New isomeric states in Fr and At

Alpha spectroscopic data from the decay chain ²¹⁸Fr → ²¹⁴At → ²¹⁰Bi have been obtained. Previously unobserved isomeric states were found in both ²¹⁸Fr and ²¹⁴At. The half-life of the ground state of ²¹⁸Fr was measured to be 1.3^+0.5 _−0.4 ms. The half-life of the new isomeric state in ²¹⁸Fr was determined to be 22.0±0.5 ms and its decay was found to be very complex with no fewer than 20 -groups varying in energy between 6837 keV and 7952 keV. Two long-lived states in ²¹⁴At with half-lives of 558±10 ns and 760±15 ns, respectively, were found to be strongly populated in the decay of ^218mFr. These two states are proposed to be a 1⁻ ground state and a 9⁻ isomeric state arising from the coupling between the unpaired h_9/2 proton and g_9/2 neutron.     

The g-factors of isomeric states in127, 128Xe

Excited states in^{127, 128}Xe were populated in the reaction⁹Be+¹²²Sn atE _lab=38 MeV. The de-excitation of the isomeric states 7/2⁺ in¹²⁷Xe and 8^? in¹²⁸Xe was studied using angular distribution and TDPAD methods on molten¹²²Sn targets. The results are $$\begin{gathered} T_{1/2} (7/2^ + ) = 37 \pm 1 ns, g(7/2^ + ) = + 0.241 \pm 0.009 \hfill \\ T_{1/2} (8^ - ) = 83 \pm 2 ns, g(8^ - ) = - 0.036 \pm 0.009. \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ The experimentalg-factors suggest the main configurationsvg _7/2 andvh _11/2 g _7/2 for the isomeric states. Detailed analysis of the combined information fromg-factors and transition rates set stringent limits on the admixtures of the wave functions. The quasirotational bands built on the two-quasiparticle 6^? and 10⁺ states are extended to higher spins, (14^?) and (16⁺), respectively, and their structures are analyzed within the framework of the Interacting Boson Model.     

Observation of isomeric states in197Bi

The high spin states of¹¹⁹Te, populated in¹¹⁰Pd(¹³C,4n) and¹¹⁰Pd(¹²C,3n) reactions, have been studied through -ray spectroscopy. The level scheme has been established upto a spin of 55/2. Three-quasiparticle states, based on g² _7/2h_11/2 and g_7/2d_5/2h_11/2 configurations, have been identified. The 35/2 and 39/2 states are suggested to be the fully aligned states constituted by five valence h_11/2 ³, g_7/2, d_5/2 quasiparticles.     

The (n, 2n) excitation functions for93Nb and103Rh with special respect to the isomeric states in92Nb and102Rh

By means of the activation technique the excitation functions for the reactions⁹³Nb(n,2n)^92mNb(10.15d),¹⁰³Rh(n,2n)^102mRh(2.9y), and¹⁰³Rh(n,2n)^102gRh(206d) were measured with an average total uncertainty of about ±8% between 10 and 20 MeV neutron energy. In addition the total⁹³Nb(n, 2n) cross-section was compared with the⁵⁹Co(n, 2n) cross-section at 16.8 MeV by direct neutron detection using the time-of-flight technique. The results are compared with statistical theory, especially with theoretical expectations for the isomeric cross-section ratios, which are only in reasonable agreement with the experiment if one assumes a ground state spinI _g=5 for⁹²Nb andI _g=2 for¹⁰²Rh.     

New isomeric states in the stable nucleus 185Re

High-spin states in ¹⁸⁵Re have been studied using the ¹⁷⁶Yb(¹³C,p3n) reaction at 65 MeV. Levels up to spin (37/2) h? at E _x = 4.799 MeV have been identified. Among them two levels were observed with half-lives of 6 ± 2 ns and 123 ± 23 ns.     

Search for high-spin isomeric states in the rare-earth region

Several new high-spin (I>10) isomeric states in the mass region A=144–164 are located in a systematic search with ¹²C induced reactions, employing a sixteen NaI (Tl)Ge(Li) detector multiplicity filter. The proximity to the N=82 neutron shell closure strongly suggests that shell effects contribute significantly to this isomerism.     

Spontaneous fission of isomeric states of actinide nuclei

Spontaneous fission half-lives of K-isomeric states are calculated on the basis of microscopic- macroscopic method. The isomeric state is assumed to be a 2-quasiparticle excited state with high angular momentum.The calculations were performed for nuclei with 96 < Z < 110 and 144 < N < 158. It was shown that in the case of K-isomeric states (if they exist) the spontaneous fission half-life time may be comparable to the spontaneous fission half-life time of the ground state. Therefore it was suggested that in measurements of fission half-lives it may be very important to distinguish between both possible components (or more) of the fission decay.     

Generation of long-lived isomeric states via bremsstrahlung irradiation

A method to generate long-lived isomeric states effectively for Mössbauer applications is reported. We demonstrate that this method is better and easier to provide highly sensitive Mössbauer effect of long-lived isomers (>1 ms) such as ¹⁰³Rh. Excitation of (γ,γ) process by synchrotron radiation is painful due mainly to their limited linewidth. Instead, (γ,γ’) process of bremsstrahlung excitation is applied to create these long-lived isomers. Isomers of ⁴⁵Sc, ¹⁰⁷Ag, ¹⁰⁹Ag, and ¹⁰³Rh have been generated from this method. Among them, ¹⁰³Rh is the only one that we have obtained the gravitational effect at room temperature.     

Experimental study of autoionizing states of AuI

This paper describes the investigation of the autoionizing states of AuI by exciting the states of 6d ² D _3/2 and 6d D _5/2 with tunable dye lasers by means of a resonance ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (RI-TOFMS). Many new autoionizing states were found, a few of which have narrow-linewidths of about 0.1 cm^–1. The photoionization efficiencies for different channels were compared. Among the autoionizing states found so far, the highest photoionization yield is given by two newly obtained states from the state 6d ² D _5/2, 3683.6 cm^–1 and 4636.5 cm^–1 above the first ionization limit. In addition, the Shore-Fano profile parameters of several autoionizing resonances were determined by a nonlinear fitting program.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the electronic states and spectra of PbLi

Gas phase emission spectra of the hitherto unknown free radical PbLi have been measured in the NIR range with a Fourier-transform spectrometer. The emissions were observed from a fast flow system in which lead vapor in argon carrier gas was passed through a microwave discharge and mixed with lithium vapor in an observation tube. Five electronic transitions have been found in the wavenumber range 3800-10 000 cm⁻¹. Bands from two excited states to the ground state were measured at high spectral resolution such that rotational analyses could be performed and accurate molecular parameters derived. In order to aid in the analysis of the experimental data, a series of relativistic configuration interaction calculations has been carried out to obtain potential curves for the low-lying states of PbLi and also electric dipole transition moments connecting them. As in the lighter molecules of this group, CLi and SiLi, the ground state of PbLi is found to be 3/2) with a spin splitting of about 2000 cm⁻¹. The first excited state is (A 1/2), and two observed band systems are assigned to the transitions A→X₁ and A→X₂. Two more excited states, (B 3/2) and C 1/2, are identified from the observed spectra with the help of the computed data, and their spectroscopic constants are determined. In contrast to PbH and PbF, the ab initio results indicate a very complicated low-energy electronic structure for the PbLi radical, with 19 bound electronic states calculated to lie below 3 eV.     

Spin and parity of isomeric and ground states of the doubly-odd nucleus184Au

Low-spin states in doubly-odd¹⁸⁴Au have been populated in the ⁺/EC decay of¹⁸⁴Hg produced by bombarding¹⁸⁴Sm targets with an 185 MeV⁴⁰Ar beam. Radioactive Hg nuclei were transported by a He jet system. A new level scheme has been established from --t and X--t coincidence measurements. Spin and parity values I=5⁺, I =2⁺ and I=3^– were assigned to the ground state and the two isomeric states of¹⁸⁴Au, respectively. The structure of these states is discussed using B(E1) values.     

Abnormal radioactive decays out of long-lived super- and hyper-deformed isomeric states

Long-lived high-spin super- and hyper-deformed isomeric states, which exhibit themselves by abnormal radioactive decays, have been observed using the ¹⁶0 + ¹⁹⁷Au and ²⁸Si + ¹⁸¹Ta reactions. They make it possible to understand the production, via secondary reactions, of the long-lived superheavy element with Z=112 and of the abnormally low energy and very enhanced α-particles seen in various actinide sources. They may also explain some puzzling phenomena seen in nature.     

Half-lives of ground and isomeric states in Cd and the astrophysical origin of Ru

First experimental evidence for a high-spin isomer (25/²⁺$25/2^{+}$) in ⁹⁷Cd, a waiting point in the astrophysical rapid proton capture process, is presented. The data were obtained in β-decay studies at NSCL using the new RF Fragment Separator system and detecting β-delayed protons and β-delayed γ rays. Decays from ground and isomeric states were disentangled, and proton emission branches were determined for the first time. We find half-lives of 1.10(8) s and 3.8(2) s, and β-delayed proton emission branches of 12(2)% and 25(4)% were deduced for the ground and isomeric states, respectively. With these results, the nuclear data needed to determine an rp-process contribution to the unknown origin of solar ⁹⁶Ru are in place. When the new data are included in astrophysical rp-process calculations, one finds that an rp-process origin of ⁹⁶Ru is unlikely.     

Structure of the Triplet of low-lying states in101Mo

The properties of the triplet of low-lying states in¹⁰¹Mo have been studied through spectroscopy of theγ radiation following thermal neutron capture in¹⁰⁰Mo and β^? decay of¹⁰¹Nb and through a measurement of the proton angular distributions in the¹⁰⁰Mo(d,p) reaction with 14 MeV deuteron energy. The half-lives of the 13.5 keV state and the 57.0 keV 5/2⁺ state have been measured as 226(7) and 133(7)ns, respectively. These values and the quadrupole/dipole mixing ratios of the 13.5 keV and 43.5 keV transitions yield spin and parity 3/2⁺ for the 13.5 keV level. The E2 components in the 13.5 (3/2⁺ →1/2⁺) and 43.5 keV (5/2⁺→3/2⁺) transitions are ≦ 8·10^?4 and 54(9)%, respectively. The possibility of an additional state near to the 57.0 keV level is discussed. IBFM/PTQM calculations, taking into consideration the transitional character of the¹⁰⁰Mo boson core, account for the electromagnetic-transition and transfer-reaction pattern of the triplet of states.     

Delayed autoionization of recoil ions by the decay of high-spin isomeric states

The time dependence of the ionization for isotopically different heavy ion fusion recoil ions has been observed. Delayed nuclear-induced autoionization of recoil ions caused by the decay of high-spin nuclear isomeric states by internal conversion was established. Internal conversion in isolated recoil atoms results in a drastic rearrangement in the atomic cloud with a loss of a great number of orbital electrons. Possibilities for the use of the observed phenomena in atomic and nuclear physics are discussed.