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Soderstrom, P. A. et al, Agramunt, J., Egea, J., Gadea, A., & Huyuk, T. (2019). Neutron detection and gamma-ray suppression using artificial neural networks with the liquid scintillators BC-501A and BC-537. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 916, 238–245.
Abstract: In this work we present a comparison between the two liquid scintillators BC-501A and BC-537 in terms of their performance regarding the pulse-shape discrimination between neutrons and gamma rays. Special emphasis is put on the application of artificial neural networks. The results show a systematically higher gamma-ray rejection ratio for BC-501A compared to BC-537 applying the commonly used charge comparison method. Using the artificial neural network approach the discrimination quality was improved to more than 95% rejection efficiency of gamma rays over the energy range 150 to 1000 keV for both BC-501A and BC-537. However, due to the larger light output of BC-501A compared to BC-537, neutrons could be identified in BC-501A using artificial neural networks down to a recoil proton energy of 800 keV compared to a recoil deuteron energy of 1200 keV for BC-537. We conclude that using artificial neural networks it is possible to obtain the same gamma-ray rejection quality from both BC-501A and BC-537 for neutrons above a low-energy threshold. This threshold is, however, lower for BC-501A, which is important for nuclear structure spectroscopy experiments of rare reaction channels where low-energy interactions dominates.
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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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Gottardo, A. et al, Gadea, A., & Algora, A. (2012). New Isomers in the Full Seniority Scheme of Neutron-Rich Lead Isotopes: The Role of Effective Three-Body Forces. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(16), 162502–5pp.
Abstract: The neutron-rich lead isotopes, up to Pb-216, have been studied for the first time, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI. The observed isomeric states exhibit electromagnetic transition strengths which deviate from state-of-the-art shell-model calculations. It is shown that their complete description demands the introduction of effective three-body interactions and two-body transition operators in the conventional neutron valence space beyond Pb-208.
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Bertoldo, S., Maggioni, G., Raniero, W., Carraro, C., Riccetto, S., Sgarbossa, F., et al. (2021). New method for the production of thin and stable, segmented n plus contacts in HPGe detectors. Eur. Phys. J. A, 57(6), 177–10pp.
Abstract: The realization of pulsed-laser diffused, thin n+ contacts on high purity germanium (HPGe) and their successful segmentation is described. The contacts have been obtained by a laser-induced diffusion of Sb atoms, deposited by sputtering on Ge surface, and then segmented by means of a photolithographic technique. Three small prototypes of gamma ray detectors have been implemented, using the same n+ contact (laser diffused Sb) but with three different geometries and a B implanted p+ contact. Electrical and detection properties of the prototypes have been characterized, showing low leakage currents and good spectroscopy data with different gamma-ray sources. The stability of the detector performance has also been tested subjecting one of the prototypes to a typical annealing treatment.
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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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Gottardo, A. et al, Gadea, A., & Algora, A. (2013). New μs isomers in the neutron-rich Hg-210 nucleus. Phys. Lett. B, 725(4-5), 292–296.
Abstract: Neutron-rich nuclei in the lead region, beyond N = 126, have been studied at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam. Two isomeric states have been identified in Hg-210: the 8(+) isomer expected from the seniority scheme in the vg(9/2) shell and a second one at low spin and low excitation energy. The decay strength of the 8(+) isomer confirms the need of effective three-body forces in the case of neutron-rich lead isotopes. The other unexpected low-lying isomer has been tentatively assigned as a 3(-) state, although this is in contrast with theoretical expectations.
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Perez-Vidal, R. M., Galtarossa, F., Mijatovic, T., Szilner, S., Zanon, I., Brugnara, D., et al. (2023). Nuclear structure advancements with multi-nucleon transfer reactions. Eur. Phys. J. A, 59(5), 114–15pp.
Abstract: Multi-Nucleon Transfer (MNT) reactions have been used for decades as a reaction mechanism, in order to populate excited states in nuclei far from stability and to perform nuclear structure studies. Nevertheless, the development of set-ups involving high acceptance tracking magnetic spectrometers (mainly existing in Europe), coupled with the Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) opens new possibilities, especially if they are used in conjunction with high-intensity stable beams or ISOL RIBs. In this article, we will discuss the capabilities of such set-ups aiming at different goals, including complete information in high-resolution spectroscopy as well as lifetime measurements.
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Jungclaus, A. et al, Gadea, A., & Montaner-Piza, A. (2017). Observation of a gamma-decaying millisecond isomeric state in Cd-128(80). Phys. Lett. B, 772, 483–488.
Abstract: A new high-spin isomer in the neutron-rich nucleus Cd-128 was populated in the projectile fission of a U-238 beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. A half-life of T-1/2 = 6.3(8) mswas measured for the new state which was tentatively assigned a spin/parity of (15(-)). The experimental results are compared to shell model calculations performed using state-of-the-art realistic effective interactions and to the neighbouring nucleus Cd-129. In the present experiment no evidence was found for the decay of a 18(+) E6 spin-trap isomer, based on the complete alignment of the two-neutron and two-proton holes in the 0h(11/2) and the 0g(9/2) orbit, respectively, which is predicted to exist by the shell model. (C) 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
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Nacher, E., Rubio, B., Algora, A., Cano-Ott, D., Tain, J. L., Gadea, A., et al. (2016). Observations of the Gamow-Teller resonance in the rare-earth nuclei above Gd-146 populated in beta decay. Phys. Rev. C, 93(1), 014308–13pp.
Abstract: The rare-earth region of the nuclear table around the quasi-doubly magic nucleus Gd-146 is one of the very few places in which the Gamow-Teller (GT) resonance can be populated in beta decay. The appropriate technique to study such a phenomenon is total absorption spectroscopy, thanks to which one can measure the B(GT) distribution in beta-decay experiments even when it is very fragmented and lies at high excitation energy in the daughter nucleus. Results on the GT resonance measured in the beta decay of the odd-Z, N = 83 nuclei Tb-148, Ho-150, and Tm-152 are presented in this work and compared with shell-model calculations. The tail of the resonance is clearly observed up to the limit imposed by the Q value. This observation is important in the context of the understanding of the “quenching” of the GT strength.
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Ljungvall, J. et al, & Gadea, A. (2010). Onset of collectivity in neutron-rich Fe isotopes: Toward a new island of inversion? Phys. Rev. C, 81(6), 061301–4pp.
Abstract: The lifetimes of the first excited 2(+) states in Fe-62 and Fe-64 have been measured for the first time using the recoil-distance Doppler shift method after multinucleon transfer reactions in inverse kinematics. A sudden increase of collectivity from Fe-62 to Fe-64 is observed. The experimental results are compared with new large-scale shell-model calculations and Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov-based configuration-mixing calculations using the Gogny D1S interaction. The results give a deeper understanding of the mechanism leading to an onset of collectivity near Ni-68, which is compared with the situation in the so-called island of inversion around Mg-32.
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