| 1. |
- Wrzosek-Lipska, K., et al.
(author)
-
Electromagnetic properties of low-lying states in neutron-deficient Hg isotopes : Coulomb excitation of 182Hg, 184Hg, 186Hg and 188Hg
- 2019
-
In: European Physical Journal A. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6001 .- 1434-601X. ; 55:8
-
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.
|
|
| 2. |
- Gaffney, L. P., et al.
(author)
-
Collectivity in the light radon nuclei measured directly via Coulomb excitation
- 2015
-
In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 91:6
-
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.
|
|
| 3. |
- Kesteloot, N., et al.
(author)
-
Deformation and mixing of coexisting shapes in neutron-deficient polonium isotopes
- 2015
-
In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813. ; 92:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coulomb-excitation experiments are performed with postaccelerated beams of neutron-deficient Po-196,Po-198,Po-200,Po-202 isotopes at the REX-ISOLDE facility. A set of matrix elements, coupling the low-lying states in these isotopes, is extracted. In the two heaviest isotopes, Po-196,Po-198, the transitional and diagonal matrix elements of the 2(1)(+) state are determined. In Po-196,Po-198 multistep Coulomb excitation is observed, populating the 4(1)(+), 0(2)(+), and 2(2)(+) states. The experimental results are compared to the results from the measurement of mean-square charge radii in polonium isotopes, confirming the onset of deformation from Po-196 onwards. Three model descriptions are used to compare to the data. Calculations with the beyond-mean-field model, the interacting boson model, and the general Bohr Hamiltonian model show partial agreement with the experimental data. Finally, calculations with a phenomenological two-level mixing model hint at the mixing of a spherical structure with a weakly deformed rotational structure.
|
|
| 4. |
- Butler, P. A., et al.
(author)
-
The observation of vibrating pear-shapes in radon nuclei
- 2019
-
In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1
-
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.
|
|
| 5. |
- Scheck, M., et al.
(author)
-
Do nuclei go pear-shaped? Coulomb excitation of Rn-220 and Ra-224 at REX-ISOLDE (CERN)
- 2015
-
In: Cgs15 - Capture Gamma-ray Spectroscopy and Related Topics. - : EDP Sciences. - 2101-6275 .- 2100-014X. ; 93, s. 01038-01038
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The IS475 collaboration conducted Coulomb-excitation experiments with post-accelerated radioactive Rn-220 and Ra-224 beams at the REX-ISOLDE facility. The beam particles (E-beam: 2.83 MeV/u) were Coulomb excited using Ni-60, Cd-14, and Sn-120 scattering targets. De-excitation gamma-rays were detected employing the Miniball array and scattered particles were detected in a silicon detector. Exploiting the Coulomb-excitation code GOSIA for each nucleus several matrix elements could be obtained from the measured gamma-ray yields. The extracted < 3 parallel to E3 parallel to 0(+)> matrix element allows for the conclusion that, while Rn-220 represents an octupole vibrational system, Ra-224 has already substantial octupole correlations in its ground state. This finding has i(m)plications for the search of CP-violating Schiff moments in the atomic systems of the adjacent odd-mass nuclei.
|
|
| 6. |
- Gaffney, L. P., et al.
(author)
-
Low-energy Coulomb excitation of 62Fe and 62Mn following in-beam decay of 62Mn
- 2015
-
In: European Physical Journal A. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6001 .- 1434-601X. ; 51:10, s. 1-9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sub-barrier Coulomb excitation was performed on a mixed beam of 62Mn and 62Fe, following in-trap β− decay of 62Mn at REX-ISOLDE, CERN. The trapping and charge breeding times were varied in order to alter the composition of the beam, which was measured by means of an ionisation chamber at the zero-angle position of the Miniball array. A new transition was observed at 418 keV, which has been tentatively associated to a (2+,3+)→ 1g.s. + transition. This fixes the relative positions of the β-decaying 4+ and 1+ states in 62Mn for the first time. Population of the 21 + state was observed in 62Fe and the cross-section determined by normalisation to the 109Ag target excitation, confirming the B(E2) value measured in recoil-distance lifetime experiments.
|
|
| 7. |
- IDS Collaboration, HASH(0x3dac240), et al.
(author)
-
Beta-delayed proton emission from 20Mg
- 2016
-
In: European Physical Journal A. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-601X .- 1434-6001. ; 52:10, s. 304-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Beta-delayed proton emission from 20 Mg has been measured at ISOLDE, CERN, with the ISOLDE Decay Station (IDS) setup including both charged-particle and gamma-ray detection capabilities. A total of 27 delayed proton branches were measured including seven so far unobserved. An updated decay scheme, including three new resonances above the proton separation energy in 20 Na and more precise resonance energies, is presented. Beta-decay feeding to two resonances above the Isobaric Analogue State (IAS) in 20 Na is observed. This may allow studies of the 4032.9(2.4)keV resonance in 19 Ne through the beta decay of 20 Mg, which is important for the astrophysically relevant reaction 15O(?,?)19Ne. Beta-delayed protons were used to obtain a more precise value for the half-life of 20 Mg, 91.4(1.0)ms.
|
|
| 8. |
- Kirsebom, O. S., et al.
(author)
-
First Accurate Normalization of the β -delayed α Decay of N 16 and Implications for the C 12 (α,γ) O 16 Astrophysical Reaction Rate
- 2018
-
In: Physical Review Letters. - 1079-7114 .- 0031-9007. ; 121:14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Published by the American Physical Society. The C12(α,γ)O16 reaction plays a central role in astrophysics, but its cross section at energies relevant for astrophysical applications is only poorly constrained by laboratory data. The reduced α width, γ11, of the bound 1- level in O16 is particularly important to determine the cross section. The magnitude of γ11 is determined via sub-Coulomb α-transfer reactions or the β-delayed α decay of N16, but the latter approach is presently hampered by the lack of sufficiently precise data on the β-decay branching ratios. Here we report improved branching ratios for the bound 1- level [bβ,11=(5.02±0.10)×10-2] and for β-delayed α emission [bβα=(1.59±0.06)×10-5]. Our value for bβα is 33% larger than previously held, leading to a substantial increase in γ11. Our revised value for γ11 is in good agreement with the value obtained in α-transfer studies and the weighted average of the two gives a robust and precise determination of γ11, which provides significantly improved constraints on the C12(α,γ) cross section in the energy range relevant to hydrostatic He burning.
|
|
| 9. |
- Rosiak, D., et al.
(author)
-
Enhanced Quadrupole and Octupole Strength in Doubly Magic Sn 132
- 2018
-
In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007. ; 121:25
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The first 2+ and 3- states of the doubly magic nucleus Sn132 are populated via safe Coulomb excitation employing the recently commissioned HIE-ISOLDE accelerator at CERN in conjunction with the highly efficient MINIBALL array. The Sn132 ions are accelerated to an energy of 5.49 MeV/nucleon and impinged on a Pb206 target. Deexciting γ rays from the low-lying excited states of the target and the projectile are recorded in coincidence with scattered particles. The reduced transition strengths are determined for the transitions 0g.s.+→21+, 0g.s.+→31-, and 21+→31- in Sn132. The results on these states provide crucial information on cross-shell configurations which are determined within large-scale shell-model and Monte Carlo shell-model calculations as well as from random-phase approximation and relativistic random-phase approximation. The locally enhanced B(E2;0g.s.+→21+) strength is consistent with the microscopic description of the structure of the respective states within all theoretical approaches. The presented results of experiment and theory can be considered to be the first direct verification of the sphericity and double magicity of Sn132.
|
|
| 10. |
- Blaum, K., et al.
(author)
-
Highlights at ISOLDE
- 2015
-
In: 60 years of CERN Experiments and Discoveries. - : WORLD SCIENTIFIC. - 9789814644143 ; , s. 415-436
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The ISOLDE Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at CERN started fifty years ago as an interesting attempt to widen the palette of nuclear species for experimental investigations.During this half century, one has witnessed a continuous development and refinement of the experimental programme. On the road towards today’s installation many scientific breakthroughs have been achieved. We present some of them here.
|
|
