Observation of a Strongly Isospin-Mixed Doublet in Si-26 via beta-Delayed Two-Proton Decay of P-26

• beta decay of proton-rich nuclei plays an important role in exploring isospin mixing. The beta decay of P-26 at the proton drip line is studied using double-sided silicon strip detectors operating in conjunction with high-purity germanium detectors. The T = 2 isobaric analog state (IAS) at 13 055 keV and two new high-lying states at 13 380 and 11 912 keV in Si-26 are unambiguously identified through beta-delayed two-proton emission (beta 2p). Angular correlations of two protons emitted from Si-26 excited states populated by P-26 beta decay are measured, which suggests that the two protons are emitted mainly sequentially. We report the first observation of a strongly isospin-mixed doublet that deexcites mainly via two-proton decay. The isospin mixing matrix element between the Si-26 IAS and the nearby 13 380-keV state is determined to be 130(21) keV, and this result represents the strongest mixing, highest excitation energy, and largest level spacing of a doublet ever observed in beta-decay experiments.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Subatomär fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Subatomic Physics (hsv//eng)

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