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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Martinez, T. et al, Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Jordan, M. D., Rubio, B., et al. (2014). MONSTER: a TOF Spectrometer for beta-delayed Neutron Spectroscopy. Nucl. Data Sheets, 120, 78–80.
Abstract: beta-delayed neutron (DN) data, including emission probabilities, P-n, and energy spectrum, play an important role in our understanding of nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics and nuclear technologies. A MOdular Neutron time-of-flight SpectromeTER (MONSTER) is being built for the measurement of the neutron energy spectra and branching ratios. The TOF spectrometer will consist of one hundred liquid scintillator cells covering a significant solid angle. The MONSTER design has been optimized by using Monte Carlo (MC) techniques. The response function of the MONSTER cell has been characterized with mono-energetic neutron beams and compared to dedicated MC simulations.
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Caballero-Folch, R. et al, Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., & Rubio, B. (2014). beta-decay and beta-delayed Neutron Emission Measurements at GSI-FRS Beyond N=126, for r-process Nucleosynthesis. Nucl. Data Sheets, 120, 81–83.
Abstract: New measurements of very exotic nuclei in the neutron-rich region beyond N=126 have been performed at the GSI facility with the fragment separator (FRS). The aim of the experiment is to determine half-lives and beta-delayed neutron emission branching ratios of isotopes of Hg, Tl and Pb in this region. This contribution summarizes final counting statistics for identification and for implantation, as well as the present status of the data analysis of the half-lives. In summary, isotopes of Pt, Au, Hg, Ti, Pb, Bi, Po, At, Rn and Fr were clearly identified and several of them (Hg208-211, Tl211-215, Pb214-218) were implanted with enough statistics to determine their half-lives. About half of them are expected to be neutron emitters, in such cases it will become possible to obtain the neutron emission probabilities, P-n.
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Caballero-Folch, R. et al, Domingo-Pardo, C., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Rubio, B., & Tain, J. L. (2016). First Measurement of Several beta-Delayed Neutron Emitting Isotopes Beyond N=126. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(1), 012501–6pp.
Abstract: The beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities of neutron rich Hg and Tl nuclei have been measured together with beta-decay half-lives for 20 isotopes of Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi in the mass region N greater than or similar to 126. These are the heaviest species where neutron emission has been observed so far. These measurements provide key information to evaluate the performance of nuclear microscopic and phenomenological models in reproducing the high-energy part of the beta-decay strength distribution. This provides important constraints on global theoretical models currently used in r-process nucleosynthesis.
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Tain, J. L. et al, Valencia, E., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Rubio, B., Estevez, E., et al. (2015). Enhanced gamma-Ray Emission from Neutron Unbound States Populated in beta Decay. Phys. Rev. Lett., 115(6), 062502–5pp.
Abstract: Total absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate the beta-decay intensity to states above the neutron separation energy followed by gamma-ray emission in Br-87,Br-88 and Rb-94. Accurate results are obtained thanks to a careful control of systematic errors. An unexpectedly large. intensity is observed in all three cases extending well beyond the excitation energy region where neutron penetration is hindered by low neutron energy. The gamma branching as a function of excitation energy is compared to Hauser-Feshbach model calculations. For Br-87 and Br-88 the gamma branching reaches 57% and 20%, respectively, and could be explained as a nuclear structure effect. Some of the states populated in the daughter can only decay through the emission of a large orbital angular momentum neutron with a strongly reduced barrier penetrability. In the case of neutron-rich Rb-94 the observed 4.5% branching is much larger than the calculations performed with standard nuclear statistical model parameters, even after proper correction for fluctuation effects on individual transition widths. The difference can be reconciled by introducing an enhancement of 1 order of magnitude in the photon strength to neutron strength ratio. An increase in the photon strength function of such magnitude for very neutron-rich nuclei, if it proves to be correct, leads to a similar increase in the (n, gamma) cross section that would have an impact on r process abundance calculations.
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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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Grodner, E. et al, Gadea, A., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Domingo-Pardo, C., Molina, F., et al. (2014). Hindered Gamow-Teller Decay to the Odd-Odd N = Z Ga-62: Absence of Proton-Neutron T=0 Condensate in A=62. Phys. Rev. Lett., 113(9), 092501–5pp.
Abstract: Search for a new kind of superfluidity built on collective proton-neutron pairs with aligned spin is performed studying the Gamow-Teller decay of the T = 1, J(pi) = 0(+) ground state of Ge-62 into excited states of the odd-odd N = Z nucleus Ga-62. The experiment is performed at GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Shwerionenforshung with the Ge-62 ions selected by the fragment separator and implanted in a stack of Si-strip detectors, surrounded by the RISING Ge array. A half-life of T-1/2 = 2 82.9(14) ms is measured for the Ge-62 ground state. Six excited states of Ga-62, populated below 2.5 MeV through Gamow-Teller transitions, are identified. Individual Gamow-Teller transition strengths agree well with theoretical predictions of the interacting shell model and the quasiparticle random phase approximation. The absence of any sizable low-lying Gamow-Teller strength in the reported beta-decay experiment supports the hypothesis of a negligible role of coherent T = 0 proton-neutron correlations in Ga-62.
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Orrigo, S. E. A. et al, Rubio, B., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., & Molina, F. (2014). Observation of the beta-Delayed gamma-Proton Decay of Zn-56 and its Impact on the Gamow-Teller Strength Evaluation. Phys. Rev. Lett., 112(22), 222501–5pp.
Abstract: We report the observation of a very exotic decay mode at the proton drip line, the beta-delayed gamma-proton decay, clearly seen in the beta decay of the T-z = -2 nucleus Zn-56. Three gamma-proton sequences have been observed after the beta decay. Here this decay mode, already observed in the sd shell, is seen for the first time in the f p shell. Both. and proton decays have been taken into account in the estimation of the Fermi and Gamow-Teller strengths. Evidence for fragmentation of the Fermi strength due to strong isospin mixing is found.
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