Abstract: The neutron-rich nucleus Pt-200 is investigated via in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy to study the shape evolution in the neutron-rich platinum isotopes towards the N = 126 shell closure. The two-neutron transfer reaction Pt-198(Se-82, Se-80)Pt-200 is used to populate excited states of Pt-200. The Advanced Gamma Ray Tracking Array (AGATA) demonstrator coupled with the PRISMA spectrometer detects gamma rays coincident with the Se-80 recoils, the binary partner of Pt-200. The binary partner method is applied to extract the gamma-ray transitions and build the level scheme of Pt-200. The level at 1884 keV reported by Yates et al. [S. W. Yates, E. M. Baum, E. A. Henry, L. G. Mann, N. Roy, A. Aprahamian, R. A. Meyer, and R. Estep, Phys. Rev. C 37, 1889 (1988)] was confirmed to be at 1882.1 keV and assigned as the (6(1)(+)) state. An additional gamma ray was found and it presumably deexcites the (8(1)(+)) state. The results are compared with state-of-the-art beyond mean-field calculations, performed for the even-even Pt190-204 isotopes, revealing that Pt-200 marks the transition from the gamma-unstable behavior of lighter Pt nuclei towards a more spherical one when approaching the N = 126 shell closure.

Abstract: We present a model for weak charged-current induced nuclear reactions at energies of interest for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments. This model is a natural extension of the work in Refs. [1,2], where the quasielastic contribution to the inclusive electron and neutrino scattering on nuclei was analyzed. The model is based on a systematic many-body expansion of the gauge boson absorption modes that includes one, two, and even three-body mechanisms, as well as the excitation of Delta isobars. The whole scheme has no free parameters, besides those previously adjusted to the weak pion production off the nucleon cross sections in the deuteron, since all nuclear effects were set up in previous studies of photon, electron, and pion interactions with nuclei. We have discussed at length the recent charged-current quasielastic MiniBooNE cross section data, and showed that two-nucleon knockout mechanisms are essential to describing these measurements.

Abstract: Background: Nuclear waste management is considered amongst the major challenges in the field of nuclear energy. A possible means of addressing this issue is waste transmutation in advanced nuclear systems, whose operation requires a fast neutron spectrum. In this regard, the accurate knowledge of neutron-induced reaction cross sections of several (minor) actinide isotopes is essential for design optimization and improvement of safety margins of such systems. One such case is Pu-240, due to its accumulation in spent nuclear fuel of thermal reactors and its usage in fast reactor fuel. The measurement of the Pu-240(n, f) cross section was previously attempted at the CERN nTOF facility EAR1 measuring station using the time-of-flight technique. Due to the low amount of available material and the given flux at EAR1, the measurement had to last several months to achieve a sufficient statistical accuracy. This long duration led to detector deterioration due to the prolonged exposure to the high alpha activity of the fission foils, therefore the measurement could not be successfully completed. Purpose: It is aimed to determine whether it is feasible to study neutron-induced fission at nTOF/EAR2 and provide data on the Pu-240(n, f) reaction in energy regions requested for applications. Methods: The study of the Pu-240(n, f) reaction was made at a new experimental area (EAR2) with a shorter flight path which delivered on average 30 times higher flux at fast neutron energies. This enabled the measurement to be performed much faster, thus limiting the exposure of the detectors to the intrinsic activity of the fission foils. The experimental setup was based on microbulk Micromegas detectors and the time-of-flight data were analyzed with an optimized pulse-shape analysis algorithm. Special attention was dedicated to the estimation of the non-negligible counting loss corrections with the development of a new methodology, and other corrections were estimated via Monte Carlo simulations of the experimental setup. Results: This new measurement of the Pu-240(n, f) cross section yielded data from 9 meV up to 6 MeV incident neutron energy and fission resonance kernels were extracted up to 10 keV. Conclusions: Neutron-induced fission of high activity samples can be successfully studied at the n_TOF/EAR2 facility at CERN covering a wide range of neutron energies, from thermal to a few MeV.

Abstract: The structure of the neutron-rich bismuth isotope Bi-217 has been studied for the first time. The fragmentation of a primary U-238 beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI was exploited to perform gamma-decay spectroscopy, since μs isomeric states were expected in this nucleus. Gamma rays following the decay of a t(1/2) = 3 μs isomer were observed, allowing one to establish the low-lying structure of Bi-217. The level energies and the reduced electric quadrupole transition probability B(E2) from the isomeric state are compared to large-scale shell-model calculations.

Abstract: The high-spin structures and isomers of the N = 81 isotones Xe-135 and Ba-137 are investigated after multinucleon-transfer (MNT) and fusion-evaporation reactions. Both nuclei are populated (i) in Xe-136+ U-238 and (ii) Xe-136+ Pb-208 MNT reactions employing the high-resolution Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA, (iii) in the Xe-136+ Pt-198 MNT reaction employing the gamma-ray array GAMMASPHERE in combination with the gas-detector array CHICO, and (iv) via a B-11+ Te-130 fusion-evaporation reaction with the HORUS gamma-ray array at the University of Cologne. The high-spin level schemes of Xe-135 and Ba-137 are considerably extended to higher energies. The 2058-keV (19/2(-)) state in Xe-135 is identified as an isomer, closing a gap in the systematics along the N = 81 isotones. Its half-life is measured to be 9.0(9) ns, corresponding to a reduced transition probability of B(E2,19/2(-) -> 15/2(-)) = 0.52(6) W.u. The experimentally deduced reduced transition probabilities of the isomeric states are compared to shell-model predictions. Latest shell-model calculations reproduce the experimental findings generally well and provide guidance to the interpretation of the new levels.