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With the recent advances in radioactive ion beam technology, Coulomb excitation at safe energies becomes an important experimental tool in nuclear-structure physics. The usefulness of the technique to extract key information on the electromagnetic properties of nuclei has been demonstrated since the 1960’s with stable beam and target combinations. New challenges present themselves when studying exotic nuclei with this technique, including dealing with low statistics or number of data points, absolute and relative normalisation of the measured cross sections and a lack of complementary experimental data, such as excited-state lifetimes and branching ratios. This paper addresses some of these common issues and presents analysis techniques to extract transition strengths and quadrupole moments utilising the least-squares fit code, gosia.
The method of laser spectroscopy in supersonic gas jets was proposed for high-resolution and high-efficiency in-gas laser ionization and spectroscopy studies of short-lived nuclei. The flow properties of such supersonic gas jets have been characterized under off-line conditions. Planar laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy of seeded copper atoms has been applied to nonintrusively measure velocity, temperature, and relative density profiles of gas jets formed by different de Laval nozzles. For validation, planar laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy was applied on supersonic free jets with well-known flow parameters. The performance of the in-gas-jet laser spectroscopy method is determined by the achievable spectral resolution, which requires an optimization and a precise manufacturing of the nozzle inner contour as well as a pressure matching of the background medium at the nozzle exit. Our studies now enable a thorough understanding and quantification of these requirements and a determination of the final performance of the in-gas-jet method. Additionally, a comparison between the experimental results and the numerical calculations was performed for the temperature, velocity, and Mach number profiles of underexpanded and quasiuniform jets formed by a de Laval nozzle.
The first low-energy Coulomb-excitation measurement of the radioactive, semi-magic, two proton-hole nucleus 206Hg, was performed at CERN’s recently-commissioned HIE-ISOLDE facility. Two γ rays depopulating low-lying states in 206Hg were observed. From the data, a reduced transition strength B(E2; 2+ 1 → 0+ 1 ) = 4.4(6) W.u was determined, the first such value for an N = 126 nucleus south of 208Pb, which is found to be slightly lower than that predicted by shell-model calculations. In addition, a collective octupole state was identified at an excitation energy of 2705 keV, for which a reduced B(E3) transition probability of 30+10−13 W.u was extracted. These results are crucial for understanding both quadrupole and octupole collectivity in the vicinity of the heaviest doubly-magic nucleus 208Pb, and for benchmarking a number of theoretical approaches in this key region. This is of particular importance given the paucity of data on transition strengths in this region, which could be used, in principle, to test calculations relevant to the astrophysical r-process.
Background: Shell-model calculations crucially depend on the residual interaction used to approximate the nucleon-nucleon interaction. Recent improvements to the empirical universal sd interaction (USD) describing nuclei within the sd shell yielded two new interactions—USDA and USDB—causing changes in the theoretical description of these nuclei. Purpose: Transition matrix elements between excited states provide an excellent probe to examine the underlying shell structure. These observables provide a stringent test for the newly derived interactions. The nucleus 26Na with 7 valence neutrons and 3 valence protons outside the doubly-magic 16O core is used as a test case. Method: A radioactive beam experiment with 26Na (T1/2 = 1,07s) was performed at the REX-ISOLDE facility (CERN) using Coulomb excitation at safe energies below the Coulomb barrier. Scattered particles were detected with an annular Si detector in coincidence with γ rays observed by the segmented MINIBALL array. Coulomb excitation cross sections of the beam have been obtained by normalization to the well known Coulomb excitation cross sections of the 104Pd target. Results: The observation of three γ -ray transitions in 26Na together with available spectroscopic data allows us to determine E2- and M1-transitional matrix elements. Results are compared to theoretical predictions. Conclusion: The improved theoretical description of 26Na could be validated. Remaining discrepancies between experimental data and theoretical predictions indicate the need for future experiments and possibly further theoretical improvements.
In the present study, B(E2; 2+ → 0+) values have been measured in the 208Rn and 206Po nuclei through Coulomb excitation of re-accelerated radioactive beams in inverse kinematics at CERN-ISOLDE. The resulting B(E2; 2+ → 0+) in 208Rn is ∼ 0.08 e2b2. These nuclei lie in, or at the boundary of the region where seniority scheme should persist. However, contributions from collective excitations may be present when moving away from the N = 126 shell closure. To date, surprisingly little is known of the transition probabilities between the low-spin states in this region.
Excited states of the neutron-rich nuclei 97,99Rb were populated for the first time using the multistep Coulomb excitation of radioactive beams. Comparisons of the results with particle-rotor model calculations provide clear identification for the ground-state rotational band of 97Rb as being built on the πg9/2 [431] 3/2+ Nilsson-model configuration. The ground-state excitation spectra of the Rb isotopes show a marked distinction between single-particle-like structures below N=60 and rotational bands above. The present study defines the limits of the deformed region around A∼100 and indicates that the deformation of 97Rb is essentially the same as that observed well inside the deformed region. It further highlights the power of the Coulomb-excitation technique for obtaining spectroscopic information far from stability. The 99Rb case demonstrates the challenges of studies with very short-lived postaccelerated radioactive beams.
The spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the first 2+ state of 12C has been measured employing the Coulomb-excitation re-orientation technique. Our result of Qs (2+ 1 ) = +9.3+3.5 −3.8 efm2 suggests a larger oblate deformation than previously reported. Combining this with the consistently re-analyzed adopted value, we present the most precise value to date of Qs(2+ 1 ) = +9.5(18) efm2, which is consistent with a geometrical rotor description. This simple outcome is compared to state-of-the-art shell-model, mean field, ab initio calculations, cluster-based and geometrical-like theories, which show varying degrees of emergent quadrupole collectivity.
Abstract: The neutron-deficient mercury isotopes, 184 , 186 Hg, were studied with the recoil distance Doppler-shift method using the Gammasphere array and the K ̈ oln plunger device. The differential decay curve method was employed to determine the lifetimes of the yrast states in 184 , 186 Hg. An improvement on previously measured values of yrast states up to 8 + is presented as well as first values for the 9 3 state in 184 Hg and 10 + state in 186 Hg. B ( E 2) values are calculated and compared to a two-state mixing model which utilizes the variable moment of inertia model, allowing for extraction of spin-dependent mixing strengths and amplitudes.
Single-neutron states in the Z = 30, N = 49 isotope 79Zn have been populated using the 78Zn(d, p)79Zn transfer reaction at REX-ISOLDE, CERN. The experimental setup allowed the combined detection of protons ejected in the reaction, and of γ rays emitted by 79Zn. The analysis reveals that the lowest excited states populated in the reaction lie at approximately 1 MeV of excitation, and involve neutron orbits above the N = 50 shell gap. From the analysis of γ -ray data and of proton angular distributions, characteristic of the amount of angular momentum transferred, a 5/2+ configuration was assigned to a state at 983 keV. Comparison with large-scale-shell-model calculations supports a robust neutron N = 50 shell-closure for 78Ni. These data constitute an important step towards the understanding of the magicity of 78Ni and of the structure of nuclei in the region.
Resonant laser ionization and spectroscopy are widely used techniques at radioactive ion beam facilities to produce pure beams of exotic nuclei and measure the shape, size, spin and electromagnetic multipole moments of these nuclei. However, in such measurements it is difficult to combine a high efficiency with a high spectral resolution. Here we demonstrate the on-line application of atomic laser ionization spectroscopy in a supersonic gas jet, a technique suited for high-precision studies of the ground- and isomeric-state properties of nuclei located at the extremes of stability. The technique is characterized in a measurement on actinium isotopes around the N=126 neutron shell closure. A significant improvement in the spectral resolution by more than one order of magnitude is achieved in these experiments without loss in efficiency.
Low-lying states in the isotope 130Xe were populated in a Coulomb-excitation experiment performed at CERN's HIE-ISOLDE facility. The magnitudes and relative signs of seven E2 matrix elements and one M1 matrix element coupling five low-lying states in 130Xe were determined using the semiclassical coupled-channel Coulomb-excitation least-squares search code GOSIA. The diagonal E2 matrix elements of both the 2+1 and 4+1 states were extracted for the first time. The reduced transition strengths are in line with those obtained from previous measurements. Experimental results were compared with the general Bohr Hamiltonian with the microscopic input from mean-field theory utilizing universal nuclear energy density functional (UNEDF0), shell-model calculations using the GCN50:82 and SN100PN interactions, and simple phenomenological models (Davydov-Filippov and γ-soft). The extracted shape parameters indicate triaxial-prolate deformation in the ground-state band. In general, good agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental values was found, while neither phenomenological model was found to provide an adequate description of 130Xe.
The nuclei below lead but with more than 126 neutrons are crucial to an understanding of the astrophysical r process in producing nuclei heavier than A∼190. Despite their importance, the structure and properties of these nuclei remain experimentally untested as they are difficult to produce in nuclear reactions with stable beams. In a first exploration of the shell structure of this region, neutron excitations in 207Hg have been probed using the neutron-adding (d,p) reaction in inverse kinematics. The radioactive beam of 206Hg was delivered to the new ISOLDE Solenoidal Spectrometer at an energy above the Coulomb barrier. The spectroscopy of 207Hg marks a first step in improving our understanding of the relevant structural properties of nuclei involved in a key part of the path of the r process.
The in-gas laser ionization and spectroscopy (IGLIS) technique was applied on the 212–215Ac isotopes, produced at the Leuven Isotope Separator On-Line (LISOL) facility by using the in-gas-cell and the in-gas-jet methods. The first application under on-line conditions of the in-gas-jet laser spectroscopy method showed a superior performance in terms of selectivity, spectral resolution, and efficiency in comparison with the in-gas-cell method. Following the analysis of both experiments, the magnetic-dipole moments for the 212–215Ac isotopes, electricquadrupole moments and nuclear spins for the 214,215Ac isotopes are presented and discussed. A good agreement is obtained with large-scale nuclear shell-model calculations by using a 208Pb core.
States in the N = 28 nucleus 46Ar have been studied by a two-neutron transfer reaction at REX-ISOLDE (CERN). A beam of radioactive 44Ar at an energy of 2.16 AMeV and a tritium-loaded titanium target were used to populate 46Ar by the 3 H(44Ar, p) two-neutron transfer reaction. Protons emitted from the target were identified in the T-REX silicon detector array. The excitation energies of states in 46Ar have been reconstructed from the measured angles and energies of recoil protons. Angular distributions for three final states were measured and based on the shape of the differential cross section an excited state at 3695 keV was identified as J π = 0+. The angular differential cross section for the population of different states are compared to calculations using a reaction model employing both sequential and direct transfer of two neutrons. Results are compared to shell-model calculations using state-of-the-art effective interactions.
Low-lying states in the odd-Z isotopes 22189Ac132 and 22591Pa134 have been studied using α-particle and αγ-coincidence spectroscopy in the 225Pa→221Ac→217Fr decay chain. Ground-state spin and parity assignments of Iπ = 5/2− are proposed for both 221Ac and 225Pa, with the odd proton occupying the Ω = 5/2 orbital of the quadrupole-octupole deformed shell model in both nuclei. In 221Ac, 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.
An analysis technique has been developed in order to mitigate energy summing due to sequential short-lived α decays from nuclei implanted into a silicon detector. Using this technique, α-decay spectroscopy of the N=130 isotones 218Ra (Z=88) and 220Th (Z=90) has been performed. The energies of the α particles emitted in the 218Ra→214Rn and 220Th→216Ra ground-state-to-ground-state decays have been measured to be 8381(4) keV and 8818(13) keV, respectively. The half-lives of the ground states of 218Ra and 220Th have been measured to be 25.99(10) μs and 10.4(4) μs, respectively. The half-lives of the ground states of the α-decay daughters, 214Rn and 216Ra, have been measured to be 259(3) ns and 161(11) ns, respectively. Fine structure in the α decay of 218Ra has been observed for the first time, populating the 695-keV 2+1 state in 214Rn. The fine-structure α decay has an α-particle energy of 7715(40) keV and branching ratio bα=0.123(11)%.
We measured absolute cross sections for neutron transfer channels populated in the 94Rb+208Pb binary reaction. Cross sections have been extracted identifying directly the lead isotopes with the high efficiency MINIBALL γ-ray array coupled to a particle detector combined with a radioactive 94Rb beam delivered at Elab=6.2 MeV/nucleon by the HIE-ISOLDE facility. We observed sizable cross sections in the neutron-rich mass region, where the heavy partner acquires neutrons. A fair agreement between the measured cross sections with those from GRAZING calculations gives confidence in the cross-section predictions of more neutron-rich nuclei produced via a larger number of transferred nucleons.
The neutron deficient 188−198Pb isotopes have been studied in a Coulomb excitation measurement employing the Miniball spectrometer and radioactive beams from REX-ISOLDE, CERN. These isotopes are of particular importance as they lie in a transitional region, where the intruding structures, associated with different deformed shapes, come down in energy close to the spherical ground state. For detailed analysis of the Coulomb excitation data, the understanding of the beam composition is essential.
Data analysis of the Coulomb excitation experiment of the exotic 206Hg nucleus, recently performed at CERN's HIE-ISOLDE facility, needs to account for the contribution to target excitation due to the strongly-present beam contaminant 130Xe. In this paper, the contamination subtraction procedure is presented.
A projectile Coulomb-excitation experiment was performed at the radioactive-ion beam facility HIE-ISOLDE at CERN to obtain E2 and M1 transition matrix elements of 140Nd using the multistep Coulomb-excitation code GOSIA. The absolute M1 strengths, B(M1;2+2→2+1)=0.033(8)μ2N,B(M1;2+3→2+1)=0.26+0.11−0.10μ2N, and B(M1;2+4→2+1)<0.04μ2N, identify the 2+3 state as the main fragment of the one-quadrupole-phonon proton-neutron mixed-symmetry state of 140Nd. The degree of F-spin mixing in 140Nd was quantified with the determination of the mixing matrix element VF−mix<7+13−7keV.
The neutron-deficient 196,198Pb isotopes have been studied in Coulombexcitation experiments employing the Miniball γ-ray spectrometer and radioactive ion beams from the REX-ISOLDE post-accelerator at CERN. The reduced transition probabilities of the first excited 2+ states in 196Pb and 198Pb nuclei have been measured for the first time. Values of B(E2) = 18.2 +4.8 −4.1 W.u. and B(E2) = 13.1 +4.9 −3.5 W.u., were obtained, respectively. The experiment sheds light on the development of collectivity when moving from the regime governed by the generalized seniority scheme to a region, where intruding structures, associated with different deformed shapes, start to come down in energy and approach the spherical ground state.
Abstract: Nuclear shell evolution in neutron-rich Na nuclei around N = 20 was studied by determining reduced transition probabilities, i.e., B ( E 2) and B ( M 1) values, in order to map the border of the island of inversion. To this end Coulomb-excitation experiments, employing radioactive 29 , 30 Na beams with a final beam energy of 2.85 MeV / nucleon, were performed at REX-ISOLDE, CERN. De-excitation γ rays were detected by the MINIBALL γ -ray spectrometer in coincidence with scattered particles in a segmented Si detector. Transition probabilities to excited states were deduced. The measured B ( E 2) values agree well with shell-model predictions, supporting the idea that in the Na isotopic chain the ground-state wave function contains significant intruder admixture already at N = 18, with N = 19 having an almost pure two-particle–two-hole deformed ground-state configuration.
The first 2þ and 3− states of the doubly magic nucleus 132Sn are populated via safe Coulomb excitation employing the recently commissioned HIE-ISOLDE accelerator at CERN in conjunction with the highly efficient MINIBALL array. The 132Sn ions are accelerated to an energy of 5.49 MeV=nucleon and impinged on a 206Pb 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 0þ g:s: → 2þ 1 , 0þ g:s: → 3− 1 , and 2þ 1 → 3− 1 in 132Sn. The results on these states provide crucial information on cross-shell configurations which are determined within large-scale shellmodel and Monte Carlo shell-model calculations as well as from random-phase approximation and relativistic random-phase approximation. The locally enhanced BðE2; 0þ g:s: → 2þ 1 Þ 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 132Sn.
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 222,228Ra 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 222Ra as pear shaped with stable octupole deformation, while 228Ra behaves like an octupole vibrator.
The nature of quadrupole and octupole collectivity in 222Rn was investigated by determining the electric-quadrupole (E2) and octupole (E3) matrix elements using subbarrier, multistep Coulomb excitation. The radioactive 222Rn beam, accelerated to 4.23 MeV/u, was provided by the HIE-ISOLDE facility at CERN. Data were collected in the Miniball γ-ray spectrometer following the bombardment of two targets, 120Sn and 60Ni. Transition E2 matrix elements within the ground-state and octupole bands were measured up to 10ℏ and the results were consistent with a constant intrinsic electric-quadrupole moment, 518(11)efm2. The values of the intrinsic electric-octupole moment for the 0+→3− and 2+→5− transitions were found to be respectively 2360−210+300efm3 and 2300−500+300efm3 while a smaller value, 1200−900+500efm3, was found for the 2+→1− transition. In addition, four excited non-yrast states were identified in this work via γ−γ coincidences.
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.
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 0+1,2 , 2+1,2 and 4+1 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.
In the present study, B(E2;2+1→0+1)B(E2;21+→01+) values have been measured in the 208,210Rn and 206Po nuclei through Coulomb excitation of re-accelerated radioactive beams in inverse kinematics at CERN-ISOLDE. These nuclei have been proposed to lie in, or at the boundary of the region where the seniority scheme should persist. However, contributions from collective excitations are likely to be present when moving away from the N=126 closed shell. Such an effect is confirmed by the observed increased collectivity of the 2+1→0+121+→01+ transitions. Experimental results have been interpreted with the aid of theoretical studies carried out within the BCS-based QRPA framework.
The changes in the mean-square charge radius (relative to 209Bi), magnetic dipole, and electric quadrupole moments of 187;188;189;191Bi were measured using the in-source resonance-ionization spectroscopy technique at ISOLDE (CERN). A large staggering in radii was found in 187;188;189Big, manifested by a sharp radius increase for the ground state of 188Bi relative to the neighboring 187;189Big. A large isomer shift was also observed for 188Bim. Both effects happen at the same neutron number, N ¼ 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.
Summary Here, with the example of common copy number variation (CNV) in the TSPAN8 gene, we present an important piece of work in the field of CNV detection, that is, CNV association with complex human traits such as 1H NMR metabolomic phenotypes and an example of functional characterization of CNVs among human induced pluripotent stem cells (HipSci). We report TSPAN8 exon 11 (ENSE00003720745) as a pleiotropic locus associated with metabolomic regulation and show that its biology is associated with several metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cancer. Our results further demonstrate the power of multivariate association models over univariate methods and define metabolomic signatures for variants in TSPAN8.
A Coulomb excitation campaign on 106,108,110Sn at 4.4–4.5 MeV/u was launched at the HIE-ISOLDE facility at CERN. Larger excitation cross sections and γ-ray statistics were achieved compared to previous experiments at ∼2.8 MeV/u. More precise B(E2;0+1→2+1) values, lifetimes of states via the Doppler shift attenuation method, and new B(E2;0+1→2+x), B(E2;2+1→4+1), and Q(2+1) values from the new Miniball data will be obtained and applied to test modern nuclear structure theories.
Decay spectroscopy of the long-lived states in 186Tl has been performed at the ISOLDE Decay Station at ISOLDE, CERN. The α decay from the low-spin (2−) state in 186Tl was observed for the first time and a half-life of 3.4+0.5−0.4 s was determined. Based on the α-decay energy, the relative positions of the long-lived states were fixed, with the (2−) state as the ground state, the 7(+) state at 77(56) keV, and the 10(−) state at 451(56) keV. The level scheme of the internal decay of the 186Tl(10(−)) state [T1/2=3.40(9) s], which was known to decay solely through emission of 374-keV γ-ray transition, was extended and a lower limit for the β-decay branching bβ>5.9(3)% was determined. The extracted retardation factors for the γ decay of the 10(−) state were compared to the available data in neighboring odd-odd thallium isotopes indicating the importance of the πd3/2 shell in the isomeric decay and significant structure differences between 184Tl and 186Tl.
The IS475 collaboration conducted Coulomb-excitation experiments with post-accelerated radioactive 220Rn and 224Ra beams at the REX-ISOLDE facility. The beam particles (Ebeam: 2.83 MeV/u) were Coulomb excited using 60Ni, 114Cd, and 120Sn scattering targets. De-excitation γ-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 γ-ray yields. The extracted ‹3−||E3||0+› matrix element allows for the conclusion that, while 220Rn represents an octupole vibrational system, 224Ra has already substantial octupole correlations in its ground state. This finding has implications for the search of CP-violating Schiff moments in the atomic systems of the adjacent odd-mass nuclei.
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 182−188Hg were extracted. Information on the deformation of the ground and the first excited 0þ 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 0þ state was noted in 182;184Hg. 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.
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 α-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 202Rn and 204Rn 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 202Rn and 204Rn, corresponding to B(E2; 2+ 1 → 0+ 1 ) = 29+8 −8 and 43+17 −12 W.u., respectively. Additionally, E2 matrix elements connecting the 2+ 1 state with the 4+ 1 and 2+ 2 states were determined in 202Rn. 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.
Coulomb-excitation experiments are performed with postaccelerated beams of neutron-deficient 196,198,200,202Po 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, 200,202Po, the transitional and diagonal matrix elements of the 2+ 1 state are determined. In 196,198Po 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 196Po 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.
The even–even nucleus 142Xe lies north-east of the doubly magic 132Sn on the neutron-rich side of the nuclear chart. In order to gain further information on the octupole collectivity and the evolution of quadrupole collectivity in this region, a “safe” Coulomb excitation experiment was carried out at the new HIE-ISOLDE facility (CERN) at the end of 2016. As the gamma-ray detector the Miniball spectrometer was used. Beam and target nuclei were detected using C-REX, i.e. an array of segmented Si detectors, covering forward as well as backward angles in the laboratory frame.
The ISOLDE Scientific Infrastructure at CERN offers a unique range of post-accelerated radioactive beams. The scientific program can be improved with the “Isolde Superconducting Recoil Separator” (ISRS), an innovative spectrometer able to deliver unprecedented (A, Z) resolution. In this paper we present an overview of the physics and ongoing technical developments.
The HISPEC-DESPEC collaboration aims at investigating the struc-ture of exotic nuclei formed in fragmentation reactions with decay spectroscopymeasurements, as part of the FAIR Phase-0 campaign at GSI. This paper reportson first results of an experiment performed in spring 2021, with a focus on beta-decaystudies in the Po-Fr nuclei in the 220 < A <230 island of octupole deformationexploiting the DESPEC setup. Ion-beta correlations and fast-timing techniques arebeing employed, giving an insight into this difficult-to-reach region.