Guadilla, V. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Jordan, D., Monserrate, M., et al. (2019). Total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy of the beta-delayed neutron emitters I-137 and Rb-95. Phys. Rev. C, 100(4), 044305–17pp.
Abstract: The decays of the beta-delayed neutron emitters( 137)I and Rb-95 have been studied with the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique. The purity of the beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap at the ion guide isotope separator on-line facility in Jyvaskyla allowed us to carry out a campaign of isotopically pure measurements with the decay total absorption gamma-ray spectrometer, a segmented detector composed of 18 NaI(T1) modules. The contamination coming from the interaction of neutrons with the spectrometer has been carefully studied, and we have tested the use of time differences between prompt gamma rays and delayed neutron interactions to eliminate this source of contamination. Due to the sensitivity of our spectrometer, we have found a significant amount of beta intensity to states above the neutron separation energy that deexcite by gamma rays, comparable to the neutron emission probability. The competition between gamma deexcitation and neutron emission has been compared with Hauser-Feshbach calculations, and it can be understood as a nuclear structure effect. In addition, we have studied the impact of the beta-intensity distributions determined in this work on reactor decay heat and reactor antineutrino spectrum summation calculations. The robustness of our results is demonstrated by a thorough study of uncertainties and with the reproduction of the spectra of the individual modules and the module-multiplicity gated spectra. This work represents the state-of-the-art of our analysis methodology for segmented total absorption spectrometers.
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IDS Collaboration(Piersa-Silkowska, M. et al), & Nacher, E. (2021). First beta-decay spectroscopy of In-135 and new beta-decay branches of In-134. Phys. Rev. C, 101(4), 044328–19pp.
Abstract: The beta decay of the neutron-rich In-134 and In-135 was investigated experimentally in order to provide new insights into the nuclear structure of the tin isotopes with magic proton number Z = 50 above the N = 82 shell. The beta-delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy measurement was performed at the ISOLDE facility at CERN, where indium isotopes were selectively laser-ionized and on-line mass separated. Three beta-decay branches of In-134 were established, two of which were observed for the first time. Population of neutron-unbound states decaying via gamma rays was identified in the two daughter nuclei of In-134, Sn-134 and Sn-133, at excitation energies exceeding the neutron separation energy by 1 MeV. The beta-delayed one-and two-neutron emission branching ratios of In-134 were determined and compared with theoretical calculations. The beta-delayed one-neutron decay was observed to be dominant beta-decay branch of In-134 even though the Gamow-Teller resonance is located substantially above the two-neutron separation energy of Sn-134. Transitions following the beta decay of In-135 are reported for the first time, including gamma rays tentatively attributed to Sn-135. In total, six new levels were identified in Sn-134 on the basis of the beta gamma gamma coincidences observed in the In-134 and In-135 beta decays. A transition that might be a candidate for deexciting the missing neutron single-particle 13/2(+) state in Sn-133 was observed in both beta decays and its assignment is discussed. Experimental level schemes of Sn-134 and Sn-135 are compared with shell-model predictions. Using the fast timing technique, half-lives of the 2(+), 4(+), and 6(+) levels in Sn-134 were determined. From the lifetime of the 4(+) state measured for the first time, an unexpectedly large B(E2; 4(+) -> 2(+)) transition strength was deduced, which is not reproduced by the shell-model calculations.
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Kuhn, K. et al, & Nacher, E. (2021). Experimental study of the nature of the 1(-) and 2(-) excited excited states in Be-10 using the Be-11(p, d) reaction in inverse kinematics. Phys. Rev. C, 104(4), 044601–10pp.
Abstract: The nature of the 1(-) and 2(-) excited states in Be-10 is studied using the Be-11(p, d) transfer reaction in inverse kinematics at 10A MeV at TRIUMF ISAC-II, in particular to assess whether either of them can be considered as an excited halo state. The angular distributions for both states are extracted using deuteron-gamma( )coincidences and analyzed using a transfer model taking into account one-step and two-step processes. A good fit of the angular distributions is obtained considering only the one-step process, whereby an inner p(3/2) neutron of Be-11 is removed, leaving the halo neutron intact. Higher-order processes however cannot be rejected. The small spectroscopic factors extracted suggest that the structure of both states is not uniquely halo-like, but rather display a more complex configuration mixing cluster and halo structures. Further insights are limited, as this experiment specifically probed the halo-like (but not cluster-like) Be-11 (1/2(+)) circle times (nu p(3/2))(-1) configuration in both states.
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IDS Collaboration(Andel, B. et al), Algora, A., & Nacher, E. (2021). New beta-decaying state in Bi-214. Phys. Rev. C, 104(5), 054301–13pp.
Abstract: A new beta-decaying state in Bi-214 has been identified at the ISOLDE Decay Station at the CERN-ISOLDE facility. A preferred I-pi = (8(-)) assignment was suggested for this state based on the beta-decay feeding pattern to levels in Po-214 and shell-model calculations. The half-life of the I-pi = (8) state was deduced to be T-1/2 = 9.39(10) min. The deexcitation of the levels populated in Po-214 by the beta decay of this state was investigated via gamma-gamma coincidences and a number of new levels and transitions was identified. Shell-model calculations for excited states in Bi-214 and Po-214 were performed using two different effective interactions: the H208 and the modified Kuo-Herling particle interaction. Both calculations agree on the interpretation of the new beta-decaying state as an I-pi = 8 – isomer and allow for tentative assignment of shell-model states to several high-spin states in Po-214.
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Perez-Cerdan, A. B., Rubio, B., Gelletly, W., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Burkard, K., et al. (2011). beta decay of (78)Sr. Phys. Rev. C, 84(5), 054311–15pp.
Abstract: The gamma rays and conversion electrons emitted in the beta decay of (78)Sr to levels in (78)Rb have been studied using Ge detectors and a mini-orange spectrometer. A reliable level scheme based on the results of these experiments has been established. The properties of the levels in (78)Rb have been compared with calculations based on deformed Hartree-Fock with Skyrme interactions and pairing correlations in the BCS approximation. This has allowed an interpretation of the nature of the observed sets of levels in the odd-odd nucleus (78)Rb.
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Briz, J. A., Nacher, E., Borge, M. J. G., Algora, A., Rubio, B., Dessagne, P., et al. (2015). Shape study of the N = Z nucleus Kr-72 via beta decay. Phys. Rev. C, 92(5), 054326–10pp.
Abstract: The beta decay of the N = Z nucleus Kr-72 has been studied with the total absorption spectroscopy technique at ISOLDE (CERN). A total B(GT) = 0.79(4)g(A)(2)/4 pi has been found up to an excitation energy of 2.7 MeV. The B(GT) distribution obtained is compared with predictions from state-of-the-art theoretical calculations to learn about the ground state deformation of Kr-72. Although a dominant oblate deformation is suggested by direct comparison with quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA) calculations, beyond-mean-field and shell-model calculations favor a large oblate-prolate mixing in the ground state.
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Brunet, M. et al, & Nacher, E. (2021). Competition between allowed and first-forbidden beta decays of At-208 and expansion of the Po-208 level scheme. Phys. Rev. C, 103(5), 054327–13pp.
Abstract: The structure of Po-208 populated through the EC/beta(+) decay of At-208 is investigated using gamma-ray spectroscopy at the ISOLDE Decay Station. The presented level scheme contains 27 new excited states and 43 new transitions, as well as a further 50 previously observed. rays which have been (re)assigned a position. The level scheme is compared to shell model calculations. Through this analysis approximately half of the beta-decay strength of At-208 is found to proceed via allowed decay and half via first-forbidden decay. The first-forbidden transitions predominantly populate core excited states at high excitation energies, which is qualitatively understood using shell model considerations. This mass region provides an excellent testing ground for the competition between allowed and first-forbidden beta-decay calculations, important for the detailed understanding of the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements.
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IDS Collaboration(Andel, B. et al), Algora, A., & Nacher, E. (2024). β decay of the ground state and of a low-lying isomer in Bi-216. Phys. Rev. C, 109(6), 064321–18pp.
Abstract: A detailed beta -decay study of the low- and high -spin states in 216 Bi has been performed at the ISOLDE Decay Station at the CERN-ISOLDE facility. In total, 48 new levels and 83 new transitions in the beta -decay daughter 216 Po were identified. Shell -model calculations for excited states in 216 Bi and 216 Po were performed using the H208 and the modified Kuo-Herling particle effective interactions. Based on the experimental observations and the shell -model calculations, the most likely spin and parity assignments for the beta -decaying states in 216 Bi are (3 – ) and (8 – ), respectively.
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Rubio, B., Gelletly, W., Algora, A., Nacher, E., & Tain, J. L. (2017). Beta decay studies with total absorption spectroscopy and the Lucrecia spectrometer at ISOLDE. J. Phys. G, 44(8), 084004–25pp.
Abstract: Here we present the experimental activities carried out at ISOLDE with the total absorption spectrometer Lucrecia, a large 4 pi scintillator detector designed to absorb a full gamma cascade following beta decay. This spectrometer is designed to measure beta-feeding to excited states without the systematic error called Pandemonium. The set up allows the measurement of decays of very short half life. Experimental results from several campaigns, that focus on the determination of the shapes of beta-decaying nuclei by measuring their beta decay strength distributions as a function of excitation energy in the daughter nucleus, are presented.
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Algora, A., Ganioglu, E., Sarriguren, P., Guadilla, V., Fraile, L. M., Nacher, E., et al. (2021). Total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy study of the beta-decay of Hg-186. Phys. Lett. B, 819, 136438–7pp.
Abstract: The Gamow-Teller strength distribution of the decay of Hg-186 into Au-186 has been determined for the first time using the total absorption gamma spectroscopy technique and has been compared with theoretical QRPA calculations using the SLy4 Skyrme force. The measured Gamow-Teller strength distribution and the half-life are described by mixing oblate and prolate configurations independently in the parent and daughter nuclei. In this theoretical framework the best description of the experimental beta strength is obtained with dominantly prolate components for both parent Hg-186 and daughter Au-186. The approach also allowed us to determine an upper limit of the oblate component in the parent state. The complexity of the analysis required the development of a new approach in the analysis of the X-ray gated total absorption spectrum.
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