Blurring the Boundaries : Decays of Multiparticle Isomers at the Proton Drip Line

• A multiparticle spin-trap isomer has been discovered in the proton-unbound nucleus 158 73 Ta 85. The isomer mainly decays by (h) over bar -ray emission with a half-life of 6.1d(1) mu s. Analysis of the gamma-ray data shows that the isomer lies 2668 keV above the known 9(+) state and has a spin 10h higher and negative parity. This 19(-) isomer also has an 8644(11) keV, 1.4(2)% alpha-decay branch that populates the 9(+) state in Lu-154. No proton-decay branch from the isomer was identified, despite the isomer being unbound to proton emission by 3261(14) keV. This remarkable stability against proton emission is compared with theoretical predictions, and the implications for the extent of observable nuclides are considered.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

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

Keyword

Protons

Proton emission

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)