|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Estienne, M., Fallot, M., Algora, A., Briz-Monago, J., Bui, V. M., Cormon, S., et al. (2019). Updated Summation Model: An Improved Agreement with the Daya Bay Antineutrino Fluxes. Phys. Rev. Lett., 123(2), 022502–6pp.
Abstract: A new summation method model of the reactor antineutrino energy spectrum is presented. It is updated with the most recent evaluated decay databases and with our total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements performed during the last decade. For the first time, the spectral measurements from the Daya Bay experiment are compared with the antineutrino energy spectrum computed with the updated summation method without any renormalization. The results exhibit a better agreement than is obtained with the Huber-Mueller model in the 2-5 MeV range, the region that dominates the detected flux. A systematic trend is found in which the antineutrino flux computed with the summation model decreases with the inclusion of more pandemonium-free data. The calculated flux obtained now lies only 1.9% above that detected in the Daya Bay experiment, a value that may be reduced with forthcoming new pandemonium-free data, leaving less room for a reactor anomaly. Eventually, the new predictions of individual antineutrino spectra for the U-235, Pu-239, Pu-241, and U-238 are used to compute the dependence of the reactor antineutrino spectral shape on the fission fractions.
|
|
|
|
Phong, V. H. et al, Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Morales, A. I., Tain, J. L., et al. (2019). Observation of a μs isomer in In-134(49)85: Proton-neutron coupling “southeast” of Sn-132(50)82. Phys. Rev. C, 100(1), 011302–6pp.
Abstract: We report on the observation of a microsecond isomeric state in the single-proton-hole, three-neutron-particle nucleus In-134. The nuclei of interest were produced by in-flight fission of a U-238 beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. The isomer depopulates through a gamma ray of energy 56.7(1) keV and with a half-life of T-1/2 = 3.5(4) μs. Based on the comparison with shell-model calculations, we interpret the isomer as the I-pi = 5(-) member of the pi 0g(9/2)(-1) circle times nu 1f(7/2)(3) multiplet, decaying to the I-pi = 7(-) ground state with a reduced-transition probability of B(E2; 5(-) -> 7(-)) = 0.53(6) W.u. Observation of this isomer, and lack of evidence in the current work for a I-pi = 5(-) isomer decay in In-132, provides a benchmark of the proton-neutron interaction in the region of the nuclear chart “southeast” of Sn-132, where experimental information on excited states is sparse.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Guadilla, V., Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Jordan, D., Monserrate, M., et al. (2019). Total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy of niobium isomers. Phys. Rev. C, 100(2), 024311–15pp.
Abstract: The beta-intensity distributions of the decays of Nb-100gs,Nb-100m and Nb-102gs,Nb-102m have been determined using the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique. The JYFLTRAP double Penning trap system was employed in a campaign of challenging measurements performed with the decay total absorption gamma-ray spectrometer at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility in Jyvaskyla. Different strategies were applied to disentangle the isomeric states involved, lying very close in energy. The low-spin component of each niobium case was populated through the decay of the zirconium parent, which was treated as a contaminant. We have applied a method to extract this contamination, and additionally we have obtained beta-intensity distributions for these zirconium decays. The beta-strength distributions evaluated with these results were compared with calculations in a quasiparticle random-phase approximation, suggesting a prolate configuration for the ground states of Zr-100,Zr-102. The footprint of the Pandemonium effect was found when comparing our results for the analyses of the niobium isotopes with previous decay data. The beta-intensities of the decay of Nb-102m, for which there were no previous data, were obtained. A careful evaluation of the uncertainties was carried out, and the consistency of our results was validated taking advantage of the segmentation of our spectrometer. The final results were used as input in reactor summation calculations. A large impact on antineutrino spectrum calculations was already reported, and here we detail the significant impact on decay heat calculations.
|
|
|
|
Yokoyama, R. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Domingo-Pardo, C., Morales, A. I., et al. (2019). Strong one-neutron emission from two-neutron unbound states in beta decays of the r-process nuclei Ga-86,Ga-87. Phys. Rev. C, 100(3), 031302–6pp.
Abstract: beta-delayed one-neutron and two-neutron branching ratios (P-1n and P-2n) have been measured in the decay of A = 84 to 87 Ga isotopes at the Radioactive-Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) at the RIKEN Nishina Center using a high-efficiency array of He-3 neutron counters (BRIKEN). Two-neutron emission was observed in the decay of Ga-84,Ga-85,Ga-87 for the first time and the branching ratios were measured to be P-2n = 1.6(2)%, 1.3(2)%, and 10.2(28)(stat)(5)(sys)%, respectively. One-neutron branching ratio of Ga-87 (P-1n = 81(9)(stat)(8)(sys)%) and half-life of 29(4) ms were measured for the first time. The branching ratios of Ga-86 were also measured to be P-1n = 74(2)(stat)(8)(sys)% and 16.2(9)(stat)(6)(sys)% with better precision than a previous study. The observation that P-1n > P-2n for both Ga-86,Ga-87 was unexpected and is interpreted as a signature of dominating one-neutron emission from the two-neutron unbound excited states in Ge-86,Ge-87. In order to interpret the experimental results, shell-model and Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations of delayed particle and gamma-ray emission probabilities were performed. This model framework reproduces the experimental results. The shell model alone predicts P-2n significantly larger than P-1n for the Ga-87 decay, and it is necessary to invoke a statistical description to successfully explain the observation that P-1n > P-2n. Our new results demonstrate the relevance and importance of a statistical description of neutron emission for the prediction of the decay properties of multineutron emitters and that it must be included in the r-process modeling.
|
|
|
|
Fujita, H. et al, Algora, A., Estevez-Aguado, E., Molina, F., & Rubio, B. (2019). Experimental study of Gamow-Teller transitions via the high-energy-resolution O-18(He-3, t)F-18 reaction: Identification of the low-energy “super” -Gamow-Teller state. Phys. Rev. C, 100(3), 034618–13pp.
Abstract: Using the high-resolution O-18(He-3, t)F-18 reaction at 0 degrees and at 140 MeV/nucleon, Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions were studied. A high energy resolution of 31 keV was achieved by applying dispersion matching techniques. The main part of the observed GT transition strength is concentrated in the transition to the F-18 ground state (g.s.). The absolute values of the reduced GT transition strengths, B(GT), were derived up to E-x = 12 MeV assuming proportionality between the B(GT) values and the reaction cross sections at 0 degrees. The B(GT) value obtained from the beta decay of F-18 (g.s.) -> O-18 (g.s.) was used to determine the proportionality constant. A total B(GT) of 4.06(5) was found and 76(1)% of the strength is concentrated to the ground state of F-18. The obtained B(GT) values were compared with those from the O-18(p, n) F-18 reaction and the mirror symmetric beta(+) decay of Ne-18 -> F-18. The candidates for 1(+) states with isospin T = 1 were identified by comparison with the O-18(p, p') data. The results of shell-model and quasiparticle-random-phase approximation calculations suggest constructive contributions of various configurations to the F-18 ground state, suggesting that this state is the low-energy super GT state.
|
|
|
|
Guadilla, V. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Jordan, D., Monserrate, M., et al. (2019). Total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy of the beta-delayed neutron emitters I-137 and Rb-95. Phys. Rev. C, 100(4), 044305–17pp.
Abstract: The decays of the beta-delayed neutron emitters( 137)I and Rb-95 have been studied with the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique. The purity of the beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap at the ion guide isotope separator on-line facility in Jyvaskyla allowed us to carry out a campaign of isotopically pure measurements with the decay total absorption gamma-ray spectrometer, a segmented detector composed of 18 NaI(T1) modules. The contamination coming from the interaction of neutrons with the spectrometer has been carefully studied, and we have tested the use of time differences between prompt gamma rays and delayed neutron interactions to eliminate this source of contamination. Due to the sensitivity of our spectrometer, we have found a significant amount of beta intensity to states above the neutron separation energy that deexcite by gamma rays, comparable to the neutron emission probability. The competition between gamma deexcitation and neutron emission has been compared with Hauser-Feshbach calculations, and it can be understood as a nuclear structure effect. In addition, we have studied the impact of the beta-intensity distributions determined in this work on reactor decay heat and reactor antineutrino spectrum summation calculations. The robustness of our results is demonstrated by a thorough study of uncertainties and with the reproduction of the spectra of the individual modules and the module-multiplicity gated spectra. This work represents the state-of-the-art of our analysis methodology for segmented total absorption spectrometers.
|
|
|
|
Wimmer, K. et al, Algora, A., & Rubio, B. (2020). Shape coexistence revealed in the N = Z isotope Kr-72 through inelastic scattering. Eur. Phys. J. A, 56(6), 159–12pp.
Abstract: The N = Z = 36 nucleus Kr-72 has been studied by inelastic scattering at intermediate energies. Two targets, Be-9 and Au-197, were used to extract the nuclear deformation length, delta(N), and the reduced E2 transition probability, B(E2). The previously unknown non-yrast 2(+) and 4(+) states as well as a new candidate for the octupole 3(-) state have been observed in the scattering on the Be target and placed in the level scheme based on gamma – gamma coincidences. The second 2(+) state was also observed in the scattering on the Au target and the B(E2; 2(2)(+) -> 0(1)(+)) value could be determined for the first time. Analyzing the results in terms of a two-band mixing model shows clear evidence for a oblate-prolate shape coexistence and can be explained by a shape change from an oblate ground state to prolate deformed yrast band from the first 2+ state. This interpretation is corroborated by beyond mean field calculations using the Gogny D1S interaction.
|
|
|
|
Plompen, A. J. M. et al, & Algora, A. (2020). The joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library, JEFF-3.3. Eur. Phys. J. A, 56(7), 181–108pp.
Abstract: The joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library 3.3 is described. New evaluations for neutron-induced interactions with the major actinides 235U, 238U and 239Pu, on 241Am and 23Na, 59Ni, Cr, Cu, Zr, Cd, Hf, W, Au, Pb and Bi are presented. It includes new fission yields, prompt fission neutron spectra and average number of neutrons per fission. In addition, new data for radioactive decay, thermal neutron scattering, gamma-ray emission, neutron activation, delayed neutrons and displacement damage are presented. JEFF-3.3 was complemented by files from the TENDL project. The libraries for photon, proton, deuteron, triton, helion and alpha-particle induced reactions are from TENDL-2017. The demands for uncertainty quantification in modeling led to many new covariance data for the evaluations. A comparison between results from model calculations using the JEFF-3.3 library and those from benchmark experiments for criticality, delayed neutron yields, shielding and decay heat, reveals that JEFF-3.3 performes very well for a wide range of nuclear technology applications, in particular nuclear energy.
|
|
