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Mistry, A. K. et al, Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Guadilla, V., Morales, A. I., et al. (2022). The DESPEC setup for GSI and FAIR. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 1033, 166662–18pp.
Abstract: The DEcay SPECtroscopy (DESPEC) setup for nuclear structure investigations was developed and commissioned at GSI, Germany in preparation for a full campaign of experiments at the FRS and Super-FRS. In this paper, we report on the first employment of the setup in the hybrid configuration with the AIDA implanter coupled to the FATIMA LaBr3(Ce) fast-timing array, and high-purity germanium detectors. Initial results are shown from the first experiments carried out with the setup. An overview of the setup and function is discussed, including technical advancements along the path.
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Kiss, G. G. et al, Tarifeño-Saldivia, A., Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., et al. (2022). Measuring the beta-decay Properties of Neutron-rich Exotic Pm, Sm, Eu, and Gd Isotopes to Constrain the Nucleosynthesis Yields in the Rare-earth Region. Astrophys. J., 936(2), 107–18pp.
Abstract: The beta-delayed neutron-emission probabilities of 28 exotic neutron-rich isotopes of Pm, Sm, Eu, and Gd were measured for the first time at RIKEN Nishina Center using the Advanced Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) and the BRIKEN neutron detector array. The existing beta-decay half-life (T (1/2)) database was significantly increased toward more neutron-rich isotopes, and uncertainties for previously measured values were decreased. The new data not only constrain the theoretical predictions of half-lives and beta-delayed neutron-emission probabilities, but also allow for probing the mechanisms of formation of the high-mass wing of the rare-earth peak located at A approximate to 160 in the r-process abundance distribution through astrophysical reaction network calculations. An uncertainty quantification of the calculated abundance patterns with the new data shows a reduction of the uncertainty in the rare-earth peak region. The newly introduced variance-based sensitivity analysis method offers valuable insight into the influence of important nuclear physics inputs on the calculated abundance patterns. The analysis has identified the half-lives of Sm-168 and of several gadolinium isotopes as some of the key variables among the current experimental data to understand the remaining abundance uncertainty at A = 167-172.
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Orrigo, S. E. A., Tain, J. L., Mont-Geli, N., Tarifeño-Saldivia, A., Fraile, L. M., Grieger, M., et al. (2022). Long-term evolution of the neutron rate at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. Eur. Phys. J. C, 82(9), 814–11pp.
Abstract: We report results on the long-term variation of the neutron counting rate at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, of importance for several low-background experiments installed there, including rare-event searches. The measurement campaign was performed employing the High Efficiency Neutron Spectrometry Array (HENSA) mounted in Hall A and lasted 412 live days. The present study is the first long-term measurement of the neutron rate with sensitivity over a wide range of neutron energies (from thermal up to 0.1 GeV and beyond) performed in any underground laboratory so far. Data on the environmental variables inside the experimental hall (radon concentration, air temperature, air pressure and humidity) were also acquired during all the measurement campaign. We have investigated for the first time the evolution of the neutron rate for different energies of the neutrons and its correlation with the ambient variables.
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R3B Collaboration(Heil, M. et al), & Nacher, E. (2022). A new Time-of-flight detector for the (RB)-B-3 setup. Eur. Phys. J. A, 58(12), 248–19pp.
Abstract: We present the design, prototype developments and test results of the new time-of-flight detector (ToFD) which is part of the R3B experimental setup at GSI and FAIR, Darmstadt, Germany. The ToFD detector is able to detect heavy-ion residues of all charges at relativistic energies with a relative energy precision sigma_Delta E/Delta E of up to 1% and a time precision of up to 14 ps (sigma). Together with an elaborate particle-tracking system, the full identification of relativistic ions from hydrogen up to uranium in mass and nuclear charge is possible.
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IDS Collaboration(Stryjczyk, M. et al.), & Nacher, E. (2023). Simultaneous gamma-ray and electron spectroscopy of 182,184,186Hg isotopes. Phys. Rev. C, 108(1), 014308–20pp.
Abstract: Background: The mercury isotopes around N = 104 are a well-known example of nuclei exhibiting shape coex-istence. Mixing of configurations can be studied by measuring the monopole strength rho^2(E0), however, currently the experimental information is scarce and lacks precision, especially for the I^pi -> I^pi (I not = 0) transitions. Purpose: The goals of this study were to increase the precision of the known branching ratios and internal conversion coefficients, to increase the amount of available information regarding excited states in 182,184,186Hg, and to interpret the results in the framework of shape coexistence using different models. Method: The low-energy structures in 182,184,186Hg were populated in the & beta; decay of 182,184,186Tl, produced at ISOLDE, CERN and purified by laser ionization and mass separation. The & gamma;-ray and internal conversion electron events were detected by five germanium clover detectors and a segmented silicon detector, respectively, and correlated in time to build decay schemes.Results: In total, 193, 178, and 156 transitions, including 144, 140, and 108 observed for the first time in a & beta;-decay experiment, were assigned to 182,184,186Hg, respectively. Internal conversion coefficients were determined for 23 transitions, out of which 12 had an E0 component. Extracted branching ratios allowed the sign of the interference term in 182Hg as well as & rho;2(E 0; 0+2 & RARR; 0+1 ) and B(E2; 0+2 & RARR; 2+1 ) in 184Hg to be determined. By means of electron-electron coincidences, the 0+3 state was identified in 184Hg. The experimental results were qualitatively reproduced by five theoretical approaches, the interacting boson model with configuration mixing with two different parametrizations, the general Bohr Hamiltonian, the beyond mean-field model, and the symmetry-conserving configuration-mixing model. However, a quantitative description is lacking. Conclusions: The presence of shape coexistence in neutron-deficient mercury isotopes was confirmed and evidence for the phenomenon existing at higher energies was found. The new experimental results provide important spectroscopic input for future Coulomb excitation studies.
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Yue, Z. et al, Algora, A., & Nacher, E. (2024). Magnetic moments of thallium isotopes in the vicinity of magic N=126. Phys. Lett. B, 849, 138452–7pp.
Abstract: The magnetic dipole moments (mu) of Tl-209(g)(N =128) and Tl-207(m)(N = 126) have been measured for the first time using the in -source laser resonance -ionization spectroscopy technique with the Laser Ion Source and Trap (LIST) at ISOLDE (CERN). The application of the LIST suppresses the usually overwhelming background of the isobaric francium isotopes and allows access to heavy thallium isotopes with >207. The self -consistent theory of finite Fermi systems based on the energy density functional by Fayans et al. well describes the N dependence of μfor 1/2(+) thallium ground states, as well as μfor the 11/2(-) isomeric states in europium, gold and thallium isotopes. The inclusion of particle-vibration coupling leads to a better agreement between the theory and experiment for mu(Tl-g , I-pi = 1/2(+)). It is shown that beyond mean-field contributions tocannot be neglected at least for thallium isotopes with I-pi = 1/2(+).
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Jungclaus, A., Doornenbal, P., Acosta, J., Vaquero, V., Browne, F., Cortes, M. L., et al. (2024). Position of the single-particle 3/2- state in 135Sn and the N = 90 subshell closure. Phys. Lett. B, 851, 138561–5pp.
Abstract: The decay of excited states of the nucleus Sn-135, with three neutrons outside the doubly-magic Sn-132 core, was studied in an experiment performed at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. Several gamma rays emitted from excited Sn-135 ions were observed following one-neutron and one-neutron-one-proton removal from Sn-136 and Sb-137 beams, respectively, on a beryllium target at relativistic energies. Based on the analogy to 133Sn populated via one-neutron removal from Sn-134, an excitation energy of 695(15) keV is assigned to the 3/2(-) state with strongest single-particle character in 135Sn. This result provides the first direct information about the evolution of the neutron shell structure beyond N = 82 and thus allows for a crucial test of shellmodel calculations in this region. The experimental findings are in full agreement with calculations performed employing microscopic effective two-body interactions derived from CD-Bonn and N3LO nucleon-nucleon potentials, which do not predict a pronounced subshell gap at neutron number N=90. The occurrence of such a gap in Sn-140, i.e., when the 1f(7/2) orbital is completely filled, had been proposed in the past, in analogy to the magicity of Ca-48, featuring a completely filled 0f(7/2) orbital one harmonic oscillator shell below.
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Nacher, E., Briz, J. A., Nerio, A. N., Perea, A., Tavora, V. G., Tengblad, O., et al. (2024). Characterization of a novel proton-CT scanner based on Silicon and LaBr3(Ce) detectors. Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 139(5), 404–9pp.
Abstract: Treatment planning systems at proton-therapy centres entirely use X-ray computed tomography (CT) as primary imaging technique to infer the proton treatment doses to tumour and healthy tissues. However, proton stopping powers in the body, as derived from X-ray images, suffer from important proton-range uncertainties. In order to reduce this uncertainty in range, one could use proton-CT images instead. The main goal of this work is to test the capabilities of a newly-developed proton-CT scanner, based on the use of a set of tracking detectors and a high energy resolution scintillator for the residual energy of the protons. Different custom-made phantoms were positioned at the field of view of the scanner and were irradiated with protons at the CCB proton-therapy center in Krakow. We measured with the phantoms at different angles and produced sinograms that were used to obtain reconstructed images by Filtered Back-Projection. The obtained images were used to determine the capabilities of our scanner in terms of spatial resolution and proton Relative Stopping Power (RSP) mapping and validate its use as proton-CT scanner. The results show that the scanner can produce medium-high quality images, with spatial resolution better than 2 mm in radiography, below 3 mm in tomography and resolving power in the RSP comparable to other state-of-the-art pCT scanners.
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Algora, A. et al, Jordan, D., Tain, J. L., Rubio, B., Agramunt, J., Perez-Cerdan, A. B., et al. (2010). Reactor Decay Heat in Pu-239: Solving the gamma Discrepancy in the 4-3000-s Cooling Period. Phys. Rev. Lett., 105(20), 202501–4pp.
Abstract: The beta feeding probability of Tc-102,Tc- 104,Tc- 105,Tc- 106,Tc- 107, Mo-105, and Nb-101 nuclei, which are important contributors to the decay heat in nuclear reactors, has been measured using the total absorption technique. We have coupled for the first time a total absorption spectrometer to a Penning trap in order to obtain sources of very high isobaric purity. Our results solve a significant part of a long-standing discrepancy in the gamma component of the decay heat for Pu-239 in the 4-3000 s range.
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Caballero, L., Rubio, B., Kleinheinz, P., Yates, S. W., Algora, A., Dewald, A., et al. (2010). Two-phonon octupole excitation in Gd-146. Phys. Rev. C, 81(3), 031301–4pp.
Abstract: Based on experimental evidence from the Sm-144(alpha,2n) reaction, the 3484.7- keV 6(+) state in Gd-146 is identified as the highest-spin member of the 3(-) circle times 3(-) two-phonon octupole quartet. A previously unknown gamma line of 1905.8 keV and E3 character feeding the 3(-) octupole state has been observed. These results represent the first observation of a 6(+) -> 3(-) -> 0(+) cascade of two E3 transitions in an even-even nucleus and provide strong support for the interpretation of the 6(+) state as a two-phonon octupole excitation.
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