Wimmer, K. et al, Algora, A., & Rubio, B. (2021). Shape Changes in the Mirror Nuclei Kr-70 and Se-70. Phys. Rev. Lett., 126(7), 072501–6pp.
Abstract: We studied the proton-rich T-z = -1 nucleus Kr-70 through inelastic scattering at intermediate energies in order to extract the reduced transition probability, B(E2; 0+ -> 2+). Comparison with the other members of the A = 70 isospin triplet, Br-70 and Se-70, studied in the same experiment, shows a 3 sigma deviation from the expected linearity of the electromagnetic matrix elements as a function of T-z. At present, no established nuclear structure theory can describe this observed deviation quantitatively. This is the first violation of isospin symmetry at this level observed in the transition matrix elements. A heuristic approach may explain the anomaly by a shape change between the mirror nuclei Kr-70 and Se-70 contrary to the model predictions.
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Wilson, J. N. et al, & Algora, A. (2021). Angular momentum generation in nuclear fission. Nature, 590(7847), 566–570.
Abstract: When a heavy atomic nucleus splits (fission), the resulting fragments are observed to emerge spinning(1); this phenomenon has been a mystery in nuclear physics for over 40 years(2,3). The internal generation of typically six or seven units of angular momentum in each fragment is particularly puzzling for systems that start with zero, or almost zero, spin. There are currently no experimental observations that enable decisive discrimination between the many competing theories for the mechanism that generates the angular momentum(4-12). Nevertheless, the consensus is that excitation of collective vibrational modes generates the intrinsic spin before the nucleus splits (pre-scission). Here we show that there is no significant correlation between the spins of the fragment partners, which leads us to conclude that angular momentum in fission is actually generated after the nucleus splits (post-scission). We present comprehensive data showing that the average spin is strongly mass-dependent, varying in saw-tooth distributions. We observe no notable dependence of fragment spin on the mass or charge of the partner nucleus, confirming the uncorrelated post-scission nature of the spin mechanism. To explain these observations, we propose that the collective motion of nucleons in the ruptured neck of the fissioning system generates two independent torques, analogous to the snapping of an elastic band. A parameterization based on occupation of angular momentum states according to statistical theory describes the full range of experimental data well. This insight into the role of spin in nuclear fission is not only important for the fundamental understanding and theoretical description of fission, but also has consequences for the gamma-ray heating problem in nuclear reactors(13,14), for the study of the structure of neutron-rich isotopes(15,16), and for the synthesis and stability of super-heavy elements(17,18). gamma-ray spectroscopy experiments on the origin of spin in the products of nuclear fission of spin-zero nuclei suggest that the fission fragments acquire their spin after scission, rather than before.
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Wieduwilt, P., Paschen, B., Schreeck, H., Schwenker, B., Soltau, J., Ahlburg, P., et al. (2021). Performance of production modules of the Belle II pixel detector in a high-energy particle beam. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 991, 164978–15pp.
Abstract: The Belle II experiment at the Super B factory SuperKEKB, an asymmetric e(+) e(-) collider located in Tsukuba, Japan, is tailored to perform precision B physics measurements. The centre of mass energy of the collisions is equal to the rest mass of the gamma (4S) resonance of m(gamma(4S)) = 10.58 GeV. A high vertex resolution is essential for measuring the decay vertices of B mesons. Typical momenta of the decay products are ranging from a few tens of MeV to a few GeV and multiple scattering has a significant impact on the vertex resolution. The VerteX Detector (VXD) for Belle II is therefore designed to have as little material as possible inside the acceptance region. Especially the innermost two layers, populated by the PiXel Detector (PXD), have to be ultra-thin. The PXD is based on DEpleted P-channel Field Effect Transistors (DEPFETs) with a thickness of only 75 μm. Spatial resolution and hit efficiency of production detector modules were studied in beam tests performed at the DESY test beam facility. The spatial resolution was investigated as a function of the incidence angle and improvements due to charge sharing are demonstrated. The measured module performance is compatible with the requirements for Belle II.
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Watanabe, H., Watanabe, Y. X., Hirayama, Y., Andreyev, A. N., Hashimoto, T., Kondev, F. G., et al. (2021). Beta decay of the axially asymmetric ground state of Re-192. Phys. Lett. B, 814, 136088–6pp.
Abstract: The beta decay of Re-192(75)117, which lies near the boundary between the regions of predicted prolate and oblate deformations, has been investigated using the KEK Isotope Separation System (KISS) in RIKEN Nishina Center. This is the first case in which a low-energy beam of rhenium isotope has been successfully extracted from an argon gas-stopping cell using a laser-ionization technique, following production via multi-nucleon transfer between heavy ions. The ground state of Re-192 has been assigned J(pi) = (0(-)) based on the observed beta feedings and deduced logf t values towards the 0(+) and 2(+) states in Os-192, which is known as a typical gamma-soft nucleus. The shape transition from axial symmetry to axial asymmetry in the Re isotopes is discussed from the viewpoint of single-particle structure using the nuclear Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model.
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Watanabe, H. et al, & Montaner-Piza, A. (2021). Impact of shell evolution on Gamow-Teller beta decay from a high-spin long-lived isomer in Ag-127. Phys. Lett. B, 823, 136766–6pp.
Abstract: The change of the shell structure in atomic nuclei, so-called “nuclear shell evolution”, occurs due to changes of major configurations through particle-hole excitations inside one nucleus, as well as due to variation of the number of constituent protons or neutrons. We have investigated how the shell evolution affects Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions that dominate the beta decay in the region below Sn-132 using the newly obtained experimental data on a long-lived isomer in Ag-127. The T-1/2 = 67.5(9) ms isomer has been identified with a spin and parity of (27/2(+)) at an excitation energy of 1942(-20)(+14) keV, and found to decay via an internal transition of an E3 character, which competes with the dominant beta-decay branches towards the high-spin states in Cd-127. The underlying mechanism of a strong GT transition from the Ag-127 isomer is discussed in terms of configuration-dependent optimization of the effective single-particle energies in the framework of a shell-model approach.
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