Wimmer, K. et al, Algora, A., & Rubio, B. (2019). Discovery of Br-68 in secondary reactions of radioactive beams. Phys. Lett. B, 795, 266–270.
Abstract: The proton-rich isotope Br-68 was discovered in secondary fragmentation reactions of fast radioactive beams. Proton-rich secondary beams of (70,71,72) Kr and Br-70, produced at the RIKEN Nishina Center and identified by the BigRIPS fragment separator, impinged on a secondary Be-9 target. Unambiguous particle identification behind the secondary target was achieved with the ZeroDegree spectrometer. Based on the expected direct production cross sections from neighboring isotopes, the lifetime of the ground or long-lived isomeric state of Br-68 was estimated. The results suggest that secondary fragmentation reactions, where relatively few nucleons are removed from the projectile, offer an alternative way to search for new isotopes, as these reactions populate preferentially low-lying states.
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Wimmer, K. et al, Algora, A., & Rubio, B. (2018). Shape coexistence and isospin symmetry in A=70 nuclei: Spectroscopy of the T-z =-1 nucleus Kr-70. Phys. Lett. B, 785, 441–446.
Abstract: Excited states in the T-z = -1 nucleus Kr-70 have been populated using inelastic scattering of a radioactive Kr-70 beam as well as one- and two-neutron removal reactions from Kr-71,Kr-72 at intermediate beam energies. The level scheme of Kr-70 was constructed from the observed gamma-ray transitions and coincidences. Tentative spin and parity assignments were made based on comparison with the mirror nucleus Se-70. Asecond 2(+) state and a candidate for the corresponding 4(2)(+) state suggest shape coexistence in Kr-70.
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Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Aprahamian, A., Cano-Ott, D., Fraile, L. M., et al. (2015). The sensitivity of LaBr3:Ce scintillation detectors to low energy neutrons: Measurement and Monte Carlo simulation. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 774, 17–24.
Abstract: The neutron sensitivity of a cylindrical circle minus 1.5 in x 1.5 in LaBr3:Ce scintillation detector was measured using quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams in the energy range from 40 keV to 2.5 MeV. In this energy range the detector is sensitive to gamma-rays generated in neutron inelastic and capture processes. The experimental energy response was compared with Monte Carlo simulations performed with the Geant4 simulation toolkit using the so-called High Precision Neutron Models. These models rely on relevant information stored in evaluated nuclear data libraries. The performance of the Geant4 Neutron Data Library as well as several standard nuclear data libraries was investigated. In the latter case this was made possible by the use of a conversion tool that allowed the direct use of the data from other libraries in Geant4. Overall it was found that there was good agreement with experiment for some of the neutron data bases like ENDF/B-VII.0 or JENDL-3.3 but not with the others such as ENDF/B-VI.8 or JEFF-3.1.
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Stuhl, L., Krasznahorkay, A., Csatlos, M., Algora, A., Gulyas, J., Kalinka, G., et al. (2014). A neutron spectrometer for studying giant resonances with (p,n) reactions in inverse kinematics. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 736, 1–9.
Abstract: A neutron spectrometer, the European Low-Energy Neutron Spectrometer (ELENS), has been constructed to study exotic nuclei in inverse-kinematics experiments. The spectrometer, which consists of plastic scintillator bars, can be operated in the neutron energy range of 100 keV-10 MeV. The neutron energy is determined using the time-of-flight technique, while the position of the neutron detection is deduced from the time-difference information from photomultipliers attached to both ends of each bar. A novel wrapping method has been developed for the plastic scintillators. The array has a larger than 25% detection efficiency for neutrons of approximately 500 keV in kinetic energy and an angular resolution of less than 1 degrees. Details of the design, construction and experimental tests of the spectrometer will be presented.
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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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Denis Bacelar, A. M. et al, Algora, A., Molina, F., & Rubio, B. (2013). The population of metastable states as a probe of relativistic-energy fragmentation reactions. Phys. Lett. B, 723(4-5), 302–306.
Abstract: Isomeric ratios have been measured for high-spin states in Po-198,200,206,208(84), At-208,209,210,211(85), Rn-210,211,212,213,214(86), Fr-208,211,212,213,214(87), Ra-210,211,212,214,215(88), and Ac-215(89) following the projectile fragmentation of a 1 AGeV U-238 beam by a Be-9 target at GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung. The fragments were separated in the fragment separator (FRS) and identified by means of energy loss and time-of-flight techniques. They were brought to rest at the centre of the RISING gamma-ray detector array and intensities of gamma rays emitted in the decay of isomeric states with half-lives between 100 ns and 40 μs and spin values up to 55/2 (h) over bar were used to obtain the corresponding isomeric ratios. The data are compared to theoretical isomeric ratios calculated in the framework of the abrasion-ablation model. Large experimental enhancements are obtained for high-spin isomers in comparison to expected values.
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Benzoni, G. et al, Gadea, A., & Algora, A. (2012). First measurement of beta decay half-lives in neutron-rich Tl and Bi isotopes. Phys. Lett. B, 715(4-5), 293–297.
Abstract: Neutron-rich isotopes around lead, beyond N = 126, have been studied exploiting the fragmentation of an uranium primary beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI. For the first time beta-decay half-lives of Bi-219 and Tl-211,Tl-212,Tl-213 isotopes have been derived. The half-lives have been extracted using a numerical simulation developed for experiments in high-background conditions. Comparison with state of the art models used in r-process calculations is given, showing a systematic underestimation of the experimental values, at variance from close-lying nuclei.
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Kowalska, M., Naimi, S., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Beck, D., Blank, B., et al. (2012). Trap-assisted decay spectroscopy with ISOLTRAP. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 689, 102–107.
Abstract: Penning traps are excellent high-precision mass spectrometers for radionuclides. The high-resolving power used for cleaning isobaric and even isomeric contaminants can be exploited to improve decay-spectroscopy studies by delivering purified samples. An apparatus allowing trap-assisted decay spectroscopy has been coupled to the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer at ISOLDE/CERN. The results from studies with stable and radioactive ions show that the setup can be used to perform decay studies on purified short-lived nuclides and to assist mass measurements.
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Guerrero, C., Cano-Ott, D., Mendoza, E., Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Berthoumieux, E., et al. (2012). Monte Carlo simulation of the n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 671, 108–117.
Abstract: The n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter (TAC) is a 4 pi BaF2 segmented detector used at CERN for measuring neutron capture cross-sections of importance for the design of advanced nuclear reactors. This work presents the simulation code that has been developed in GEANT4 for the accurate determination of the detection efficiency of the TAC for neutron capture events. The code allows to calculate the efficiency of the TAC for every neutron capture state, as a function of energy, crystal multiplicity, and counting rate. The code includes all instrumental effects such as the single crystal detection threshold and energy resolution, finite size of the coincidence time window, and signal pile-up. The results from the simulation have been validated with experimental data for a large set of electromagnetic de-excitation patterns: beta-decay of well known calibration sources, neutron capture reactions in light nuclei with well known level schemes like Ti-nat, reference samples used in (n,gamma) measurements like Au-197 and experimental data from an actinide sample like Pu-240. The systematic uncertainty in the determination of the detection efficiency has been estimated for all the cases. As a representative example, the accuracy reached for the case of Au-197(n,gamma) ranges between 0.5% and 2%, depending on the experimental and analysis conditions. Such a value matches the high accuracy required for the nuclear cross-section data needed in advanced reactor design.
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AGATA Collaboration(Akkoyun, S. et al), Algora, A., Barrientos, D., Domingo-Pardo, C., Egea, F. J., Gadea, A., et al. (2012). AGATA-Advanced GAmma Tracking Array. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 668, 26–58.
Abstract: The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) is a European project to develop and operate the next generation gamma-ray spectrometer. AGATA is based on the technique of gamma-ray energy tracking in electrically segmented high-purity germanium crystals. This technique requires the accurate determination of the energy, time and position of every interaction as a gamma ray deposits its energy within the detector volume. Reconstruction of the full interaction path results in a detector with very high efficiency and excellent spectral response. The realisation of gamma-ray tracking and AGATA is a result of many technical advances. These include the development of encapsulated highly segmented germanium detectors assembled in a triple cluster detector cryostat, an electronics system with fast digital sampling and a data acquisition system to process the data at a high rate. The full characterisation of the crystals was measured and compared with detector-response simulations. This enabled pulse-shape analysis algorithms, to extract energy, time and position, to be employed. In addition, tracking algorithms for event reconstruction were developed. The first phase of AGATA is now complete and operational in its first physics campaign. In the future AGATA will be moved between laboratories in Europe and operated in a series of campaigns to take advantage of the different beams and facilities available to maximise its science output. The paper reviews all the achievements made in the AGATA project including all the necessary infrastructure to operate and support the spectrometer.
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