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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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Xu, Z. Y. et al, Algora, A., & Morales, A. I. (2023). 133In: A Rosetta Stone for Decays of r-Process Nuclei. Phys. Rev. Lett., 131(2), 022501–6pp.
Abstract: The beta decays from both the ground state and a long-lived isomer of In-133 were studied at the ISOLDE Decay Station (IDS). With a hybrid detection system sensitive to beta,gamma, and neutron spectroscopy, the comparative partial half-lives (log ft) have been measured for all their dominant beta-decay channels for the first time, including a low-energy Gamow-Teller transition and several first-forbidden (FF) transitions. Uniquely for such a heavy neutron-rich nucleus, their beta decays selectively populate only a few isolated neutron unbound states in Sn-133. Precise energy and branching-ratio measurements of those resonances allow us to benchmark beta-decay theories at an unprecedented level in this region of the nuclear chart. The results show good agreement with the newly developed large-scale shell model (LSSM) calculations. The experimental findings establish an archetype for the beta decay of neutron-rich nuclei southeast of Sn-132 and will serve as a guide for future theoretical development aiming to describe accurately the key beta decays in the rapid-neutron capture (r-) process.
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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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Das, B. et al, & Algora, A. (2024). Broken seniority symmetry in the semimagic proton mid-shell nucleus 95Rh. Phys. Rev. Res., 6(2), L022038–7pp.
Abstract: Lifetime measurements of low-lying excited states in the semimagic ( N = 50) nucleus 95 Rh have been performed by means of the fast -timing technique. The experiment was carried out using gamma -ray detector arrays consisting of LaBr 3 (Ce) scintillators and germanium detectors integrated into the DESPEC experimental setup commissioned for the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research ( FAIR ) Phase -0, Darmstadt, Germany. The excited states in 95 Rh were populated primarily via the /3 decays of 95 Pd nuclei, produced in the projectile fragmentation of a 850 MeV / nucleon 124 Xe beam impinging on a 4 g / cm 2 9 Be target. The deduced electromagnetic E2 transition strengths for the gamma -ray cascade within the multiplet structure depopulating from the isomeric I pi = 21 / 2 + state are found to exhibit strong deviations from predictions of standard shell model calculations which feature approximately conserved seniority symmetry. In particular, the observation of a strongly suppressed E2 strength for the 13 / 2 + -> 9 / 2 + ground state transition cannot be explained by calculations employing standard interactions. This remarkable result may require revision of the nucleon-nucleon interactions employed in state-of-the-art theoretical model calculations, and might also point to the need for including three-body forces in the Hamiltonian.
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IDS Collaboration(Andel, B. et al), Algora, A., & Nacher, E. (2024). β decay of the ground state and of a low-lying isomer in Bi-216. Phys. Rev. C, 109(6), 064321–18pp.
Abstract: A detailed beta -decay study of the low- and high -spin states in 216 Bi has been performed at the ISOLDE Decay Station at the CERN-ISOLDE facility. In total, 48 new levels and 83 new transitions in the beta -decay daughter 216 Po were identified. Shell -model calculations for excited states in 216 Bi and 216 Po were performed using the H208 and the modified Kuo-Herling particle effective interactions. Based on the experimental observations and the shell -model calculations, the most likely spin and parity assignments for the beta -decaying states in 216 Bi are (3 – ) and (8 – ), respectively.
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Algora, A. et al, Valencia, E., Tain, J. L., Jordan, M. D., Agramunt, J., Rubio, B., et al. (2014). Total Absorption Study of Beta Decays Relevant for Nuclear Applications and Nuclear Structure. Nucl. Data Sheets, 120, 12–15.
Abstract: An overview is given of our activities related to the study of the beta decay of neutron rich nuclei relevant for nuclear applications. Recent results of the study of the beta decay of Br-87,Br-88 using a new segmented total absorption spectrometer are presented. The measurements were performed at the IGISOL facility using trap-assisted total absorption spectroscopy.
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Rubio, B. et al, Orrigo, S. E. A., Montaner-Piza, A., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., & Molina, F. (2014). Beta Decay Study of the T-z =-2 Zn-56 Nucleus and the Determination of the Half-Lives of a Few fp-shell Nuclei. Nucl. Data Sheets, 120, 37–40.
Abstract: This paper concerns the experimental study of the beta decay properties of few proton-rich fp-shell nuclei. The nuclei were produced at GANIL in fragmentation reactions, separated with the LISE spectrometer and stopped in an implantation detector surrounded by Ge detectors. The beta-delayed gammas, beta-delayed protons and the exotic beta-delayed gamma-proton emission have been studied. Preliminary results are presented. The decay of the T-z = -2 nucleus Zn-56 has been studied in detail. Information from the beta-delayed protons and beta-delayed gammas has been used to deduce the decay scheme. The exotic beta-delayed gamma-proton decay has been observed for the first time in the fp-shell. The interpretation of the data was made possible thanks to the detailed knowledge of the mirror Charge Exchange (CE) process and the gamma de-excitation of the states in Co-56, the mirror nucleus of Cu-56.
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Agramunt, J. et al, Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Jordan, D., Rubio, B., Tain, J. L., et al. (2014). New Beta-delayed Neutron Measurements in the Light-mass Fission Group. Nucl. Data Sheets, 120, 74–77.
Abstract: A new accurate determination of beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities from nuclei in the low mass region of the light fission group has been performed. The measurements were carried out using the BELEN 4 pi neutron counter at the IGISOL-JYFL mass separator in combination with a Penning trap. The new results significantly improve the uncertainties of neutron emission probabilities for Br-91, As-86, As-85, and Ge-85 nuclei.
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