| 1. |
- Bree, N, et al.
(author)
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Shape Coexistence in the Neutron-Deficient Even-Even Hg182-188 Isotopes Studied via Coulomb Excitation.
- 2014
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 1079-7114. ; 112:16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coulomb-excitation experiments to study electromagnetic properties of radioactive even-even Hg isotopes were performed with 2.85 MeV/nucleon mercury beams from REX-ISOLDE. Magnitudes and relative signs of the reduced E2 matrix elements that couple the ground state and low-lying excited states in Hg182-188 were extracted. Information on the deformation of the ground and the first excited 0+ states was deduced using the quadrupole sum rules approach. Results show that the ground state is slightly deformed and of oblate nature, while a larger deformation for the excited 0+ state was noted in Hg182,184. The results are compared to beyond mean field and interacting-boson based models and interpreted within a two-state mixing model. Partial agreement with the model calculations was obtained. The presence of two different structures in the light even-mass mercury isotopes that coexist at low excitation energy is firmly established.
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| 2. |
- Wrzosek-Lipska, K., et al.
(author)
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Electromagnetic properties of low-lying states in neutron-deficient Hg isotopes : Coulomb excitation of 182Hg, 184Hg, 186Hg and 188Hg
- 2019
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In: European Physical Journal A. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6001 .- 1434-601X. ; 55:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The neutron-deficient mercury isotopes serve as a classical example of shape coexistence, whereby at low energy near-degenerate nuclear states characterized by different shapes appear. The electromagnetic structure of even-mass 182-188 Hg isotopes was studied using safe-energy Coulomb excitation of neutron-deficient mercury beams delivered by the REX-ISOLDE facility at CERN. The population of 01,2+, 21,2+ and 41+ states was observed in all nuclei under study. Reduced E2 matrix elements coupling populated yrast and non-yrast states were extracted, including their relative signs. These are a sensitive probe of shape coexistence and may be used to validate nuclear models. The experimental results are discussed in terms of mixing of two different configurations and are compared with three different model calculations: the Beyond Mean Field model, the Interacting Boson Model with configuration mixing and the General Bohr Hamiltonian. Partial agreement with experiment was observed, hinting to missing ingredients in the theoretical descriptions.
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| 3. |
- Parr, E., et al.
(author)
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Single-particle states and parity doublets in odd- Z Ac 221 and Pa 225 from α -decay spectroscopy
- 2022
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In: Physical Review C. - 2469-9985. ; 105:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low-lying states in the odd-Z isotopes Ac13289221 and Pa13491225 have been studied using α-particle and αγ-coincidence spectroscopy in the Pa225→Ac221→Fr217 decay chain. Ground-state spin and parity assignments of Iπ = 5/2- are proposed for both Ac221 and Pa225, with the odd proton occupying the ω = 5/2 orbital of the quadrupole-octupole deformed shell model in both nuclei. In Ac221, excited states in the bands based on the ω = 5/2 and ω = 3/2 orbitals have been identified, including proposed parity-doublet states. The results suggest that reflection-asymmetric deformation of the ground state persists in the odd-A members of the isotope chains down to N = 132 for Ac and N = 134 for Pa, before reaching the transitional region at N = 130.
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| 4. |
- Gaffney, L. P., et al.
(author)
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Collectivity in the light radon nuclei measured directly via Coulomb excitation
- 2015
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In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 91:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Shape coexistence in heavy nuclei poses a strong challenge to state-of-the-art nuclear models, where several competing shape minima are found close to the ground state. A classic region for investigating this phenomenon is in the region around Z = 82 and the neutron midshell at N = 104. Purpose: Evidence for shape coexistence has been inferred from a-decay measurements, laser spectroscopy, and in-beam measurements. While the latter allow the pattern of excited states and rotational band structures to be mapped out, a detailed understanding of shape coexistence can only come from measurements of electromagnetic matrix elements. Method: Secondary, radioactive ion beams of Rn-202 and Rn-204 were studied by means of low-energy Coulomb excitation at the REX-ISOLDE in CERN. Results: The electric-quadrupole (E2) matrix element connecting the ground state and first excited 2(1)(+) state was extracted for both Rn-202 and Rn-204, corresponding to B(E2; 2(1)(+) -> 0(1)(+)) = 29(-8)(+8) and 43(-12)(+17) W.u., respectively. Additionally, E2 matrix elements connecting the 2(1)(+) state with the 4(1)(+) and 2(2)(+) states were determined in Rn-202. No excited 0(+) states were observed in the current data set, possibly owing to a limited population of second-order processes at the currently available beam energies. Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of collectivity and the deformation of both nuclei studied is deduced to be weak, as expected from the low-lying level-energy schemes. Comparisons are also made to state-of-the-art beyond-mean-field model calculations and the magnitude of the transitional quadrupole moments are well reproduced.
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| 5. |
- Warr, N., et al.
(author)
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The Miniball spectrometer
- 2013
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In: European Physical Journal A. Hadrons and Nuclei. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6001. ; 49:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Miniball germanium detector array has been operational at the REX (Radioactive ion beam EXperiment) post accelerator at the Isotope Separator On-Line facility ISOLDE at CERN since 2001. During the last decade, a series of successful Coulomb excitation and transfer reaction studies have been performed with this array, utilizing the unique and high-quality radioactive ion beams which are available at ISOLDE. In this article, an overview is given of the technical details of the full Miniball setup, including a description of the.-ray and particle detectors, beam monitoring devices and methods to deal with beam contamination. The specific timing properties of the REX-ISOLDE facility are highlighted to indicate the sensitivity that can be achieved with the full Miniball setup. The article is finalized with a summary of some physics highlights at REX-ISOLDE and the utilization of the Miniball germanium detectors at other facilities.
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| 6. |
- Barzakh, A., et al.
(author)
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Large Shape Staggering in Neutron-Deficient Bi Isotopes
- 2021
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007. ; 127:19
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The changes in the mean-square charge radius (relative to Bi209), magnetic dipole, and electric quadrupole moments of Bi187,188,189,191 were measured using the in-source resonance-ionization spectroscopy technique at ISOLDE (CERN). A large staggering in radii was found in Bi187,188,189g, manifested by a sharp radius increase for the ground state of Bi188 relative to the neighboring Bi187,189g. A large isomer shift was also observed for Bi188m. Both effects happen at the same neutron number, N=105, where the shape staggering and a similar isomer shift were observed in the mercury isotopes. Experimental results are reproduced by mean-field calculations where the ground or isomeric states were identified by the blocked quasiparticle configuration compatible with the observed spin, parity, and magnetic moment. © 2021 authors.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Butler, P. A., et al.
(author)
-
Evolution of Octupole Deformation in Radium Nuclei from Coulomb Excitation of Radioactive ^{222}Ra and ^{228}Ra Beams
- 2020
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 1079-7114. ; 124:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is sparse direct experimental evidence that atomic nuclei can exhibit stable "pear" shapes arising from strong octupole correlations. In order to investigate the nature of octupole collectivity in radium isotopes, electric octupole (E3) matrix elements have been determined for transitions in ^{222,228}Ra nuclei using the method of sub-barrier, multistep Coulomb excitation. Beams of the radioactive radium isotopes were provided by the HIE-ISOLDE facility at CERN. The observed pattern of E3 matrix elements for different nuclear transitions is explained by describing ^{222}Ra as pear shaped with stable octupole deformation, while ^{228}Ra behaves like an octupole vibrator.
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| 9. |
- Butler, P. A., et al.
(author)
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The observation of vibrating pear-shapes in radon nuclei
- 2019
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is a large body of evidence that atomic nuclei can undergo octupole distortion and assume the shape of a pear. This phenomenon is important for measurements of electric-dipole moments of atoms, which would indicate CP violation and hence probe physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Isotopes of both radon and radium have been identified as candidates for such measurements. Here, we observed the low-lying quantum states in 224Rn and 226Rn by accelerating beams of these radioactive nuclei. We show that radon isotopes undergo octupole vibrations but do not possess static pear-shapes in their ground states. We conclude that radon atoms provide less favourable conditions for the enhancement of a measurable atomic electric-dipole moment.
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| 10. |
- Cavalieri, A L, et al.
(author)
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Clocking femtosecond X rays.
- 2005
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In: Phys Rev Lett. - 0031-9007. ; 94:11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Linear-accelerator-based sources will revolutionize ultrafast x-ray science due to their unprecedented brightness and short pulse duration. However, time-resolved studies at the resolution of the x-ray pulse duration are hampered by the inability to precisely synchronize an external laser to the accelerator. At the Sub-Picosecond Pulse Source at the Stanford Linear-Accelerator Center we solved this problem by measuring the arrival time of each high energy electron bunch with electro-optic sampling. This measurement indirectly determined the arrival time of each x-ray pulse relative to an external pump laser pulse with a time resolution of better than 60 fs rms.
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