Abstract: The multi-nucleon transfer reaction mechanism was used to produce and study nuclei in the vicinity of 208Pb. This mass region is a test case for the nuclear shell model. The mass identification of the fragments was performed with the large acceptance magnetic spectrometer VAMOS++ coupled to the AGATA gamma-tracking array. This experiment aimed to determine both lifetimes and gyromagnetic ratios of excited states with the Cologne plunger device. The analysis indicates promising results with the possibility to determine several new lifetimes in this region.

Abstract: Linear polarization measurements have been performed for gamma rays in Ru-91 produced with the Ni-58(Ar-36,2p1n gamma)Ru-91 reaction at a beam energy of 111 MeV. The EXOGAM Ge clover array has been used to measure the gamma-gamma coincidences, gamma-ray linear polarization, and gamma-ray angular distributions. The polarization sensitivity of the EXOGAM clover detectors acting as Compton polarimeters has been determined in the energy range 0.3-1.3 MeV. Several transitions have been observed for the first time. Measurements of linear polarization and angular distribution have led to the firm assignments of spin differences and parity of high-spin states in Ru-91. More specifically, calculations using a semiempirical shell model were performed to understand the structures of the first and second (21/2(+)) and (17/2(+)) levels. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data, supporting the interpretation of the nonyrast (21/2(+)) and (17/2(+)) states in terms of the J(max) and J(max) – 2 members of the seniority-three nu(g(9/2))(-3) multiplet.

Abstract: Background: Identification of proton-neutron mixed-symmetric one-quadrupole phonon excitations (the 2(ms)(+) states) of atomic nuclei provides information on the isovector part of the residual nucleon-nucleon interaction. It was predicted that the 2(ms)(+) state of particular nuclei close to the U(5) limit of the interacting boson model, in particular Ba-140, should be considerably populated by alpha-transfer reactions [C. E. Alonso et al., Phys. Rev. C 78, 017301 (2008)]. Purpose: We aim at the identification of the 2(ms)(+) mixed-symmetry state (MSS) of radioactive Ba-140 and investigate its population by the alpha-transfer reaction as a suitable tool to selectively populate MSSs and as a potential new signature for its mixed-symmetric character. Method: A gamma-ray spectroscopy experiment was performed in inverse kinematics in order to populate the 2(ms)(+) state of Ba-140 by alpha-transfer from a C-nat target on Xe-136 beam ions. The population of the candidate for the 2(ms)(+) state of Ba-140 was measured relative to the population of the 2(1)(+) state. Results: The candidate for the 2(ms)(+) state of Ba-140 was populated by a transfer three times weaker than predicted. Another 2(+) state that can be ruled out as the MSS was in turn as strongly populated by the a transfer as predicted for the MSS. Conclusions: The relative population of 2(+) states by alpha-transfer cannot serve as a new signature for MSSs, since other 2(+) states are also strongly populated. Nevertheless, the substantial population of the MSS candidate of Ba-140 by alpha transfer qualifies this type of reaction as suitable tool to excite MSSs and study their electromagnetic decay properties.

Abstract: The. decays of neutron-rich Ca isotopes around Ca-48 were measured at Legnaro National Laboratory with the PRISMA-CLARA setup, using the heavy-ion transfer reactions Ca-48 on Ni-64 and Ca-48 on Pb-208 at approximate to 6 MeV/A. The work shows the feasibility to perform full in-beam gamma spectroscopy with heavy-ion transfer reactions (in terms of angular distributions, polarizations, and lifetimes analysis), providing a method that can be further exploited in the future with heavy targets and radioactive beams. For the one-neutron transfer channels, Ca-49 and Ca-47, shell-model and particle-vibration coupling calculations are used to understand the nature of the states. In particular, in both nuclei evidence is found for particle-vibration coupled states based on the 3(-) phonon of Ca-48. In the two-neutron transfer channels, Ca-46 and Ca-50, the experimental data are in global agreement with predictions based on full fp shell-model calculations.

Abstract: For the first time, the gamma decay of excited states has been observed in a nucleus situated in the quadrant south-east of doubly magic Sn-132, a region in which experimental information so far is limited to ground-state properties. Six gamma rays with energies of 50, 86, 103, 227, 357, and 602 keV were observed following the beta-delayed neutron emission from Cd-133(85), populated in the projectile fission of a U-238 beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN within the EURICA project. The new experimental information is compared to the results of a modern realistic shell-model calculation, the first one in this region very far from stability, focusing in particular on the pi 0g(9/2)(-1) circle times nu 1f(7/2) particle-hole multiplet in In-132(83). In addition, theoretical estimates based on a scaling of the two-body matrix elements for the pi h(11/2)(-1) circle times nu g(9/2) analog multiplet in Tl-208(127), one major proton and one major neutron shell above, are presented.