Solving the Puzzles of the Decay of the Heaviest Known Proton-Emitting Nucleus

Two long-standing puzzles in the decay of ^{185}Bi, the heaviest known proton-emitting nucleus are revisited. These are the nonobservation of the 9/2^{-} state, which is the ground state of all heavier odd-A Bi isotopes, and the hindered nature of proton and α decays of its presumed 60-µs 1/2^{+} ground state. The ^{185}Bi nucleus has now been studied with the ^{95}Mo(^{93}Nb,3n) reaction in complementary experiments using the Fragment Mass Analyzer and Argonne Gas-Filled Analyzer at Argonne National Laboratory's ATLAS facility. The experiments have established the existence of two states in ^{185}Bi; the short-lived T_{1/2}=2.8_{-1.0}^{+2.3} µs, proton- and α-decaying ground state, and a 58(2)-µs γ-decaying isomer, the half-life of which was previously attributed to the ground state. The reassignment of the ground-state lifetime results in a proton-decay spectroscopic factor close to unity and represents the only known example of a ground-state proton decay to a daughter nucleus (^{184}Pb) with a major shell closure. The data also demonstrate that the ordering of low- and high-spin states in ^{185}Bi is reversed relative to the heavier odd-A Bi isotopes, with the intruder-based 1/2^{+} configuration becoming the ground, similar to the lightest At nuclides.

Search for Nova Presolar Grains: γ-Ray Spectroscopy of

The discovery of presolar grains in primitive meteorites has initiated a new era of research in the study of stellar nucleosynthesis. However, the accurate classification of presolar grains as being of specific stellar origins is particularly challenging. Recently, it has been suggested that sulfur isotopic abundances may hold the key to definitively identifying presolar grains with being of nova origins and, in this regard, the astrophysical ^{33}Cl(p,γ)^{34}Ar reaction is expected to play a decisive role. As such, we have performed a detailed γ-ray spectroscopy study of ^{34}Ar. Excitation energies have been measured with high precision and spin-parity assignments for resonant states, located above the proton threshold in ^{34}Ar, have been made for the first time. Uncertainties in the ^{33}Cl(p,γ) reaction have been dramatically reduced and the results indicate that a newly identified ℓ=0 resonance at E_{r}=396.9(13) keV dominates the entire rate for T=0.25-0.40 GK. Furthermore, nova hydrodynamic simulations based on the present work indicate an ejected ^{32}S/^{33}S abundance ratio distinctive from type-II supernovae and potentially compatible with recent measurements of a presolar grain.

Longitudinal Wobbling Motion in

The rare phenomenon of nuclear wobbling motion has been investigated in the nucleus ^{187}Au. A longitudinal wobbling-bands pair has been identified and clearly distinguished from the associated signature-partner band on the basis of angular distribution measurements. Theoretical calculations in the framework of the particle rotor model are found to agree well with the experimental observations. This is the first experimental evidence for longitudinal wobbling bands where the expected signature partner band has also been identified, and establishes this exotic collective mode as a general phenomenon over the nuclear chart.

Evidence for Rigid Triaxial Deformation in

An extensive, model-independent analysis of the nature of triaxial deformation in ^{76}Ge, a candidate for neutrinoless double-beta (0νßß) decay, was carried out following multistep Coulomb excitation. Shape parameters deduced on the basis of a rotational-invariant sum-rule analysis provided considerable insight into the underlying collectivity of the ground-state and γ bands. Both sequences were determined to be characterized by the same ß and γ deformation parameter values. In addition, compelling evidence for low-spin, rigid triaxial deformation in ^{76}Ge was obtained for the first time from the analysis of the statistical fluctuations of the quadrupole asymmetry deduced from the measured E2 matrix elements. These newly determined shape parameters are important input and constraints for calculations aimed at providing, with suitable accuracy, the nuclear matrix elements relevant to 0νßß.

Superallowed α Decay to Doubly Magic

We report the first observation of the ^{108}Xe→^{104}Te→^{100}Sn α-decay chain. The α emitters, ^{108}Xe [E_{α}=4.4(2) MeV, T_{1/2}=58_{-23}^{+106} µs] and ^{104}Te [E_{α}=4.9(2) MeV, T_{1/2}<18 ns], decaying into doubly magic ^{100}Sn were produced using a fusion-evaporation reaction ^{54}Fe(^{58}Ni,4n)^{108}Xe, and identified with a recoil mass separator and an implantation-decay correlation technique. This is the first time α radioactivity has been observed to a heavy self-conjugate nucleus. A previous benchmark for study of this fundamental decay mode has been the decay of ^{212}Po into doubly magic ^{208}Pb. Enhanced proton-neutron interactions in the N=Z parent nuclei may result in superallowed α decays with reduced α-decay widths significantly greater than that for ^{212}Po. From the decay chain, we deduce that the α-reduced width for ^{108}Xe or ^{104}Te is more than a factor of 5 larger than that for ^{212}Po.

Novel ΔJ=1 Sequence in

A sequence of low-energy levels in _{32}^{78}Ge_{46} has been identified with spins and parity of 2^{+}, 3^{+}, 4^{+}, 5^{+}, and 6^{+}. Decays within this band proceed strictly through ΔJ=1 transitions, unlike similar sequences in neighboring Ge and Se nuclei. Above the 2^{+} level, members of this sequence do not decay into the ground-state band. Moreover, the energy staggering of this sequence has the phase that would be expected for a γ-rigid structure. The energies and branching ratios of many of the levels are described well by shell-model calculations. However, the calculated reduced transition probabilities for the ΔJ=2 in-band transitions imply that they should have been observed, in contradiction with the experiment. Within the calculations of Davydov, Filippov, and Rostovsky for rigid-triaxial rotors with γ=30°, there are sequences of higher-spin levels connected by strong ΔJ=1 transitions which decay in the same manner as those observed experimentally, yet are calculated at too high an excitation energy.

Masses and ß-Decay Spectroscopy of Neutron-Rich Odd-Odd

The structure of deformed neutron-rich nuclei in the rare-earth region is of significant interest for both the astrophysics and nuclear structure fields. At present, a complete explanation for the observed peak in the elemental abundances at A∼160 eludes astrophysicists, and models depend on accurate quantities, such as masses, lifetimes, and branching ratios of deformed neutron-rich nuclei in this region. Unusual nuclear structure effects are also observed, such as the unexpectedly low energies of the first 2^{+} levels in some even-even nuclei at N=98. In order to address these issues, mass and ß-decay spectroscopy measurements of the ^{160}Eu_{97} and ^{162}Eu_{99} nuclei were performed at the Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade radioactive beam facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Evidence for a gap in the single-particle neutron energies at N=98 and for large deformation (ß_{2}∼0.3) is discussed in relation to the unusual phenomena observed at this neutron number.

Direct Evidence for Octupole Deformation in

Despite the more than 1 order of magnitude difference between the measured dipole moments in ^{144}Ba and ^{146}Ba, the octupole correlations in ^{146}Ba are found to be as strong as those in ^{144}Ba with a similarly large value of B(E3;3^{-}→0^{+}) determined as 48(+21-29) W.u. The new results not only establish unambiguously the presence of a region of octupole deformation centered on these neutron-rich Ba isotopes, but also manifest the dependence of the electric dipole moments on the occupancy of different neutron orbitals in nuclei with enhanced octupole strength, as revealed by fully microscopic calculations.

Direct Evidence of Octupole Deformation in Neutron-Rich

The neutron-rich nucleus ^{144}Ba (t_{1/2}=11.5 s) is expected to exhibit some of the strongest octupole correlations among nuclei with mass numbers A less than 200. Until now, indirect evidence for such strong correlations has been inferred from observations such as enhanced E1 transitions and interleaving positive- and negative-parity levels in the ground-state band. In this experiment, the octupole strength was measured directly by sub-barrier, multistep Coulomb excitation of a post-accelerated 650-MeV ^{144}Ba beam on a 1.0-mg/cm^{2} ^{208}Pb target. The measured value of the matrix element, ⟨3_{1}^{-}∥M(E3)∥0_{1}^{+}⟩=0.65(+17/-23) eb^{3/2}, corresponds to a reduced B(E3) transition probability of 48(+25/-34) W.u. This result represents an unambiguous determination of the octupole collectivity, is larger than any available theoretical prediction, and is consistent with octupole deformation.

Decay and Fission Hindrance of Two- and Four-Quasiparticle K Isomers in

Two isomers decaying by electromagnetic transitions with half-lives of 4.7(1.1) and 247(73) µs have been discovered in the heavy ^{254}Rf nucleus. The observation of the shorter-lived isomer was made possible by a novel application of a digital data acquisition system. The isomers were interpreted as the K^{π}=8^{-}, ν^{2}(7/2^{+}[624],9/2^{-}[734]) two-quasineutron and the K^{π}=16^{+}, 8^{-}ν^{2}(7/2^{+}[624],9/2^{-}[734])⊗8^{-}π^{2}(7/2^{-}[514],9/2^{+}[624]) four-quasiparticle configurations, respectively. Surprisingly, the lifetime of the two-quasiparticle isomer is more than 4 orders of magnitude shorter than what has been observed for analogous isomers in the lighter N=150 isotones. The four-quasiparticle isomer is longer lived than the ^{254}Rf ground state that decays exclusively by spontaneous fission with a half-life of 23.2(1.1) µs. The absence of sizable fission branches from either of the isomers implies unprecedented fission hindrance relative to the ground state.

Transverse wobbling in

A pair of transverse wobbling bands is observed in the nucleus ^{135}Pr. The wobbling is characterized by ΔI=1, E2 transitions between the bands, and a decrease in the wobbling energy confirms its transverse nature. Additionally, a transition from transverse wobbling to a three-quasiparticle band comprised of strong magnetic dipole transitions is observed. These observations conform well to results from calculations with the tilted axis cranking model and the quasiparticle rotor model.

Nuclear structure towards N = 40 60Ca: in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of 58,60Ti.

Excited states in the neutron-rich N = 38, 36 nuclei (60)Ti and (58)Ti were populated in nucleon-removal reactions from (61)V projectiles at 90 MeV/nucleon. The γ-ray transitions from such states in these Ti isotopes were detected with the advanced γ-ray tracking array GRETINA and were corrected event by event for large Doppler shifts (v/c ∼ 0.4) using the γ-ray interaction points deduced from online signal decomposition. The new data indicate that a steep decrease in quadrupole collectivity occurs when moving from neutron-rich N = 36, 38 Fe and Cr toward the Ti and Ca isotones. In fact, (58,60)Ti provide some of the most neutron-rich benchmarks accessible today for calculations attempting to determine the structure of the potentially doubly magic nucleus (60)Ca.

Fission barrier of superheavy nuclei and persistence of shell effects at high spin: cases of 254No and 220Th.

We report on the first measurement of the fission barrier height in a heavy shell-stabilized nucleus. The fission barrier height of 254No is measured to be Bf=6.0±0.5 MeV at spin 15ℏ and, by extrapolation, Bf=6.6±0.9 MeV at spin 0ℏ. This information is deduced from the measured distribution of entry points in the excitation energy versus spin plane. The same measurement is performed for 220Th and only a lower limit of the fission barrier height can be determined: Bf(I)>8 MeV. Comparisons with theoretical fission barriers test theories that predict properties of superheavy elements.

Evidence for multiple chiral doublet bands in 133Ce.

Two distinct sets of chiral-partner bands have been identified in the nucleus 133Ce. They constitute a multiple chiral doublet, a phenomenon predicted by relativistic mean field (RMF) calculations and observed experimentally here for the first time. The properties of these chiral bands are in good agreement with results of calculations based on a combination of the constrained triaxial RMF theory and the particle-rotor model.

Gamma-ray emission probabilities in the decay of (177m)Lu.

γ-Ray emission probabilities from the decay of the long-lived (T(1/2)=160.44d) isomeric state in (177m)Lu were measured with planar (LEPS) and coaxial Ge detectors. The isomer γ-ray and ß(-)-decay branching intensities were also determined. Measurements were carried out at low absolute efficiencies in order to minimize coincidence summing losses. The results are compared with the previous measurements.

Two-particle separation energy trends in the superdeformed well.

A measurement of the energy and spin of superdeformed states in 190Hg, obtained through the observation of transitions directly linking superdeformed and normal states, expands the number of isotopes in which binding energies at superdeformation are known. Comparison with neighboring nuclei shows that two-proton separation energies are higher in the superdeformed state than in the normal state, despite the lower Coulomb barrier and lower total binding energy. This unexpected result provides a critical test for nuclear models.

Structure of 240Pu: evidence for octupole phonon condensation?

The expanded level structure of 240Pu available from the present study highlights the role of strong octupole correlations in this nucleus. In addition to a delayed alignment in the yrast band, the observations include the presence of both I(+)-->(I-1)(-) and I(-)-->(I-1)(+)E1 transitions linking states of the yrast and negative-parity bands at high spin and the presence of an additional even-spin, positive-parity band deexciting exclusively to the negative-parity sequence. The observations appear to be consistent with expectations based on the recently proposed concept of octupole phonon condensation.