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.

Abstract: Excited states of neutron-rich iodine isotopes I130-134 above the high-spin isomers have been identified using prompt-delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy. The iodine isotopes were produced as fission fragments of fusion-fission and transfer induced fission of 9Be(U-238, f) at a beam energy of 6.2 MeV/u. The complete (A, Z) identification was obtained using the large acceptance magnetic spectrometer VAMOS++. The AGATA gamma-ray tracking array was used to detect the prompt gamma rays while the delayed gamma rays (in the time range of 100 ns to 200 μs) from the isomeric states were identified by the EXOGAM segmented clover detectors, placed behind the focal plane of the VAMOS++ spectrometer. The high-spin states above the (8(-)) isomers in I-130,I-132 were populated for the first time, and a new isomer in I-132 was identified. A new gamma-ray transition was also assigned to the level structure of I-134. Prompt transitions above the 19/2- isomer were identified in I-131,I-133, for the first time. The level structures are interpreted in terms of the systematics of odd-Z nuclei above the Z = 50 shell closure and large-scale shell model calculations.

Abstract: We present the development of the extended Skyrme N2LO pseudopotential in the case of spherical even-even nuclei calculations. The energy density functional is first presented. Then we derive the mean-field equations and discuss the numerical method used to solve the resulting fourth-order differential equation together with the behavior of the solutions at the origin. Finally, a fitting procedure for such an N2LO interaction is discussed and we provide a first parametrization. Typical ground-state observables are calculated and compared against experimental data.

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.

Abstract: The Am-241(n,gamma) cross section has been measured at the n_TOF facility at CERN using deuterated benzene liquid scintillators, commonly known as C6D6 detectors, and time-of-flight spectrometry. The results in the resolved resonance range bring new constraints to evaluations below 150 eV, and the energy upper limit was extended from 150 to 320 eV with a total of 172 new resonances not present in current evaluations. The thermal capture cross section was found to be sigma(th) = 678 +/- 68 b, which is in good agreement with evaluations and most previous measurements. The capture cross section in the unresolved resonance region was extracted in the remaining energy range up to 150 keV, and found to be larger than current evaluations and previous measurements.