Valiente-Dobon, J. J., Poves, A., Gadea, A., & Fernandez-Dominguez, B. (2018). Broken mirror symmetry in S-36 and Ca-36. Phys. Rev. C, 98(1), 011302–5pp.
Abstract: Shape coexistence is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the neutron-rich nuclei belonging to (or sitting at the shores of) the N = 20 island of inversion (IoI). Exact isospin symmetry predicts the same behavior for their mirrors and the existence of a proton-rich IoI around Z = 20, centered in the (surely unbound) nucleus Ca-32. In this article we show that in Ca-36 and S-36, Coulomb effects break dramatically the mirror symmetry in the excitation energies due to the different structures of the intruder and normal states. The mirror energy difference (MED) of their 2(+) states is known to be very large at – 246 keV. We reproduce this value and predict the first excited state in Ca-36 to be a 0(+) at 2.7 MeV, 250 keV below the first 2(+). In its mirror S-36 the 0(+) lies at 55keV above the 2(+) measured at 3.291 MeV. Our calculations predict a huge MED of -720 keV, that we dub the “colossal” mirror energy difference. A possible reaction mechanism to access the O-2(+) in Ca-36 will be discussed. In addition, we theoretically address the MEDs of the A = 34, T = 3 and A = 32, T = 4 mirrors.
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Boso, A. et al, Gadea, A., & Huyuk, T. (2018). Neutron Skin Effects in Mirror Energy Differences: The Case of Mg-23-Na-23. Phys. Rev. Lett., 121(3), 032502–5pp.
Abstract: Energy differences between analogue states in the T = 1/2 Mg-23-Na-23 mirror nuclei have been measured along the rotational yrast bands. This allows us to search for effects arising from isospin-symmetrybreaking interactions (ISB) and/or shape changes. Data are interpreted in the shell model framework following the method successfully applied to nuclei in the f(7/2) shell. It is shown that the introduction of a schematic ISB interaction of the same type of that used in the f(7/2) shell is needed to reproduce the data. An alternative novel description, applied here for the first time, relies on the use of an effective interaction deduced from a realistic charge-dependent chiral nucleon-nucleon potential. This analysis provides two important results: (i) The mirror energy differences give direct insight into the nuclear skin; (ii) the skin changes along the rotational bands are strongly correlated with the difference between the neutron and proton occupations of the s(1/2) “halo” orbit.
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Ertoprak, A. et al, Algora, A., Gadea, A., & Huyuk, T. (2018). M1 and E2 transition rates from core-excited states in semi-magic Ru-94. Eur. Phys. J. A, 54(9), 145–9pp.
Abstract: Lifetimes of high-spin states have been measured in the semi-magic (N = 50) nucleus Ru-94. Excited states in Ru-94 were populated in the Ni-58(Ca-40, 4p)Ru-94* fusion-evaporation reaction at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) accelerator complex. DSAM lifetime analysis was performed on the Doppler broadened line shapes in energy spectra obtained from gamma-rays emitted while the residual nuclei were slowing down in a thick 6 mg/cm(2) metallic Ni-58 target. In total eight excited-state lifetimes in the angular momentum range I = (13-20)h have been measured, five of which were determined for the first time. The corresponding B(M1) and B(E2) reduced transition strengths are discussed within the framework of large-scale shell model calculations to study the contribution of different particle-hole configurations, in particular for analyzing contributions from core-excited configurations.
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Delafosse, C. et al, Gadea, A., Perez-Vidal, R. M., & Domingo-Pardo, C. (2018). Pseudospin Symmetry and Microscopic Origin of Shape Coexistence in the Ni-78 Region: A Hint from Lifetime Measurements. Phys. Rev. Lett., 121(19), 192502–7pp.
Abstract: Lifetime measurements of excited states of the light N = 52 isotones Kr-88, Se-86, and Ge-84 have been performed, using the recoil distance Doppler shift method and VAMOS and AGATA spectrometers for particle identification and gamma spectroscopy, respectively. The reduced electric quadrupole transition probabilities B(E2; 2(+)-> 0(+)) and B(E2; 4(+)-> 2(+)) were obtained for the first time for the hard-to-reach 84Ge. While the B(E2; 2(+)-> 0(+) ) values of Kr-88, Se-86 saturate the maximum quadrupole collectivity offered by the natural valence (3s, 2d, 1g(7/2), 1h(11/2)) space of an inert Ni-78 core, the value obtained for Ge-84 largely exceeds it, suggesting that shape coexistence phenomena, previously reported at N less than or similar to 49, extend beyond N = 50. The onset of collectivity at Z = 32 is understood as due to a pseudo-SU(3) organization of the proton single-particle sequence reflecting a clear manifestation of pseudospin symmetry. It is realized that the latter provides actually reliable guidance for understanding the observed proton and neutron single particle structure in the whole medium-mass region, from Ni to Sn, pointing towards the important role of the isovector-vector rho field in shell-structure evolution.
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Kaya, L. et al, & Gadea, A. (2018). Millisecond 23/2(+) isomers in the N=79 isotones Xe-133 and Ba-135. Phys. Rev. C, 98(5), 054312–16pp.
Abstract: Detailed information on isomeric states in A approximate to 135 nuclei is exploited to shell-model calculations in the region northwest of doubly magic nucleus Sn-132. The N = 79 isotones Xe-133 and Ba-135 are studied after multinucleon transfer in the Xe-136 + Pb-208 reaction employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy and in a pulsed-beam experiment at the FN tandem accelerator of the University of Cologne Germany utilizing a Be-9 + Te-130 fusion-evaporation reaction at a beam energy of 40 MeV. Isomeric states are identified via delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy. Hitherto tentative excitation energy spin and parity assignments of the 2017-keV J(pi) = 23/2(+) isomer in Xe-133 are confirmed and a half-life of T-1/2 = 8.64(13) ms is measured. The 2388-keV state in Ba-135. is identified as a J(pi) = 23/2(+) isomer with a half-life of 1.06(4) ms. The new results show a smooth onset of isomeric J(pi) = 23/2(+) states along the N = 79 isotones and close a gap in the high-spin systematics towards the recently investigated J(pi) = 23/2(+) isomer in Nd-139. The resulting systematics of M2 reduced transition probabilities is discussed within the of the nuclear shell model. Latest large-scale shell-model calculations employing the SN100PN, GCN50:82, SN100-KTH and a realistic effective interaction reproduce the experimental findings generally well and give insight into the structure of the isomers.
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AGATA Collaboration(Kaya, L. et al), & Gadea, A. (2019). Identification of high-spin proton configurations in Ba-136 and Ba-137. Phys. Rev. C, 99(1), 014301–19pp.
Abstract: The high-spin structures of Ba-136 and Ba-137 are investigated after multinucleon-transfer (MNT) and fusion-evaporation reactions. Ba-136 is populated in a Xe-136 + U-238 MNT reaction employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy, and in two Be-9 + Te-130 fusion-evaporation reactions using the High-efficiency Observatory for gamma-Ray Unique Spectroscopy (HORUS) at the FN tandem accelerator of the University of Cologne, Germany. Furthermore, both isotopes are populated in an elusive reaction channel in the B-11 + Te-130 fusion-evaporation reaction utilizing the HORUS gamma-ray array. The level scheme above the J(pi) = 10(+) isomer in Ba-136 is revised and extended up to an excitation energy of approximately 5.5 MeV. From the results of angular-correlation measurements, the E-x = 3707- and E-x = 4920-keV states are identified as the bandheads of positive- and negative-parity cascades. While the high-spin regimes of both Te-132 and Xe-134 are characterized by high-energy 12(+) -> 10(+) transitions, the Ba-136 E2 ground-state band is interrupted by negative-parity states only a few hundred keV above the J(pi) = 10(+) isomer. Furthermore, spins are established for several hitherto unassigned high-spin states in Ba-137. The new results close a gap along the high-spin structure of N < 82 Ba isotopes. Experimental results are compared to large-scale shell-model calculations employing the GCN50:82, Realistic SM, PQM130, and SN100PN interactions. The calculations suggest that the bandheads of the positive-parity bands in both isotopes are predominantly of proton character.
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Testov, D. et al, & Gadea, A. (2019). The 4pi highly-efficient light-charged-particle detector EUCLIDES, installed at the GALILEO array for in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy. Eur. Phys. J. A, 55(4), 47–8pp.
Abstract: .In a fusion-evaporation reaction, nuclei are produced by evaporating light-charged particles and neutrons from the compound nucleus. Typically, a nucleus of interest is produced as a result of a part of the total cross-section and, in order to guarantee a good channel discrimination, a particle detector, like the EUCLIDES 4 Si-ball array, is necessary. EUCLIDES has been quoted in more than a hundred publications resulting from many experiments performed in combination with the EUROBALL and GASP -ray spectrometers. The present paper reports on the upgraded version of EUCLIDES, that is presently coupled to the new GALILEO -ray spectrometer, installed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, INFN. The design, characteristics and performance of the EUCLIDES array are presented and discussed.
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Gottardo, A. et al, Gadea, A., & Algora, A. (2019). New spectroscopic information on Tl-211,Tl-213: A changing structure beyond the N=126 shell closure. Phys. Rev. C, 99(5), 054326–7pp.
Abstract: The neutron-rich isotopes Tl-211,Tl-213, beyond the N = 126 shell closure, have been studied for the first time in isomer gamma-ray decay, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam at the Fragment Separator-Rare Isotopes Investigation at GSI setup. The observed isomeric states in Tl-211,Tl-213 show a deviation from the seniority-like scheme of Tl-209. The possible interpretation of the data is discussed on the basis of energy-level systematics and shell-model calculations.
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Dudouet, J. et al, Gadea, A., & Perez-Vidal, R. M. (2019). Excitations of the magic N=50 neutron-core revealed in Ga-81. Phys. Rev. C, 100(1), 011301–6pp.
Abstract: The high-spin states of the neutron-rich Ga-81, with three valence protons outside a Ni-78 core, were measured. The measurement involved prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy of fission fragments isotopically identified using the combination of the variable mode spectrometer (VAMOS++) and the advanced gamma tracking array (AGATA). The new gamma-ray transitions, observed in coincidence with Ga-81 ions, and the corresponding level scheme do not confirm the high-spin levels reported earlier. The newly observed high-spin states in Ga-81 are interpreted using the results of state-of-the-art large-scale shell model (LSSM) calculations. The lower excitation energy levels are understood as resulting from the recoupling of three valence protons to the closed doubly magic core, while the highest excitation energy levels correspond to excitations of the magic N = 50 neutron core. These results support the doubly magic character of Ni-78 and the persistence of the N = 50 shell closure but also highlight the presence of strong proton-neutron correlations associated with the promotion of neutrons across the magic N = 50 shell gap, only few nucleons away from Ni-78.
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AGATA Collaboration(Kaya, L. et al), & Gadea, A. (2019). Isomer spectroscopy in Ba-133 and high-spin structure of Ba-134. Phys. Rev. C, 100(2), 024323–18pp.
Abstract: The transitional nuclei Ba-134 and Ba-133 are investigated after multinucleon transfer employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Italy, and after fusion-evaporation reaction at the FN tandem accelerator of the University of Cologne, Germany. The J(pi) = 19/2(+) state at 1942 keV in Ba-133 is identified as an isomer with a half-life of 66.6(20) ns corresponding to a B(E1) value of 7.7(4) x 10(-6) e(2) fm(2) for the J(pi) = 19/2(+) to J(pi) = 19/2(-) transition. The level scheme of Ba-134 above the J(pi) = 10(+) isomer is extended to approximately 6 MeV. A pronounced backbending is observed at h omega = 0.38 MeV along the positive-parity yrast band. The results are compared to the high-spin systematics of the Z = 56 isotopes. Large-scale shell-model calculations employing the GCN50:82, SN100PN, SNV, PQM130, Realistic SM, and EPQQM interactions reproduce the experimental findings and elucidate the structure of the high-spin states. The shell-model calculations employing the GCN50:82 and PQM130 interactions reproduce alignment properties and provide detailed insight into the microscopic origin of this phenomenon in transitional Ba-134.
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