Guadilla, V. et al, Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Jordan, D., Monserrate, M., et al. (2022). Total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy of the ss decays of Y-96gs,Y-m. Phys. Rev. C, 106(1), 014306–14pp.
Abstract: The ss decays of the ground state (gs) and isomeric state (m) of Y-96 have been studied with the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility. The separation of the 8(+) isomeric state from the 0(-) ground state was achieved thanks to the purification capabilities of the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap system. The ss-intensity distributions of both decays have been independently determined. In the analyses the deexcitation of the 1581.6 keV level in Zr-96, in which conversion electron emission competes with pair production, has been carefully considered and found to have significant impact on the ss-detector efficiency, influencing the ss-intensity distribution obtained. Our results for Y-96gs (0(-)) confirm the large ground state to ground state ss-intensity probability, although a slightly larger value than reported in previous studies was obtained, amounting to 96.6(-2.1)(+0.3) % of the total ss intensity. Given that the decay of Y-96gs is the second most important contributor to the reactor antineutrino spectrum between 5 and 7 MeV, the impact of the present results on reactor antineutrino summation calculations has been evaluated. In the decay of Y-96m (8(+)), previously undetected ss intensity in transitions to states above 6 MeV has been observed. This shows the importance of total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements of ss decays with highly fragmented deexcitation patterns. Y-96m (8(+)) is a major contributor to reactor decay heat in uranium-plutonium and thorium-uranium fuels around 10 s after fission pulses, and the newly measured average ss and gamma energies differ significantly from the previous values in evaluated databases. The discrepancy is far above the previously quoted uncertainties. Finally, we also report on the successful implementation of an innovative total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy analysis of the module-multiplicity gated spectra, as a first proof of principle to distinguish between decaying states with very different spin-parity values.
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Moreno, O., Sarriguren, P., Algora, A., Fraile, L. M., & Orrigo, S. E. A. (2022). Bulk and decay properties of neutron-deficient odd-mass Hg isotopes near A=185. Phys. Rev. C, 106(3), 034317–11pp.
Abstract: Ground and isomeric states of the neutron-deficient odd-A isotopes 183Hg, 185Hg, and 187Hg are described from a microscopic calculation based on a self-consistent, axially deformed Hartree-Fock mean field with the Skyrme functional and pairing within BCS approximation. For each equilibrium shape and different odd-neutron states, results on mean-square charge radii and magnetic dipole moments are given and analyzed in the context of their sensitivity to the nuclear deformation and to the spin and parity. Spin-isospin correlations within proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation are then introduced in the nuclear states to obtain the distributions of Gamow-Teller strength and the beta+/EC half-lives of these isotopes, whose measurements are planned at ISOLDE-CERN using total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy techniques.
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Ramalho, M., Suhonen, J., Kostensalo, J., Alcala, G. A., Algora, A., Fallot, M., et al. (2022). Analysis of the total beta-electron spectrum of( 92)Rb: Implications for the reactor flux anomalies. Phys. Rev. C, 106(2), 024315–7pp.
Abstract: We present here a microscopic nuclear-structure calculation of a beta-electron spectrum including all the beta-decay branches of a high Q-value reactor fission product contributing significantly to the reactor antineutrino energy spectrum. We perform large-scale nuclear shell-model calculations of the total electron spectrum for the beta(-) decay of Rb-92 to states in Sr-92 using a computer cluster. We exploit the beta-branching data of a recent total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy (TAGS) measurement to determine the effective values of the weak axial-vector coupling, g(A), and the weak axial charge, g(A)(gamma(5)). By using the TAGS data we avoid the bias stemming from the pandemonium effect which is a systematic error biasing the usual beta-decay measurements. We take fully into account all the involved allowed and forbidden beta transitions, in particular the first-forbidden nonunique ones which have earlier been shown to be relevant in the context of the reactor-antineutrino flux anomaly and the unexplained spectral shoulder, the “bump,” the former one having been interpreted as one of the strongest evidence for the existence of sterile neutrinos. Here we are able to present quantitative evidence for the relevance of forbidden nonunique beta(-) decays in a total beta spectrum of a fission product, in this case( 92)Rb, which is one of the major contributors to the total reactor antineutrino spectral shape. We demonstrate that taking the forbidden spectral shapes fully into consideration leads for Rb-92 to a 2.6%-4.6% reduction in the expected inverse beta-decay rate at the reactor antineutrino telescopes. We also confirm by our calculation of a total beta-electron spectrum that the forbidden transitions can contribute to the formation of the spectral bump in the reactor-antineutrino flux profile.
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Wu, J. et al, Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Morales, A. I., Orrigo, S. E. A., Tain, J. L., et al. (2022). First observation of isomeric states in 111Zr, 113Nb, and 115Mo. Phys. Rev. C, 106(6), 064328–5pp.
Abstract: Isomeric states in the neutron-rich nuclei 111Zr [T1/2 = 0.10(7) μs], 113Nb [T1/2 = 0.7(4) μs], 115Mo [T1/2 = 46(3) μs] were first identified at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory (RIBF) of RIKEN by using in-flight fission and fragmentation of a 238U beam at an energy of 345 MeV/u. This is a brief report of the gamma transitions de -exciting from isomeric states and half-lives measurements, which provides the first spectroscopy in the nuclear region of prolate-to-oblate shape-phase transition around mass A approximate to 110.
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IDS Collaboration(Heideman, J. et al), Algora, A., & Morales, A. I. (2023). Evidence of nonstatistical neutron emission following beta decay near doubly magic Sn-132. Phys. Rev. C, 108(2), 024311–9pp.
Abstract: Models of the beta-delayed neutron emission (beta n) assume that neutrons are emitted statistically via an intermediate compound nucleus post beta decay. Evidence to the contrary was found in an In-134 beta-decay experiment carried out at ISOLDE CERN. Neutron emission probabilities from the unbound states in Sn-134 to known low-lying, single-particle states in Sn-133 were measured. The neutron energies were determined using the time-of-flight technique, and the subsequent decay of excited states in Sn-133 was studied using gamma-ray detectors. Individual beta n probabilities were determined by correlating the relative intensities and energies of neutrons and gamma rays. The experimental data disagree with the predictions of representative statistical models which are based upon the compound nucleus postulate. Our results suggest that violation of the compound nucleus assumption may occur in beta-delayed neutron emission. This impacts the neutron-emission probabilities and other properties of nuclei participating in the r-process. A model of neutron emission, which links the observed neutron emission probabilities to nuclear shell effects, is proposed.
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Xu, Z. Y. et al, Algora, A., & Morales, A. I. (2023). Beta-delayed neutron spectroscopy of 133In. Phys. Rev. C, 108(1), 014314–9pp.
Abstract: The decay properties of 133In were studied in detail at the ISOLDE Decay Station. The implementation of the Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source allowed separate measurements of its 9/2+ ground state (133gIn) and 1/2- isomer (133mIn). With the use of & beta;-delayed neutron and & gamma; spectroscopy, the decay strengths above the neutron separation energy were quantified in this neutron-rich nucleus for the first time. The allowed Gamow-Teller transition 9/2+ & RARR; 7/2+ was located at 5.93 MeV in the 133gIn decay with a log ft = 4.7(1). In addition, several neutron-unbound states were populated at lower excitation energies by the first-forbidden decays of 133g,mIn. We assigned spins and parities to those neutron-unbound states based on the & beta;-decay selection rules, the log ft values, and systematics.
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Yokoyama, R. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Domingo-Pardo, C., Morales, A. I., et al. (2023). β-delayed neutron emissions from N > 50 gallium isotopes. Phys. Rev. C, 108(6), 064307–15pp.
Abstract: beta-delayed gamma-neutron spectroscopy has been performed on the decay of A=84 to 87 gallium isotopes at the RI-beam Factory at the RIKEN Nishina Center using a high-efficiency array of 3He neutron counters (BRIKEN). beta-2n-gamma events were measured in the decays of all of the four isotopes for the first time, which is direct evidence for populating the excited states of two-neutron daughter nuclei. Detailed decay schemes with the gamma branching ratios were obtained for these isotopes, and the neutron emission probabilities (P-xn) were updated from the previous study. Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations were performed to understand the experimental branching ratios. We found that the P-1n and P-2n values are sensitive to the nuclear level densities of 1n daughter nuclei and showed that the statistical model reproduced the P-2n/P-1n ratio better when experimental levels plus shell-model level densities fit by the Gilbert-Cameron formula were used as the level-density input. We also showed the neutron and gamma branching ratios are sensitive to the ground-state spin of the parent nucleus. Our statistical model analysis suggested J <= 3 for the unknown ground-state spin of the odd-odd nucleus Ga-86, from the I gamma(4(+)-> 2(+))/I-gamma(2(+)-> 0(+)) ratio of Ga-84 and the P-2n/P-1n ratio. These results show the necessity of detailed understanding of the decay scheme, including data from neutron spectroscopy, in addition to gamma measurements of the multineutron emitters.
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Gjestvang, D. et al, & Algora, A. (2023). Examination of how properties of a fissioning system impact isomeric yield ratios of the fragments. Phys. Rev. C, 108(6), 064602–12pp.
Abstract: The population of isomeric states in the prompt decay of fission fragments-so-called isomeric yield ratios (IYRs)-is known to be sensitive to the angular momentum J that the fragment emerged with, and may therefore contain valuable information on the mechanism behind the fission process. In this work, we investigate how changes in the fissioning system impact the measured IYRs of fission fragments to learn more about what parameters affect angular momentum generation. To enable this, a new technique for measuring IYRs is first demonstrated. It is based on the time of arrival of discrete gamma rays, and has the advantage that it enables the study of the IYR as a function of properties of the partner nucleus. This technique is used to extract the IYR of 134Te, strongly populated in actinide fission, from the three different fissioning systems: 232Th(n, f), 238U(n, f), at two different neutron energies, as well as 252Cf(sf). The impacts of changing the fissioning system, the compound nuclear excitation energy, the minimum J of the binary partner, and the number of neutrons emitted on the IYR of 134Te are determined. The decay code TALYS is used in combination with the fission simulation code FREYA to calculate the primary fragment angular momentum from the IYR. We find that the IYR of 134Te has a slope of 0.004 +/- 0.002 with increase in compound nucleus (CN) mass. When investigating the impact on the IYR of increased CN excitation energy, we find no change with an energy increase similar to the difference between thermal and fast fission. By varying the mass of the partner fragment emerging with 134Te, it is revealed that the IYR of 134Te is independent of the total amount of prompt neutrons emitted from the fragment pair. This indicates that neutrons carry minimal angular momentum away from the fission fragments. Comparisons with the FREYA+TALYS simulations reveal that the average angular momentum in 134Te following 238U(n, f) is 6.0 h over bar . This is not consistent with the value deduced from recent CGMF calculations. Finally, the IYR sensitivity to the angular momentum of the primary fragment is discussed. These results are not only important to help understanding the underlying mechanism in nuclear fission, but can also be used to constrain and benchmark fission models, and are relevant to the gamma -ray heating problem of reactors.
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Polettini, M. et al, & Algora, A. (2021). DESPEC Phase-0 campaign at GSI. Nuovo Cim. C, 44(2-3), 67–4pp.
Abstract: This paper reports preliminary results of the DESPEC campaign at GSI, focused on the study of neutron-deficient nuclei approaching Sn-100. The results presented show the isomeric decays of excited states with I-pi = 14(+) and 8(+) in Pd-96 and Pd-94, respectively. The detailed characterisation of the DESPEC set-up and analysis methodologies, proven in this experimental run, are crucial for the future campaigns.
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HISPEC-DESPEC Collaboration(Polettini, M. et al), Algora, A., Morales, A. I., & Orrigo, S. E. A. (2022). Decay studies in the A similar to 225 Po-Fr region from the DESPEC campaign at GSI in 2021. Nuovo Cim. C, 45(5), 125–4pp.
Abstract: The HISPEC-DESPEC collaboration aims at investigating the struc-ture of exotic nuclei formed in fragmentation reactions with decay spectroscopymeasurements, as part of the FAIR Phase-0 campaign at GSI. This paper reportson first results of an experiment performed in spring 2021, with a focus on beta-decaystudies in the Po-Fr nuclei in the 220 < A <230 island of octupole deformationexploiting the DESPEC setup. Ion-beta correlations and fast-timing techniques arebeing employed, giving an insight into this difficult-to-reach region.
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