Abstract: In this reviewwe will present the results of recent beta-decay studies using the total absorption technique that cover topics of interest for applications, nuclear structure and astrophysics. The decays studied were selected primarily because they have a large impact on the prediction of (a) the decay heat in reactors, important for the safety of present and future reactors and (b) the reactor electron anti-neutrino spectrum, of interest for particle/nuclear physics and reactor monitoring. For these studies the total absorption technique was chosen, since it is the only method that allows one to obtain beta-decay probabilities free from a systematic error called the Pandemonium effect. The total absorption technique is based on the detection of the. cascades that follow the initial beta decay. For this reason the technique requires the use of calorimeters with very high. detection efficiency. The measurements presented and discussed here were performed mainly at the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) using isotopically pure beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap. Examples are presented to show that the results of our measurements on selected nuclei have had a large impact on predictions of both the decay heat and the anti-neutrino spectrum from reactors. Some of the cases involve beta-delayed neutron emission thus one can study the competition between gamma – and neutron-emission from states above the neutron separation energy. The gamma-to-neutron emission ratios can be used to constrain neutron capture (n, gamma) cross sections for unstable nuclei of interest in astrophysics. The information obtained from the measurements can also be used to test nuclear model predictions of half-lives and Pn values for decays of interest in astrophysical network calculations. These comparisons also provide insights into aspects of nuclear structure in particular regions of the nuclear chart.

Abstract: A first performance test of the Coulomb excitation multipolarimetry (Coulex-multipolarimetry) method is presented. It is based on a 85Br pp3/ 2. pp1/ 2 spinflip experiment performed as part of the PreSPEC-AGATA campaign at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionen-forschung (GSI). Via determination of background levels around the expected 85Br excitations as well as measured 197Au excitations, an upper limit for the M1 transition strength of the 1/2- 1. 3/2- g.s. transition in 85Br and a lower beam time limit for upcoming experimental campaigns utilizing Coulex-multipolarimetry have been inferred. The impact of the use of AGATA in its anticipated 1p configuration on these estimates is deduced via Geant4 simulations.

Abstract: The s-wave interaction of (D) over bar Lambda(c), (D) over bar Sigma(c),(D) over bar*Lambda(c), (D) over bar*Sigma(c) and (D) over bar Sigma(c)*, (D) over bar*Sigma(c)*, is studied within a unitary coupled channels scheme with the extended local hidden gauge approach. In addition to the Weinberg-Tomozawa term, several additional diagrams via the pion exchange are also taken into account as box potentials. Furthermore, in order to implement the full coupled channels calculation, some of the box potentials which mix the vector-baryon and pseudoscalar-baryon sectors are extended to construct the effective transition potentials. As a result, we have observed six possible states in several angular momenta. Four of them correspond to two pairs of admixture states, two of (D) over bar Sigma(c) – (D) over bar*Sigma(c) with J – 1/2, and two of (D) over bar Sigma(c)* – (D) over bar*Sigma(c)* with J = 3/2. Moreover, we find a (D) over bar*Sigma(c) resonance which couples to the (D) over bar Lambda(c) channel and one spin degenerated bound state of (D) over bar*Sigma(c)* with J = 1/2, 5/2.