IGISOL Collaboration(Zakari-Issoufou, A. A. et al), Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Valencia, E., Agramunt, J., Estevez, E., et al. (2015). Total Absorption Spectroscopy Study of Rb-92 Decay: A Major Contributor to Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum Shape. Phys. Rev. Lett., 115(10), 102503–6pp.
Abstract: The antineutrino spectra measured in recent experiments at reactors are inconsistent with calculations based on the conversion of integral beta spectra recorded at the ILL reactor. Rb-92 makes the dominant contribution to the reactor antineutrino spectrum in the 5-8 MeV range but its decay properties are in question. We have studied Rb-92 decay with total absorption spectroscopy. Previously unobserved beta feeding was seen in the 4.5-5.5 region and the GS to GS feeding was found to be 87.5(25)%. The impact on the reactor antineutrino spectra calculated with the summation method is shown and discussed.
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Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Guadilla, V., Jordan, M. D., Montaner-Piza, A., et al. (2015). A decay total absorption spectrometer for DESPEC at FAIR. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 803, 36–46.
Abstract: This paper presents the design of a total absorption gamma-ray spectrometer for the determination of beta-decay intensity distributions of exotic nuclear species at the focal plane of the FAIR-NUSTAR Super Fragment Separator. The spectrometer is a key instrument in the DESPEC experiment and the proposed implementation follows extensive design studies and prototype tests. Two options were contemplated, based on Nal(TI) and LaBr3:Ce inorganic scintillation crystals respectively. Monte Carlo simulations and technical considerations determined the optimal configurations consisting of sixteen 15 x 15 x 25 cm(3) crystals for the Nal(Tl) option and one hundred and twenty-eight 5.5 x 5.5 x 11 cm(3) crystals for the LaBr3:Ce option. Minimization of dead material was crucial for maximizing the spectrometer full-energy peak efficiency. Module prototypes were build to verify constructional details and characterize their performance. The measured energy and timing resolution was found to agree rather well with estimates based on simulations of scintillation light transport and collection. The neutron sensitivity of the spectrometer, important when measuring beta-delayed neutron emitters, was investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulations.
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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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Fujita, Y., Rubio, B., Molina, F., Adachi, T., Fujita, H., Blank, B., et al. (2016). The Tz = ±1 → 0 and ±2 →±1 Mirror Gamow–Teller transitions in pf-shell nuclei. Acta Phys. Pol. B, 47(3), 867–881.
Abstract: Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions are the most common weak-interaction processes in the Universe. They play important roles in various processes of nucleosynthesis, for example, in the rapid proton-capture process (rp-process). In the pf-shell region, the rp-process runs through neutron-deficient nuclei with T-z = -2, -1, and 0 mainly by means of GT and Fermi transitions, where T-z is the z component of isospin T defined by T-z = (N = Z)/2. Under the assumption of isospin symmetry, mirror nuclei with reversed Z and N numbers, and thus with opposite signs of T-z, have the same structure. Therefore, symmetry is also expected for the GT transitions starting from and ending up in mirror nuclei. We have been studying the T-z = -2 -> -1 and -1 -> 0 GT transitions in beta decays, while those from stable T-z = +2 and +1 nuclei by means of hadronic (He-3; t) charge-exchange (CE) reactions. The results from these studies are compared in order to examine the mirror-symmetry structure in nuclei. In addition, these results are combined for the better understanding of GT transitions in the pf-shell region.
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Orrigo, S. E. A. et al, Rubio, B., Gelletly, W., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., & Molina, F. (2016). beta decay of the exotic T-z =-2 nuclei Fe-48, Ni-52, and Zn-56. Phys. Rev. C, 93(4), 044336–18pp.
Abstract: The results of a study of the beta decays of three proton-rich nuclei with T-z = -2, namely Fe-48, Ni-52, and Zn-56, produced in an experiment carried out at GANIL, are reported. In all three cases we have extracted the half-lives and the total beta-delayed proton emission branching ratios. We have measured the individual beta-delayed protons and beta-delayed. rays and the branching ratios of the corresponding levels. Decay schemes have been determined for the three nuclei, and new energy levels are identified in the daughter nuclei. Competition between beta-delayed protons and. rays is observed in the de-excitation of the T = 2 isobaric analog states in all three cases. Absolute Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths have been determined. The mass excesses of the nuclei under study have been deduced. In addition, we discuss in detail the data analysis taking as a test case Zn-56, where the exotic beta-delayed gamma-proton decay has been observed.
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