Excitation energies of superdeformed States in 196Pb: towards a systematic study of the second well in Pb isotopes

The excitation energy of the lowest-energy superdeformed band in 196Pb is established using the techniques of time-correlated gamma-ray spectroscopy. Together with previous measurements on 192Pb and 194Pb, this result allows superdeformed excitation energies, binding energies, and two-proton and two-neutron separation energies to be studied systematically, providing stringent tests for current nuclear models. The results are examined for evidence of a "superdeformed shell gap."     

Detailed spectroscopy of superdeformed actinide nuclei

Progress in the experimental techniques used to investigate superdeformed fission isomers in the actinides allowed for detailed spectroscopic results of collective properties as well as for the identification of the rotational structure of multiphonon vibrational excitations. A novel approach could be established to determine the depth of the second potential well.     

Decay studies of N ≈ Z nuclei from 75Sr to 102Sn

Neutron deficient nuclei near ¹⁰⁰Sn have been produced by fragmentation of a 1 ^. AGeV ¹¹²Sn beam. The fragments were separated, identified and stopped in a highly segmented silicon strip detector stack. This detector measured the total energy of emitted β⁺-particles. γ-radiation was measured with surrounding detectors. The half-lives for many nuclides have been determined for the first time and give important information for the following topics: For the heaviest particle-stable odd-odd nuclei ⁹⁰Rh, ⁹⁴Ag and ⁹⁸In we observed for the first time fast β-decays, compatible with superallowed Fermi transitions and confirmed such decays for ⁷⁸Y, ⁸²Nb and ⁸⁶Tc. We have also observed long-lived T = 0 states in some of these nuclei. We measured the half-lives of all rp-process waiting-point nuclei from ⁸⁰Zr up to ^{92, 93}Pd. In addition we find the proton drip line nucleus ⁷⁷Y to decay dominantly via β-decay. To study the Gamov-Teller strength in the β-decay near the doubly magic ¹⁰⁰Sn we measured the half-life, β- and γ-spectrum of ¹⁰²Sn. We propose a level scheme for the daughter nuclide ¹⁰²In and deduce the Gamov-Teller strength (B _GT = 4.0±0.6). This is one of the largest values known. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: thomas.faestermann@ph.tum.de     

Detailed spectroscopy in the superdeformed second minimum of 240Pu

Spectroscopic studies in the superdeformed shape isomer of ²⁴⁰Pu using γ-spectroscopy, conversion electron spectroscopy and transmission resonance spectroscopy have been performed. In a high-resolution and high-efficiency γ-spectroscopy experiment the out-of-band decays of several excited superdeformed rotational sequences with K=2^? and 1^? could be identified together with evidence for a weakly populated 0^? octupole band. Surprisingly, no low-lying collective quadrupole excitations could be observed. Complementary information could be obtained in conversion electron measurements in coincidence with isomeric fission, resulting in the first identification of the lowest ß-vibrational K=0⁺ band. For all rotational bands the variation of the moment of inertia with spin could be studied. A predominant population of negative parity states in the second well could be observed, which can be explained by the selective population and depopulation of the second minimum. Complementary transmission resonance measurements have been performed, yielding new information on the fine structure of high-lying (ß-)vibrational multi-phonon states. A new method could be established to determine the excitation energy of the fission isomer ground state from measured level densities.     

Hyperdeformation and clustering in the actinide region

The excitation energy spectrum of fission resonances has been measured with high energy resolution using the ²³⁵U(d,pf) reaction in order to study hyperdeformed (HD) rotational bands and HD nuclear shapes. The moments of inertia of the rotational bands and the energy of the ground state in the third minimum were determined. Another signature of these highly deformed states, their enhanced α decay, was also observed. By studying cold or compact fission in the ²³²Th(n,f) reaction around HD resonances, we obtained data for heavy clustering.     

Introducing the fission–fusion reaction process: using a?laser-accelerated Th beam to produce neutron-rich nuclei towards the N=126 waiting point of the r-process

We propose to produce neutron-rich nuclei in the range of the astrophysical r-process (the rapid neutron-capture process) around the waiting point N=126 (Kratz et al. in Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 59:147, 2007; Arnould et al. in Phys. Rep. 450:97, 2007; Panov and Janka in Astron. Astrophys. 494:829, 2009) by fissioning a dense laser-accelerated thorium ion bunch in a thorium target (covered by a polyethylene layer, CH₂), where the light fission fragments of the beam fuse with the light fission fragments of the target. Using the ‘hole-boring’ (HB) mode of laser radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) (Robinson et al. in Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 51:024004, 2009; Henig et al. in Phys. Rev. Lett. 103:245003, 2009; Tajima et al. in Rev. Accel. Sci. Technol. 2:221, 2009) using a high-intensity, short pulse laser, bunches of ²³²Th with solid-state density can be generated very efficiently from a Th layer (ca. 560 nm thick), placed beneath a deuterated polyethylene foil (CD₂ with ca. 520 nm), both forming the production target. Th ions laser-accelerated to about 7 MeV/u will pass through a thin CH₂ layer placed in front of a thicker second Th foil (both forming the reaction target) closely behind the production target and disintegrate into light and heavy fission fragments. In addition, light ions (d,C) from the CD₂ production target will be accelerated as well to about 7 MeV/u, also inducing the fission process of ²³²Th in the second Th layer. The laser-accelerated ion bunches with solid-state density, which are about 10¹⁴ times more dense than classically accelerated ion bunches, allow for a high probability that generated fission products can fuse again when the fragments from the thorium beam strike the Th layer of the reaction target.     

Hyperdeformed states in the third minimum of the fission potential

The fission probability and the angular distribution of the associated fission fragments have been measured for the²³⁵U(d, pf)²³⁶U reaction slightly above the top of the inner fission barrier with the aim of disclosing new hyperdeformed states lying in the third minimum of the fission potential. The results are analyzed together with the data obtained from the literature for²³⁴U. The experimental resonances are interpreted as being rotational bands with rotational parameters of ?/2Θ=1.6±0.6 and 1.8±0,8 keV for²³⁴U and²³⁶U, respectively. TheK=1, 2 and 4 values of the resonances suggest that these rotational bands are built on some higher-lying excited states in the third minimum of the potential well.     

Inelastic proton scattering on Neutron-Rich sulphur isotopes

The proton scattering on unstable³⁸S nuclei has been measured in inverse kinematics by using a³⁸S secondary beam at 39 MeV/nucleon. The first 2⁺ state is seen at 1.2 MeV excitation energy and its angular distribution is extracted. Optical and folding model calculations are compared with the elastic and the 2 ₁ ⁺ angular distributions and the β₂ value is determined to be 0.35±0.04. This value is compared with the corresponding result from a Coulomb excitation measurement and theM _n/M_p value is extracted.