Independent yields of Kr and Xe fragments in the photofission of <Superscript>237</Superscript>Np and <Superscript>243</Superscript>Am odd nuclei

Results are presented that were obtained by measuring the independent yields of Kr (A = 89–93) and Xe (A = 135–142) appearing as fragments in the photofission of ²³⁷Np and ²⁴³Am odd nuclei. The respective experiments were performed in a beam of bremsstrahlung photons from electrons accelerated to an energy of 25 MeV at the microtron of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna). Use was made of the procedure involving the transportation of fragments emitted from the target by a gas flow along a capillary and the condensation of inert gases in a cryostat at liquid-nitrogen temperature. The identification of Kr and Xe appearing as fragments was performed by the gamma spectra of their daughter products. The mass-number distributions of the independent yields of Kr and Xe isotopes were obtained, along with those for the complementary fragments (Y and La in the fission of ²³⁷Np and Nb and Pr in the fission of ²⁴³Am).     

Independent yields of Kr and Xe isotopes in the photofission of heavy nuclei

The yields of Kr (A = 87–93) and Xe (A = 138–143) primary fission fragments produced in ²³²Th, ²³⁸U, and ²⁴⁴Pu photofission upon the scission of a target nucleus and neutron emission were measured in an experiment with bremsstrahlung from electrons accelerated to 25 MeV by a microtron, and the results of these measurements are presented. The experimental procedure used involved the transportation of fragments that escaped from the target by a gas flow through a capillary and the condensation of Kr and Xe inert gases in a cryostat at liquid-nitrogen temperature. The fragments of all other elements were retained with a filter at the capillary inlet. The isotopes of Kr and Xe were identified by the γ spectra of their daughter products. The mass-number distributions of the independent yields of Kr and Xe isotopes are obtained and compared with similar data on fission induced by thermal and fast neutrons; the shifts of the fragment charges with respect to the undistorted charge distribution are determined. Prospects for using photofission fragments in studying the structure of highly neutron-rich nuclei are discussed.     

The vibrational spectrum of the OCS molecule based on the data on spectra of liquid and cryosolutions

The IR absorption spectra of liquid OCS (T = 135(1) K) and of the following solutions—OCS + Ar (T = 90 K), OCS + N₂ (T = 90 K), OCS + Kr (T = 130 K), and OCS + Xe (T = 163 K)—are measured in the range 800–7000 cm^?1. From 16 to 40 bands corresponding to transitions to vibrational states up to the third order inclusive are interpreted for basic isotope modification and for the isotopically substituted molecules ¹⁸O¹²C³²S, ¹⁶O¹³C³²S, and ¹⁶O¹²C³⁴S. In the spectra of the liquids, the spectral moments M(1) and M(2) of all the observed bands are determined. The harmonic frequencies ω _i and the anharmonicity constants x _ik are calculated for all the systems, including the liquid. The anharmonicity is found to be constant within the experimental error. A large shift Δω₃ is primarily determined by the dipole-induced dipole interaction.     

Atom-Atom-Streuexperimente: Geschwindigkeitsabhängigkeit einiger totaler Streuquerschnitte

The velocity dependence of total cross sections for the collision partners Cs-Hg, K-Hg, Xe, Kr, Ar has been measured in crossed beams. Except for Cs-Hg glory scattering oscillations were resolved. Invariably good agreement with theoretical predictions is found for the extrema velocities assumingn-6 potentials with 8≦n≦16 or exp-6 potentials with 10≦α≦18, for the amplitudes of the oscillations no fit is obtained. K-Hg, probably also K-Xe and K-Kr appear to deviate from theν ^?2/5 average velocity dependence expected for dipole-dipole interaction at large distances.     

Messungen der Geschwindigkeitsabhängigkeit totaler Streuquerschnitte für Atom-Atom-Stöße im Energiebereich zwischen 6 und 1000 eV

The velocity dependence of the total scattering cross sectionQ(v) for fast Cs, K, and Na beams scattered by Xe, Kr, and Ar has been measured for energies of 6 to 1000 eV. In all cases, the transition region between thev ^?2/5-dependence ofQ(v) (where the cross section is predominantly influenced by the attractive part of the potential) and the high energy behaviour (where the cross section is determined by the repulsive part of the potential) is observed. Values for the product?r _m of the potential well depth? and the equilibrium distancer _m are determined by comparing the measurements with calculations for a five parameter potential model.     

Shape phase transitions in nuclei: Effective order parameters and trajectories

We analyze systematically the effective order parameters in nuclear shape phase transition both in experiments and in the interacting boson model. We find that energy ratios and B(E2) ratios can distinguish the first- from the second-order phase transition in theory above a certain boson number N (about 50), but in experiments, only those quantities, such as E(L ₁ ⁺)/E(0₂ ⁺) and B(E2; (L+2)₁ → L ₁)/B(E2; 2₁ → 0₁), etc., of which the monotonous transitional behavior in the second-order phase transition is broken in the first-order phase transition independent of N, are qualified as the effective order parameters. By implementing the originally proposed effective order parameters and the new ones, we find that the isotones with neutron number N _n = 62 are a trajectory of the secondorder phase transition. In addition, we predict that the transitional behavior of isomer shifts of Xe, Ba isotopes and N _n = 62 isotones is approximately monotonous due to the finiteness of nuclear system.     

Multiphoton mass spectra of XeKr molecules in the range of excited Xe*6<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>[5/2]<Subscript>2, 3</Subscript> atoms

Data on excited states of XeKr molecules in the energy range 78280–77600 cm^?1 are obtained. Using the method of multiphoton laser photoionization of molecules in a supersonic jet, five vibrational progressions of XeKr molecules are obtained, which are attributed to five electronic-vibrational transitions from the ground state of the XeKr molecule of the symmetry 0⁺ to excited states of the symmetry Ω = 0⁺, 1, 2 with the dissociation limit Kr¹ S ₀ + Xe*6p[5/2]₂ and of the symmetry Ω = 1, 2 with the dissociation limit Kr + Xe*6 p [5/2]₃. The molecular constants of the corresponding excited states of the XeKr molecule are estimated.     

Spectral characteristics of a barrier discharge in cadmium dihalide vapor-inert gas mixtures

Spectral characteristics of a barrier-discharge plasma produced in atmospheric-pressure mixtures of cadmium diiodide and cadmium dibromide vapors with neon, krypton, and xenon at a repetition rate of sine voltage pulses up to 130 kHz are studied. The emission from the discharge is studied within the spectral range 200–900 nm with a resolution of 0.05 nm. Emission of exciplex molecules CdI(B → X) and CdBr(C, B → X), and cadmium and inert gas atoms is revealed, as well as emission of exciplex molecules XeI(B → X, A) and XeBr(B → X, A) in xenon-containing mixtures. The emission of xenon halides prevails in the spectra at a mixture temperature up to 200°C. With a further temperature increase, the emission of cadmium halides becomes dominating. It is ascertained that the most intense emissions of CdI(B → X) and CdI₂/CdBr₂/Xe/Kr and CdBr(B → X) molecules are observed, respectively, in CdI₂/CdBr₂/Xe/Kr and CdI₂/CdBr₂/Xe mixtures. The cadmium dihalide-inert gas mixtures are of interest for the use as a radiating gas in a multiwavelength and broadband excilamp emitting in the UV and visible spectral ranges.     

Using a chiral anomaly to determine the number of colors

The N_c dependence of PPPγ vertices, where P is a pseudoscalar meson and N_c is the number of colors, is analyzed with allowance for the N_c dependence of the quark charges. It is shown that the reactions Kγ → Kπ and π^±γ → π^±η and the decay η → π⁺π^?γ are the best processes for determining N_c. The cross section σ(π^?γ → π^?η) as measured by using the VES facility at IHEP agrees with the value of N_c=3.     

New neutron magic number <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis> = 16 for neutron-rich nuclei

A survey of experimental results obtained at GANIL (Caen, France) on the study of the properties of very neutron-rich nuclei (Z=6–20, A=20–60) near the neutron drip line and resulting in an appearance of further evidence for the new magic number N=16 is presented. Very recent data on mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclei at GANIL and some characteristics of binding energies in this region are discussed. Nuclear binding energies are very sensitive to the existence of nuclear shells, and together with the measurements of instability of doubly magic nuclei ¹⁰He and ²⁸O, they provide information on changes in neutron shell closures of very neutron-rich isotopes. The behavior of the two-neutron separation energies S_2n derived from mass measurements gives very clear evidence for the existence of the new shell closure N=16 for Z=9 and 10 appearing between the 2s_1/2 and 1d_3/2 orbitals. This fact, strongly supported by the instability of C, N, and O isotopes with N>16, confirms the magic character of N=16 for the region from carbon up to neon, while the shell closure at N=20 tends to disappear for Z≤13. Decay studies of these hardly accessible short-lived neutron-rich nuclei from oxygen to silicon using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy are also reported.     

Studying the muon and hadron components of extensive air showers with the Carpet-2 array

The method of separating muons and hadrons recorded by the Muon Detector of the Carpet-2 air shower array of Baksan Neutrino Observatory (Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences) is described. The results of studying characteristics of the muon and hadron components of extensive air showers (EAS) with N _e ≥ 10⁵ are presented. For the range of distances 40–55 m from shower axes the numbers of hadrons with energies higher than 30 GeV and muons with energies above 1 GeV are obtained as functions of the shower size N _e .     

Electric quadrupole moments of light nuclei and transition probabilities for them in the multiquantum approximation of the orthogonal scheme

A method for calculating electric quadrupole moments of light nuclei and probabilities of electric quadrupole transitions in them in the multiquantum approximation of the orthogonal scheme is proposed. Specific calculations of these quantities are performed for the ₄ ⁸ Be nucleus with allowance for all U(3(A ? 1)) states characterized by the λ = [44] Young diagram, the quantum numbers K _min and K _min + 2 of the O(3A ? 1)) group, and the number E = K + 2N (N = 0, 1, …, 9) of oscillator quanta. It is shown that an extension of the basis from the E = K _min to the E = K _min + 2 approximation leads to an increase of 15 to 45% in the electric quadrupole moments and to an increase in the transition probabilities B(E2) by a factor of 1.6 to 2.8. The inclusion of E = K + 2N (N = 0, 1, …), states involving multiquantum excitations (ρ excitations) increases additionally the results by 10 to 30%. The results of these calculations are compared with their counterparts obtained in the multiquantum approximation of the unitary scheme.     

Quark microscopic picture for vector and pseudoscalar mesons in the nucleon and their quasielastic knockout by high-energy electrons

A technique for projecting a multiquark wave function in the microscopic model of a ³P⁰ scalar fluctuation onto the virtual-decay channels N → N + ρ and N → N + π is formulated (at a more general level for the latter than previously). The amplitude for the electromagnetic transition ρ + γ _T ^* → π in electron-induced quasielastic rho-meson knockout followed by rho-meson conversion to a pion is considered. Theoretical results obtained in this way are contrasted against available experimental data, and reasonable agreement is found for cross-section values. This confirms a universal character of the ³P₀ model. The precision of relevant experiments is as yet insufficient for comparing the momentum distribution of the rho meson from the channel N → N + ρ with its theoretical counterpart.     

Current characteristics of barrier discharges in inert gases (Ar,Kr, Xe)

The current characteristics of barrier discharges in inert gases (Xe, Kr, and Ar) are compared. It is shown that the shape of the current curve (the number of peaks and their amplitudes) depends on the kind of gas (breakdown voltage) and the frequency of the sinusoidal supply voltage; as the frequency of the voltage decreases, the number of breakdowns tends to increase. It is found that, under the experimental conditions (P = 300 Torr, d = 4 mm), the amplitude of the discharge current in Xe is two to three times higher, its time is tenfold shorter, and the diameter of the discharge channel is five to ten times smaller compared to other inert gases. These differences can be explained by a considerable difference of the transfer coefficients in Xe from those in Ar and Kr.     

Proximity effect of a superconductor on an antiferromagnetic metal

There should be two contributions to the pair breaking energy in an antiferromagnetic metal. The first, already discussed byde Gennes andSarma, is due to disorder on the magnetic sites. The second is a temperature dependent contribution from electron magnon scattering. This term is calculated for the temperature rangeT _N(J/μ)²?T?T _N and found to be of orderT ²/T _N. (T _N = Néel temperature,μ = Fermi energy,J = exchange coupling between conduction electrons and magnetic ions.)     

Analysis of the angular distribution of Auger electrons in a Xe atom

The angular distribution of Auger electrons, and the numerically calculated anisotropy parameters of the angular distribution α for (M₃ → N₂N₃), (M₃ → N₃N₃), (M₄ → N₁N₃), (M₄ → N₄N₅), (M₄ → N₅N₅), and (M_4,5 → O_{2, 3}O_{2, 3}) transitions in a Xe atom are given. The matrix elements are calculated by using the nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock method in LS coupling and the relativistic Hartree-Fock-Dirac method in both jj coupling (the single-configuration approximation) and intermediate coupling (the multiconfiguration approximation).     

New magic nuclei and conditions of their formation

The systematic studies of the arrangement features of single-particle nucleon subshells in even-even ^90,92,94,96Zr isotopes and behavior of some known “magicity parameters” in isotopes and isotones neighboring the ⁹⁶Zr nucleus have led to the interpretation of ⁹⁶Zr as a new doubly magic nucleus. Analysis of the structure of nucleon shells in the ⁹⁶Zr nucleus revealed a feature, which consisted in that near the Fermi energy it had filled proton (π1f _5/2) and neutron (v2d _5/2) subshells with an identical and large total momentum j = 5/2, which was called the j-j coupling. Above the π1f _5/2 shell, there is another filled shell (π2p _1/2) with two j = 1/2 protons. Applied to other filled shells, this empirical rule allowed revealing several new nontraditional magic nuclei: ⁹⁶Sr (Z = 38, N = 58), π1f _5/2, v2d _5/2, and v3s _1/2 subshells; ⁵⁴Ca (Z = 20, N = 34), π2p _3/2, v1d _3/2, and v2p _1/2 subshells; a pair of ³⁰Si (Z = 14, N = 16) and ³⁰S (Z = 16, N = 14) nuclei, π1d _5/2, v1d _5/2, and (π/v)2s _1/2 subshells; and a pair of ¹⁴C (Z = 6, N = 8) and ¹⁴O (Z = 8, N = 6) nuclei, 1p _3/2, v1p _3/2, and v2p _1/2 subshells. The existence of the magic nuclei ^52,54Ca is widely discussed in the literature, the possibility of the existence of the other nuclei found is confirmed by the systematics of the behavior of the “magicity” parameters. The fact that shells with some nucleon numbers different from the classical magic numbers are closed may be due to the manifestation of a new type of interaction between nuclear protons and neutrons occupying certain subshells.     

Spectra and mean energies of prompt neutrons from <Superscript>238</Superscript>U fission induced by primary neutrons of energy in the region <Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript><20 MeV

The time-of-flight technique is used to measure the ratios R(E, E _n )=N(E, E _n )/N_Cf(E) of the normalized (to unity) spectra N(E, E _n ) of neutrons accompanying the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁸U at primary-neutron energies of E _n =6.0 and 7.0 MeV to the spectrum N_Cf(E) neutrons from the spontaneous fission of ²⁵²Cf. These experimental data and the results of their analysis are discussed together with data that were previously obtained for the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁸U at the primary energies of E _n =2.9, 5.0, 13.2, 14.7, 16.0, and 17.7 MeV.     

Depolarizing collisions in ytterbium vapor: Isotropic and anisotropic relaxation

Isotropic depolarizing collisions are studied using a stimulated photon echo with a specific polarization of the excitation radiation pulses in a mixture of ytterbium with krypton for the J = 1 ? J = 0 transition of ¹⁷⁴Yb. The difference between the relaxation rates of orientation and alignment γ _b ⁽²⁾ ? γ _b ⁽¹⁾ of the ³ P ₁(6s6p) ¹⁷⁴Yb level is measured as a function of the krypton pressure. The collision photon echo at the J = 1 ? J = 0 transition induced by the anisotropic relaxation is studied for the Yb + Xe mixture. The power of the collision echo increases from zero with the addition of a buffer gas to ytterbium, reaches an optimal level, and decreases with an increase in the buffer gas pressure. The polarization of this collision-induced echo differs from the polarization of the conventional echo. The experimental results are in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions.