with Cd 3261 Å resonance radiation and the intensity of the resulting resonance fluorescence was monitored in relation to the gas pressures. The experiments yielded the following cross sections Q₁₀ (in A²) for collisional transfer 5³P₁→5³P₀: CdAr=2×10^?3, CdN₂=8.0, CdH₂=7.0, CdCO=15.6. The cross sections Q for collisional deexcitation to the ground state (quenching) in A² are CdN₂ = 2.6×10^?2, CdH₂ = 11.0, CdCO = 3.4, CdCO₂ = 26.     

Search for double beta decay of 106Cd

A search for the β⁺β⁺, β⁺/EC, and EC/EC decays of ¹⁰⁶Cd was performed at the Modane Underground Laboratory (France) located at a depth of 4800 m w.e. using a TGV-2 multidetector germanium spectrometer. A preliminary evaluation is performed of the experimental data accumulated during the measurements (12 900 h) of ～13.6 g of ¹⁰⁶Cd (with an enrichment of 75%) and the spectrometer background without samples and with samples of natural Cd. New limits (at a 90% confidence level) of half-lives are obtained: T _1/2 ? 1.7 × 10²⁰ yr and T _1/2 ? 1.6 × 10²⁰ yr for the 0νEC/EC resonant decay of ¹⁰⁶Cd to the 2741 keV and 2718 keV excited states of the daughter nucleus ¹⁰⁶Pd and T _1/2 ? 4.2 × 10²⁰ yr for the 2νEC/EC decay to the ground state of ¹⁰⁶Pd (0⁺ → 0⁺, g.s.). The limits for other branches of the double beta decay of ¹⁰⁶Cd with transitions to the ground and excited states of ¹⁰⁶Pd are improved.     

Decay characteristics of 0 2 + and 0 3 + states in112Cd and114Cd

Absolute rates ofE0 andE2 transitions depopulating 0 ₂ ⁺ and 0 ₃ ⁺ states in¹¹²Cd and¹¹⁴Cd have been determined using conversion-electron andγ-ray spectroscopy, and double Coulomb excitation. The collectivity of these states is established and discussed.     

Low-lying dipole excitations in the stable Cd isotopes: A systematics

Low-lying dipole excitations in the medium-weight vibrational nuclei of the Cd isotopic chain were investigated by means of nuclear resonance fluorescence experiments performed at the bremsstrahlung beam of the Stuttgart Dynamitron accelerator (endpoint energy 4.1 MeV). Detailed information has been obtained on excitation energies, spins, decay widths, and transition probabilities of numerous excited states in ^{110–114,116}Cd. Additionally, the use of two Compton polarimeters enabled model-independent parity assignments for excitations in the even-even isotopes. Strongly excited J ^π = 1^? states are found in all even-even Cd nuclei at excitation energies near the sumof the energies of the first 2⁺ and 3^? states. These excitations are interpreted as the 1^? member of the quadrupole-octupole coupled quintuplet (2+?3^?). The fragmented strength observed in the odd isotopes ^111,113Cd is compared with the strength distributions in the neighboring even-even Cd isotopes.     

Electric quadrupole interaction at 111Cd and 119Sn in isostructural NiIn and CoSn compounds

The perturbed angular correlation technique and Mössbauer spectroscopy were applied to study the electric field gradient on ¹¹¹Cd and ¹¹⁹Sn probe atoms in isostructural NiIn and CoSn compounds. The ¹¹¹Cd PAC measurements performed in the temperature range 80--1100 K demonstrated the existence of two axially symmetric EFG's in each of the investigated compounds, related to the 2(d) and 1(a) probe sites in the B35 structure. A 1(a)-site preference for Cd probes in CoSn compound was observed. The temperature dependence of the quadrupole frequencies for ¹¹¹Cd in both compounds, interpreted in terms of the empirical model proposed by Christiansen et al.[1], follows a T^3/2 relation with different slope parameters for each of the observed frequencies. These results are combined with the data from the Mössbauer experiment. The ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectra taken at liquid nitrogen and at room temperatures showed two quadrupole split doublets with the intensity ratio 2:1 for CoSn and 8:1 for NiIn_0.99Sn_0.01sample, giving an evidence of 2(d)-site preference for tin atoms in NiIn. The EFG values measured on ¹¹⁹Sn are 2.5 to 4 times larger than those on ¹¹¹Cd nuclei, while the ratio of the respective Sternheimer antishielding factors is equal to 0.77. Within the limits of errors no differences were observed in the magnitude and temperature dependence of Debye--Waller factors for 2(d) and 1(a) ¹¹⁹Sn positions in CoSn and NiIn lattices.     

Gamow-Teller beta decay of the very neutron-deficientN=50 nuclide98Cd

For the first time, detailed decay-spectroscopic investigations were performed for the very neutron-deficientN=50 nuclide⁹⁸Cd. The⁹⁸Cd activity was produced in spallation reactions between 600 MeV protons and a natural tin target, yielding a⁹⁸Cd beam intensity of 10 to 60 atoms/s at the collector of the ISOLDE massseparator. By means of-ray and conversion-electron spectroscopy, 19 transitions were found to follow the ⁺/EC decay⁹⁸Cd⁹⁸Ag. The transitions at 61 and 107 keV were shown to beM1(+E2) andE2, respectively, and the⁹⁸Cd half-life was measured as 9.2±0.3 s. TheQ _EC value of⁹⁸Cd is determined semiempirically and is compared to model predictions together with the measuredQ _EC values of the neighbouring cadmium isotopes^100,102Cd and theN=50 isotones⁹²Mo,⁹⁴Ru, and⁹⁶Pd, taken from the literature. The newly established decay scheme of⁹⁸Cd includes 9 excited states of⁹⁸Ag. Four states at 1691, 1861, 2164, and 2544 keV are directly fed by 0⁺ 1⁺ Gamow-Teller beta transitions with a summed strength of 3.5 _–0.7 ^+0.8 . This value corresponds to 25±5% of the strength predicted for the GT transformation of a g_9/2 proton (in⁹⁸Cd) into a g_7/2 neutron (in⁹⁸Ag) by the extreme single-particle shell model. The GT-strength splitting and quenching, observed for⁹⁸Cd, are compared with the corresponding data for lighter even-even N=50 isotones, and are discussed with reference to the predictions of more sophisticated nuclear models. We find that only in some cases it is possible to explain qualitatively the observed GT strength distribution and its total magnitude without renormalizing the free-neutron value of the axial-vector coupling constant.Dedicated to Prof. P. Armbruster on the occasion of his 60th birthday