1. |
- Fougeres, Chloe, et al.
(author)
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Search for Na-22 in novae supported by a novel method for measuring femtosecond nuclear lifetimes
- 2023
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions in stellar binary systems, and important sources of Al-26 and Na-22. While ? rays from the decay of the former radioisotope have been observed throughout the Galaxy, Na-22 remains untraceable. Its half-life (2.6 yr) would allow the observation of its 1.275 MeV ?-ray line from a cosmic source. However, the prediction of such an observation requires good knowledge of its nucleosynthesis. The Na-22(p, ?)Mg-23 reaction remains the only source of large uncertainty about the amount of Na-22 ejected. Its rate is dominated by a single resonance on the short-lived state at 7785.0(7) keV in Mg-23. Here, we propose a combined analysis of particle-particle correlations and velocity-difference profiles to measure femtosecond nuclear lifetimes. The application of this method to the study of the Mg-23 states, places strong limits on the amount of Na-22 produced in novae and constrains its detectability with future space-borne observatories. The authors report a particle-particle correlation and velocity-difference profile method to measure nuclear lifetime. The results obtained for excited states of 23Mg are used to constrain the production of 22Na in the astrophysical novae explosions.
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2. |
- Cederwall, B., et al.
(author)
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Isospin Properties of Nuclear Pair Correlations from the Level Structure of the Self-Conjugate Nucleus Ru-88
- 2020
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In: Physical Review Letters. - : AMER PHYSICAL SOC. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 124:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The low-lying energy spectrum of the extremely neutron-deficient self-conjugate (N = Z) nuclide Ru-88(44)44 has been measured using the combination of the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) spectrometer, the NEDA and Neutron Wall neutron detector arrays, and the DIAMANT charged particle detector array. Excited states in Ru-88 were populated via the Fe-54(Ar-36, 2n gamma)Ru-88* fusion-evaporation reaction at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) accelerator complex. The observed gamma-ray cascade is assigned to Ru-88 using clean prompt gamma-gamma-2-neutron coincidences in anticoincidence with the detection of charged particles, confirming and extending the previously assigned sequence of low-lying excited states. It is consistent with a moderately deformed rotating system exhibiting a band crossing at a rotational frequency that is significantly higher than standard theoretical predictions with isovector pairing, as well as observations in neighboring N > Z nuclides. The direct observation of such a "delayed" rotational alignment in a deformed N = Z nucleus is in agreement with theoretical predictions related to the presence of strong isoscalar neutron-proton pair correlations.
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3. |
- Ciemala, M., et al.
(author)
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Testing ab initio nuclear structure in neutron-rich nuclei : Lifetime measurements of second 2(+) state in C-16 and O-20
- 2020
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In: Physical Review C. - : AMER PHYSICAL SOC. - 2469-9985 .- 2469-9993. ; 101:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To test the predictive power of ab initio nuclear structure theory, the lifetime of the second 2(+) state in neutron-rich O-20, tau(2(2)(+)) = 150(-30)(+80) fs, and an estimate for the lifetime of the second 2(+) state in C-16 have been obtained for the first time. The results were achieved via a novel Monte Carlo technique that allowed us to measure nuclear state lifetimes in the tens-to-hundreds of femtoseconds range by analyzing the Doppler-shifted gamma-transition line shapes of products of low-energy transfer and deep-inelastic processes in the reaction O-18 (7.0 MeV/u) + Ta-181. The requested sensitivity could only be reached owing to the excellent performances of the Advanced gamma-Tracking Array AGATA, coupled to the PARIS scintillator array and to the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer. The experimental lifetimes agree with predictions of ab initio calculations using two- and three-nucleon interactions, obtained with the valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group for O-20 and with the no-core shell model for C-16. The present measurement shows the power of electromagnetic observables, determined with high-precision gamma spectroscopy, to assess the quality of first-principles nuclear structure calculations, complementing common benchmarks based on nuclear energies. The proposed experimental approach will be essential for short lifetime measurements in unexplored regions of the nuclear chart, including r-process nuclei, when intense beams, produced by Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) techniques, become available.
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4. |
- Clement, E., et al.
(author)
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Conceptual design of the AGATA 1 π array at GANIL
- 2017
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 855, s. 1-12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) has been installed at the GANIL facility, Caen-France. This setup exploits the stable and radioactive heavy-ions beams delivered by the cyclotron accelerator complex of GANIL. Additionally, it benefits from a large palette of ancillary detectors and spectrometers to address in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of exotic nuclei. The set-up has been designed to couple AGATA with a magnetic spectrometer, charged-particle and neutron detectors, scintillators for the detection of high-energy γ rays and other devices such as a plunger to measure nuclear lifetimes. In this paper, the design and the mechanical characteristics of the set-up are described. Based on simulations, expected performances of the AGATA l π array are presented.
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5. |
- Fernández, A., et al.
(author)
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Reinterpretation of excited states in 212Po: Shell-model multiplets rather than α-cluster states
- 2021
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In: Physical Review C. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9985 .- 2469-9993. ; 104:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A γ-ray spectroscopic study of 212Po was performed at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds, using the inverse kinematics α-transfer reaction 12C(208Pb,212Po)8Be and the AGATA spectrometer. A careful analysis based on γγ coincidence relations allowed us to establish 14 new excited states in the energy range between 1.9 and 3.3 MeV. None of these states, however, can be considered as candidates for the levels with spins and parities of 1− and 2− and excitation energies below 2.1 MeV, which have been predicted by recent α-cluster model calculations. A systematic comparison of the experimentally established excitation scheme of 212Po with shell-model calculations was performed. This comparison suggests that the six states with excitation energies (spins and parities) of 1744 (4−), 1751 (8−), 1787 (6−), 1946 (4−), 1986 (8−), and 2016 (6−) keV, which previously were interpreted as α-cluster states, may in fact be of positive parity and belong to low-lying shell-model multiplets. This reinterpretation of the structure of 212Po is supported by experimental information with respect to the linear polarization of γ rays, which suggests a magnetic character of the 432-keV γ ray decaying from the state at an excitation energy of 1787 keV to the 6+ yrast state, and exclusive reaction cross sections.
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6. |
- Goldkuhle, A., et al.
(author)
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Lifetime measurements in Ti-52,Ti-54 to study shell evolution toward N=32
- 2019
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In: Physical Review C. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9985 .- 2469-9993. ; 100:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lifetimes of the excited states in the neutron-rich Ti-52,Ti-54 nuclei, produced in a multinucleon-transfer reaction, were measured by employing the Cologne plunger device and the recoil-distance Doppler-shift method. The experiment was performed at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds facility by using the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array for the gamma-ray detection, coupled to the large-acceptance variable mode spectrometer for an event-by-event particle identification. A comparison between the transition probabilities obtained from the measured lifetimes of the 2(1)(+) to 8(1)(+) yrast states in Ti-52,Ti-54 and that from the shell-model calculations based on the well-established GXPF1A, GXPF1B, and KB3G fp shell interactions support the N = 32 subshell closure. The B(E2) values for Ti-52 determined in this work are in disagreement with the known data, but are consistent with the predictions of the shell-model calculations and reduce the previously observed pronounced staggering across the even-even titanium isotopes.
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7. |
- Liu, X., et al.
(author)
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Evidence for enhanced neutron-proton correlations from the levelstructure of the N= Z+ 1 nucleus 8743Tc44
- 2021
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In: Physical Review C. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9985 .- 2469-9993. ; 104:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The low-lying excited states in the neutron-deficient N = Z + 1 nucleus (87)(43)Tcc(44) have been studied via the fusion-evaporation reaction Fe-54(Ar-36, 2n1p)Tc-87 at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL), France. The AGATA spectrometer was used in conjunction with the auxiliary NEDA, Neutron Wall, and DIAMANT detector arrays to measure coincident prompt gamma rays, neutrons, and charged particles emitted in the reaction. A level scheme of Tc-87 from the (9/2(g.s.)(+)) state to the (33/2(1)(+)) state was established based on six mutually coincident gamma-ray transitions. The constructed level structure exhibits a rotational behavior with a sharp backbending at (h) over bar omega approximate to 0.50 MeV. A decrease in alignment frequency and increase in alignment sharpness in the odd-mass isotonic chains around N = 44 is proposed as an effect of the enhanced isoscalar neutron-proton interactions in odd-mass nuclei when approaching the N = Z line.
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8. |
- Liu, Xiaoyu, et al.
(author)
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Evidence for spherical-oblate shape coexistence in Tc-87
- 2022
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In: Physical Review C. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9985 .- 2469-9993. ; 106:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Excited states in the neutron-deficient nucleus Tc-87 have been studied via the fusion-evaporation reaction 54Fe(36Ar, 2n1p) Tc-87 at 115 MeV beam energy. The AGATA gamma-ray spectrometer coupled to the DIAMANT, NEDA, and Neutron Wall detector arrays for light-particle detection was used to measure the prompt coincidence of gamma rays and light particles. Six transitions from the deexcitation of excited states belonging to a new band in Tc-87 were identified by comparing gamma-ray intensities in the spectra gated under different reaction channel selection conditions. The constructed level structure was compared with the shell model and total Routhian surface calculations. The results indicate that the new band structure in 87Tc is built on a spherical configuration, which is different from that assigned to the previously identified oblate yrast rotational band.
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9. |
- Perez-Vidal, R. M., et al.
(author)
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Evidence of Partial Seniority Conservation in the pi g9/2 Shell for the N=50 Isotones
- 2022
-
In: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 129:11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The reduced transition probabilities for the 4+1 -2+1 and 2+1 -0+1 transitions in 92Mo and 94Ru and for the 4+1 -2+1 and 6+1 -4+1 transitions in 90Zr have been determined in this experiment making use of a multinucleon transfer reaction. These results have been interpreted on the basis of realistic shell-model calculations in the f5=2, p3=2, p1=2, and g9=2 proton valence space. Only the combination of extensive lifetime information and large scale shell-model calculations allowed the extent of the seniority conservation in the N = 50 g9=2 orbital to be understood. The conclusion is that seniority is largely conserved in the first 71g9=2 orbital.
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10. |
- Ralet, D., et al.
(author)
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Evidence of octupole-phonons at high spin in Pb-207
- 2019
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In: Physics Letters B. - : ELSEVIER. - 0370-2693 .- 1873-2445. ; 797
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A lifetime measurement of the 19/2(-) state in Pb-207 has been performed using the Recoil Distance Doppler-Shift (RDDS) method. The nuclei of interest were produced in multi-nucleon transfer reactions induced by a Pb-208 beam impinging on a Mo-100 enriched target. The beam-like nuclei were detected and identified in terms of their atomic mass number in the VAMOS++ spectrometer while the prompt gamma rays were detected by the AGATA tracking array. The measured large reduced transition probability B(E3, 19/2(-) -> 13/2(+)) = 40(8) W.u. is the first indication of the octupole phonon at high spin in Pb-207. An analysis in terms of a particle-octupole-vibration coupling model indicates that the measured B(E3) value in Pb-207 is compatible with the contributions from single-phonon and single particle E3 as well as E3 strength arising from the double-octupole-phonon 6(+) state, all adding coherently. A crucial aspect of the coupling model, namely the strong mixing between single-hole and the phonon-hole states, is confirmed in a realistic shell-model calculation. Crown Copyright (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.
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