Multiple coulomb excitation of202Hg and204Hg

Multiple Coulomb excitation measurements on^{202, 204}Hg have been performed with 5 MeV/u²⁰⁸Pb projectiles. The ground bands are excited up to the newly discovered 6⁺ states and B(E2) values are derived for the 4⁺→2⁺ and 6⁺→4⁺ transitions. Whereas the 2⁺ and 4⁺ levels in the Hg isotopes with 196≦A≦204 have an almost constant energy, the 6⁺ levels increase in²⁰²Hg and²⁰⁴Hg, compared to the lighter isotopes, by approximately 100 and 300 keV, respectively. The relative B(E2) values in both nuclei show that the collectivity in the neutron rich Hg nuclei is of more complex origin than expected from the few proton and neutron holes with respect to the 82 and 126 major shells.     

Oblate shapes of200, 202, 204Hg

Measurements of the reorientation effect for the first excited 2⁺ states in^{200, 202, 204}Hg were performed by exploiting the dependence of theγ-ray yield on Q₂+ for different projectiles. For²⁰⁰Hg, a positive quadrupole moment of Q₂=0.96±0.11 eb (for negative interference) or Q₂=1.11±0.11 eb (for positive interference) was determined indicating an oblate shape. Small positive Q₂ values were also found for²⁰²Hg and²⁰⁴Hg. Nine B(E2) values for excitation of the 2⁺, 2⁺′ and 4⁺ states in^196–204Hg measured.     

Alpha decay of the new isotope 174Hg

Neutron deficient mercury isotopes were produced in the reaction ³⁶Ar + ¹⁴⁴Sm using bombarding energies of 180–230 MeV. Fusion products were separated in-flight from the primary beam using a gas-filled recoil separator. An alpha line with the alpha particle energy and half-life of (7069±11) keV and (2.1 _?0.7 ^+1.8 ) ms, respectively, was assigned to the new mercury isotope ¹⁷⁴Hg.     

Hg同位素对Hg的Zeeman效应相对强度的影响

比较了Hg的546.1 nm绿谱线Zeeman效应相对强度的理论计算和实验值,分析了Hg同位素位移及超精细结构对Hg的 Zeeman效应相对强度的影响.     

Isotope shift of182Hg and an update of nuclear moments and charge radii in the isotope range181Hg-206Hg

The technique of collinear fast-beam laser spectroscopy has been used to measure the isotope shifts of the even-even isotopes of Hg (Z=80) in the mass range 182≤A≤198 at the on-line mass separator ISOLDE at CERN. The atomic transition studied (6s 6p ³ P ₂- 6s7s ³ S ₁,λ=546.1 nm) starts from a metastable state, which is populated in a quasi resonant charge transfer process. The resulting changes in nuclear mean square charge radii show clearly that¹⁸²Hg follows the trend of the heavier, even, weakly oblate isotopes. Correspondingly the huge odd-even shape staggering in the light Hg isotopes continues and the nuclear shape staggering and shape coexistence persists down to the last isotope investigated,¹⁸¹Hg. An update of isotope shift and hyperfine structure data for^181–206Hg is given, with a revised evaluation of the differences in nuclear mean square charge radii and of spectroscopic quadrupole moments.     

Light isotope production in solar flares

The production of light isotopes in a layer of solar composition is calculated on the basis of the modern GEANT4 code. It is shown that nuclear interactions lead to comparable yields of the ³He, D, and T isotopes, which confirms the results of earlier calculations by other methods.     

Neutron-rich isotope production using the uranium carbide multi-foil SPES target prototype

In the framework of the R&D program for the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) project of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), production yields of neutron-rich isotopes have been measured at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA). This experiment makes use of the multi-foil SPES target prototype composed of 7 uranium carbide discs, with excess of graphite (ratio C/U = 4 . 77 isotopes of medium mass (between 72 and 141amu), produced via proton-induced fission of uranium using a 40MeV proton beam, have been collected and analyzed for the target heated at 2000 ^° C target temperature.     

The nuclear fragmentation phase transition and rare isotope production

Of all phase transitions in nuclear matter, the fragmentation phase transition is perhaps the one for which there is the best experimental evidence as of now. In addition, theoretical models have been developed to a degree where detailed comparisons are possible. With the advent of rare isotope production facilities using projectile fragmentation techniques (NSCL, GSI, ..., and hopefully RIA in the coming decade), the main interest in this field is beginning to shift towards the exploration of the isospin degree of freedom in the nuclear equation of state. Here we employ a statistical multifragmentation model and discuss the connection between the width of the isotope distribution and the isospin term in the nuclear equation of state.     

Spectroscopy of195Hg and196Hg

High-spin states in the oblate-deformed nuclei¹⁹⁵Hg and¹⁹⁶Hg were populated in the¹⁹⁸Pt(α, xn) reaction and investigated by in-beamγ-ray spectroscopy using six Compton-suppressed Ge detectors. The level schemes of both nuclei are extended considerably. The level structure is interpreted within the framework of the cranked shell model. Good agreement is obtained between model predictions and experimental results.     

Possible isotope effect on Frenkel defect production in ionic crystals

An argument is given for the possibility that differing isotope masses for anions in ionic crystals cause a sizeable effect in defect production.     

Dissipative Photochemical Abiogenesis of the Purines

We have proposed that the abiogenesis of life around the beginning of the Archean may have been an example of “spontaneous” microscopic dissipative structuring of UV-C pigments under the prevailing surface ultraviolet solar spectrum. The thermodynamic function of these Archean pigments (the “fundamental molecules of life”), as for the visible pigments of today, was to dissipate the incident solar light into heat. We have previously described the non-equilibrium thermodynamics and the photochemical mechanisms which may have been involved in the dissipative structuring of the purines adenine and hypoxanthine from the common precursor molecules of hydrogen cyanide and water under this UV light. In this article, we extend our analysis to include the production of the other two important purines, guanine and xanthine. The photochemical reactions are presumed to occur within a fatty acid vesicle floating on a hot (∼80 °C) neutral pH ocean surface exposed to the prevailing UV-C light. Reaction–diffusion equations are resolved under different environmental conditions. Significant amounts of adenine (∼10−5 M) and guanine (∼10−6 M) are obtained within 60 Archean days, starting from realistic concentrations of the precursors hydrogen cyanide and cyanogen (∼10−5 M).     

On the yrast levels in204Pb

High-spin states in²⁰⁴Pb were populated in the²⁰⁴Hg(α,4n) reaction using α-particles in the energy region 42–51 MeV. Prompt and delayedγ-rays as well as conversion electrons were studied in addition to excitation functions, angular distributions andγ-γ coincidences. In this way a stretched cascade ofγ-rays from a level at 8125.9 keV was found to feed the previously known isomeric 9^? level at 2185.7 keV. Spins and parities were established for levels up to and including a 19^? level at 6098.0 keV. The levels with c= 17^2212; and 19^? at excitation energies of 5664.3 and 6098.0 keV are likely to be due to the simplep ₁ ^2/s-1 i ₁₃ ^2/?3 andf ₅ ^2/?1 i ₁₃ ^2/?3 configurations. The agreement between calculated and experimental energies for all observed levels in the regionJ=9–19 is very good in cases where the empirical two-particle interactions used are satisfactorily well known. Above the 19^? level there are three weakly populated levels at 7402.1, 7849.2 and 8125.9 keV, which are likely to haveJ≥20. None of these energies agrees with the calculated value 7695±20 keV for the 20⁺ state of thei ₁₃ ^2/?4 configuration which has the highest angular momentum produced by the four valence neutron holes. This apparent anomaly can be understood if the yrast levels withJ≥20 have angular momentum contribution from the core. It seems likely that the states at 7402.1, 7849.2 and 8125.9 keV are due to proton core excited states of the typeπh _9/2 h ₁₁ ^2/?1 ×νp ₁ ^2/?2 i ₁₃ ^2/?2 withJ ^π=20⁺ andJ ^π=21⁺ andπh _9/2 h ₁₁ ^2/?1 ×νp ₁ ^2/?1 f ₅ ^2?1 i ₁₃ ^2/?2 withJ ^π=22⁺ or 23⁺, respectively. The state at 8126 keV has the highest energy so far directly observed in a stretched cascade ofγ-rays from the decay of a heavy nucleus produced in (α, xn) reactions.     

A new isotope andα-lines in the Th-Np region and their production cross-sections

In the fusion reactions of^20,22Ne with²⁰⁵Tl,²⁰⁸Pb, and²⁰⁹Bi the absolute production cross-sections of the²²⁷Np,^222–224Pa,^222–224Th, and²²¹Ac isotopes were measured and the products of the xn evaporation channels and theirα-decay properties were investigated. The identified isotope is²²⁷Np (7680±10 keV). A newα-line structure of²²⁴Pa was established (7460±10 keV (25±3 %) and 7555±10 keV (75±3 %)). Fourα-lines of²²³Th were identified (7290±10 keV (41±5 %), 7320±10 keV (29±5 %), 7350 ± 15 keV (20±5 %), and 7390±15 keV (10±4 %)). The half life of²¹⁷Fr was measured to be 16±2 μs and that of²²⁰Ra was found to be 17 ±2 ms.     

Multiple Coulomb excitation of198Hg and200Hg

Multiple Coulomb excitation measurements on^{198, 200}Hg have been performed with 5MeV/amu²⁰⁸Pb projectiles andB(E2)-values are determined for transitions between states up to spin 8⁺. In¹⁹⁸Hg a reduction of theB(E2)-value for the yrast transition 8⁺→6⁺ by a factor of 3 as compared to the rigid rotor prediction is observed, which supports the earlier proposed idea that the ground state band is crossed between the 6⁺ and 8⁺ state by a weakly interactingvi ₁₃ ^2/2 rotation aligned band. In each of the two nuclei,¹⁹⁸Hg and²⁰⁰Hg, a state with a possibleI ^π=8⁺ assignment is observed, which is tentatively interpreted as the 8⁺ member of the ground state band.     

Nuclear orientation study of the decay of204BiFe

The decay of²⁰⁴Bi nuclei (I =6⁺, T_1/2=11·22 h) oriented in an iron host was investigated on the JINR low-temperature nuclear orientation facility SPIN. The orientation parameterB ₂=1·17 (6) was obtained from the analysis of six prominent E1 gamma-transitions. From the measured normalized intensities of the gamma-rays observed some 70 values of multipole mixing ratios for the gamma-transitions in²⁰⁴Pb nucleus were determined for the first time. The spins 6, 6, 5 and 4 could be uniquely assigned to the²⁰⁴Pb negative parity levels at 3891·5 keV, 3768·4 keV, 3301·5 keV and 2338·2 keV, respectively. The spin-parity assignments of the levels at 4183·8 keV, 4094·2 keV, 3782·0 keV, 2506·9 keV and 2065·1 keV were confirmed as 6^–, 6^–, 5^–, 5^– and 5⁺, respectively. For the level at 3105·1 keV spin-parity 5^– was suggested and spinparity 7^– of the level at 2696·4 keV was called in question. The possible placements of the gammatransitions 3 1351·7 keV and 1353·4 keV in the decay scheme is discussed. The reorientation parameters for the long-living levels at 2264·2 keV (T _1/2=0·45 s) and 1273·9 keV (T _1/2= =265 ns) were determined asG ₂=0·41 (14) andG ₂=0·60 (17), respectively. For the isomeric level at 2185·7 keV (T _1/2=67·2 min) the value ofG ₂=0·88 (49) was proposed.The authors would like to express their thanks to T. I. Kracíková and M. Trhlík for the valuable discussions in the course of the evaluation of the experimental data.     

Positron emission isotope production cyclotron in DLNP JINR (Status Report)

A C10-cyclotron for radioisotope production is under construction at the Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problem, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (DLNP JINR). It is a compact isochronous cyclotron for accelerating H⁻ ions to the energy of about 10 MeV. The magnetic system, vacuum chamber and accelerating system is being built now. Results of the calculation and forming of the cyclotron magnetic field and the study of the beam dynamics from an ion source to an extraction system in calculated magnetic field are presented. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Identification of Hg and shape coexistence in odd-A Hg isotopes

In-beam γ-ray transitions in ¹⁸¹Hg, the lightest odd-A Hg isotope known thus far, have been identified from fragment mass-γ and γ-γ coincidence measurements. Five prolate deformed rotational bands were placed in the level scheme. A decoupled band built on the strongly prolate deformed 1/2⁻[521] ground state was observed up to 29/2⁻. A 5/2⁻[512] configuration is suggested for a pair of strongly coupled bands displaying no signature splitting. The other two bands are also signature partner bands. They are populated with the largest intensity and exhibit splitting. They have been associated with the mixed neutron i_13/2 orbitals and are proposed to decay to an i_13/2 isomeric state associated with an oblate state.     

Levels of195Au from the decays of195g Hg and195m Hg

The levels of¹⁹⁵Au were analyzed by observingγ-singles andγγ-coincidences following the¹⁹⁵Hg decay. Nine new lines are found which require two new levels at 778 and 946 keV. An interpretation of the level scheme is given on the basis of the de Shalit core-excitation model. A qualitative understanding of all levels up to 1 MeV excitation energy is obtained.