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.     

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.     

Beta decay of57Ni

The decay of⁵⁷Ni was studied using both single and coincidence gamma-ray spectroscopy. Four new low-intensity transitions were observed in the single spectra. The energies and intensities of these transitions related to the 1378 keV transition were determined as 304.1 keV, 0.002%; 696.0 keV, 0.001%, 1350.5 keV, 0.002% and 1603.3 keV, 0.005%. Weak transitions at 541.9, 755.3 and 1279.9 keV were confirmed in agreement to earlier works, and their intensities related to 1378 keV were determined as 0.005%, 0.007% and 0.0012%, respectively.     

Beta decay of 61Ga

The β decay of ⁶¹Ga to its mirror nucleus ⁶¹Zn has been measured for the first time by using on-line mass separation and β-delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy. The observed decay strength to the ground state implies superallowed character in accordance with the systematics of the mirror decays in the sd and fp shell. The β feedings observed to four excited states in ⁶¹Zn are consistent with earlier spin-parity assignments based on in-beam experiments. The ground-state spin and parity for ⁶¹Ga were determined to be 3/2⁻. Received: 28 April 1998 / Revised version: 6 October 1998     

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     

Beta decay of 157Dy

The decay of ¹⁵⁷Dy(T_1/2 = 8.14(4)h) is investigated. Spectra of γ-rays, internal conversion electrons and γ ? γ coincidences are measured. The 983.50 and 991.70 keV transitions show E0 admixtures. Our experimental results made it possible to extend substantially the decay scheme. From the coincidence relationships we established four new excited states of ¹⁵⁷Tb at 883.32, 895.06, 925.29, 970.38 keV and confirmed the 357.66 keV state. The levels at 1160.71 and 1318.62 keV are introduced from the energy balance. Tentative evidence is given for the existence of five new levels at 252.58, 327.65, 658.36, 793.52 and 922.69 keV. We assign Nilsson’s quantum characteristics to all introduced levels. The structure of the excited states of ¹⁵⁷Tb is discussed in terms of current nuclear models.     

Beta decay of 50Ni

The very neutron-deficient isotope ⁵⁰Ni was produced in fragmentation reactions between a A MeV ⁵⁸Ni beam and a ⁹Be target. For the first time the decay of this nucleus was investigated, leading to the determination of the half-life as 12⁺³_-2 ms and the branching ratio for -delayed proton emission of ( )%.Received: 16 April 2003, Published online: 22 July 2003PACS: 21.10.Tg Properties of nuclei; nuclear energy levels: Lifetimes - 23.40.-s decay; double decay; electron and muon capture - 29.30.Ep Charged-particle spectroscopyR. Grzywacz: Present address : Physics Division, ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6371, USA.I. Mukha: Present address : Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysika, University of Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.     

Beta decay of 31Ar

A complete study of ³¹Ar beta decay has been made by high-resolution charged-particle and gamma-ray spectroscopy. Beta-delayed radiation was detected by an array of three charged-particle detectors and a large-volume germanium detector. Fifteen new energy levels were discovered in ³¹Cl. The beta-strength distribution, measured to 14.5 MeV, is compared with a shell-model calculation in the full sd space. The quenching of the Gamow-Teller strength and the isospin impurity of the IAS in ³¹Cl are discussed.     

Beta decay and hyperfine interactions

Experimental searches for the second-class currents and the soft pion effects in the nuclear weak axial currents are discussed. Also discussed are the hyperfine interactions of light interstitial impurities in ferromagnetic Fe and Ni, as well as in fcc and bcc non-magnetic metals. For these spin-ray correlation experiments, it is emphasized that the technical developments and improvements of the nuclear spin control by NMR and the production of polarization in the short-lived nuclear states are vital necessities.     

Beta decay of highly charged ions

Ion storage rings and ion traps provide the very first opportunity to address nuclear beta decay under conditions prevailing in hot stellar plasmas during nucleosynthesis, i.e. at high atomic charge states. Experiments are summarized that were performed in this field during the last decade at the ion storage-cooler ring ESR in Darmstadt. Special emphasis is given to the first observation of bound-state beta decay, where the created electron remains bound in an inner orbital of the daughter atom. The impact of this specific ‘stellar’ decay mode for s-process nucleosynthesis as well as for nuclear ‘eon clocks’ is outlined. Finally, a new technique, single-ion decay spectroscopy, is presented, where one observes two-body beta decay characteristics (i.e. orbital electron capture or bound-state beta decay) of highly charged, single ions for well-defined nuclear and atomic quantum states of both the mother – and the daughter – ion.     

Beta decay of 23Mg and 27Si

The β-decays of ²³Mg and ²⁷Si have been studied by observing the delayed γ-radiation. The following branches (and log ft values) have been found for ${}^{23}\text{Mg}\text{(β}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)}{}^{23}\text{Na}\text{: 0}\text{keV}\text{, 0.914 ± 0.002 (3.67); 440}\text{keV}\text{, 0.086 ± 0.002 (4.40);}\text{and}\text{2391}\text{keVa}\text{(6.9 ± 0.9) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?5}}\text{(4.98);}\text{and for}{}^{27}\text{Si}\text{(β}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)}{}^{27}\text{Al}\text{: 0}\text{keV}\text{, 0.9977 ± 0.0002 (3.61); 1014}\text{keV}\text{, (4.9 ± 2.4) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?5}}\text{(7.3); 2211}\text{keV}\text{, (1.80 ± 0.13) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{(4.68); 2734}\text{keV}\text{, (1.55 ± 0.17) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?4}}\text{(5.02);}\text{and}\text{2981}\text{keV}\text{, (2.59 ± 0.24) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?4}}\text{(4.33)}$. The branches to the 2391 keV level from the ²³Mg decay and to the 2734 keV level from the ²⁷Si decay have not been previously reported. A comparison is made between the experimental results and the predictions of the many-particle shell model.     

Beta decay of 28P

The β⁺ decay of ²⁸P has been studied with a Ge(Li)-NaI(Tl) escape-suppression spectrometer. The number of ²⁸Si γ-transitions observed following ²⁸P decay has been increased from 15 to 34. New β⁺ branches were observed to ²⁸Si levels at 7416, 9796 and 10209 keV and sharper limits were placed on unobserved gb⁺ transitions.     

Beta decay and nuclear structure: Rb86

It was aimed to gain information on the nuclear structure of Rb⁸⁶ by investigation of the 2^?→2⁺ β transition. For this purpose the energy dependence of theβγ angular correlation and the angle dependence of theβγ circular polarization correlation have been measured. A novel experimental set-up has been used for the angular correlation measurement allowing a simultaneous determination of the anisotropy coefficientsA ₂ andA ₄ under considerable reduction of systematical and statistical errors. For the polarization correlation measurement an unusual experimental arrangement has been applied providing the possibility of simultaneous observation under four different angles. Employing additional data on shape factor measurements and energy dependent circular polarization correlations from other authors the nuclear structure of the 2^? state in Rb⁸⁶ and the 2⁺ first excited state in Sr⁸⁶ have been evaluated. For the latter purpose the unified model with weak coupling has been chosen.     

Neutrinoless double Beta decay and lepton flavor violation

We point out that extensions of the standard model with low scale (approximately TeV) lepton number violation (LNV) generally lead to a pattern of lepton flavor violation (LFV) experimentally distinguishable from the one implied by models with grand unified theory scale LNV. As a consequence, muon LFV processes provide a powerful diagnostic tool to determine whether or not the effective neutrino mass can be deduced from the rate of neutrinoless double beta decay. We discuss the role of mu-->egamma and mu-->e conversion in nuclei, which will be studied with high sensitivity in forthcoming experiments.     

Beta decay half lives of nuclei far from stability

Double differential cross sections for total δ-electron and K shell δ-electron emission in two angles 45° and 135° and energies 200 eV–7 keV are measured with 6 MeV p on Ar. The cross sections for K shell δ-electron emission are compared with recent calculations in PWBA with an OPM effective atomic potential⁵ and in SCA with an effective charge Coulomb potential¹².     

Beta decay rates of sd-shell nuclei in stellar interiors

Gamow-Teller matrix elements of sd-shell nuclei relevant for stellar evolution of massive stars are calculated by using the sd-shell model wave functions of Wildenthal. Emphasis is placed on the calculations of GT transitions between excited states, which are not obtainable by experiment. Our results are compared with the previous work by Fuller et al. and are found notably different in many cases. The beta decay rates, as calculated with and without the contributions of excited states, are demonstrated to be quite different under conditions of high density and high temperature.     

Beta decay in a strong electromagnetic field. II

A study is made of the probability and spin-angle correlations of 3 decay in a strong electromagnetic field consisting of a superposition of a magnetic field and a plane monochromatic wave propagating in the direction of the magnetic field. The cases of a weakly varying wave field and cyclotron resonance, which is possible in such a system, are studied.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 88–92, January, 1981.We are grateful to Professor I. M. Ternov and V. R. Khalilov for helpful discussions and assistance.     

Beta decay and other processes in strong electromagnetic fields

We consider effects of the fields of strong electromagnetic waves on various characteristics of quantum processes. After a qualitative discussion of the effects of external fields on the energy spectra and angular distributions of the final-state particles as well as on the total probabilities of the processes (such as decay rates and total cross sections), we present a simple method of calculating the total probabilities of processes with production of nonrelativistic charged particles. Using nuclear β decay as an example, we study the weak- and strong-field limits, as well as the field-induced β decay of nuclei stable in the absence of the external fields, both in the tunneling and multiphoton regimes. We also consider the possibility of accelerating forbidden nuclear β decays by lifting the forbiddeness due to the interaction of the parent or daughter nuclei with the field of a strong electromagnetic wave. It is shown that for currently attainable electromagnetic fields all effects on total β-decay rates are unobservably small.     

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.