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IDS Collaboration(Heideman, J. et al), Algora, A., & Morales, A. I. (2023). Evidence of nonstatistical neutron emission following beta decay near doubly magic Sn-132. Phys. Rev. C, 108(2), 024311–9pp.
Abstract: Models of the beta-delayed neutron emission (beta n) assume that neutrons are emitted statistically via an intermediate compound nucleus post beta decay. Evidence to the contrary was found in an In-134 beta-decay experiment carried out at ISOLDE CERN. Neutron emission probabilities from the unbound states in Sn-134 to known low-lying, single-particle states in Sn-133 were measured. The neutron energies were determined using the time-of-flight technique, and the subsequent decay of excited states in Sn-133 was studied using gamma-ray detectors. Individual beta n probabilities were determined by correlating the relative intensities and energies of neutrons and gamma rays. The experimental data disagree with the predictions of representative statistical models which are based upon the compound nucleus postulate. Our results suggest that violation of the compound nucleus assumption may occur in beta-delayed neutron emission. This impacts the neutron-emission probabilities and other properties of nuclei participating in the r-process. A model of neutron emission, which links the observed neutron emission probabilities to nuclear shell effects, is proposed.
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Xu, Z. Y. et al, Algora, A., & Morales, A. I. (2023). Beta-delayed neutron spectroscopy of 133In. Phys. Rev. C, 108(1), 014314–9pp.
Abstract: The decay properties of 133In were studied in detail at the ISOLDE Decay Station. The implementation of the Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source allowed separate measurements of its 9/2+ ground state (133gIn) and 1/2- isomer (133mIn). With the use of & beta;-delayed neutron and & gamma; spectroscopy, the decay strengths above the neutron separation energy were quantified in this neutron-rich nucleus for the first time. The allowed Gamow-Teller transition 9/2+ & RARR; 7/2+ was located at 5.93 MeV in the 133gIn decay with a log ft = 4.7(1). In addition, several neutron-unbound states were populated at lower excitation energies by the first-forbidden decays of 133g,mIn. We assigned spins and parities to those neutron-unbound states based on the & beta;-decay selection rules, the log ft values, and systematics.
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Xu, Z. Y. et al, Algora, A., & Morales, A. I. (2023). 133In: A Rosetta Stone for Decays of r-Process Nuclei. Phys. Rev. Lett., 131(2), 022501–6pp.
Abstract: The beta decays from both the ground state and a long-lived isomer of In-133 were studied at the ISOLDE Decay Station (IDS). With a hybrid detection system sensitive to beta,gamma, and neutron spectroscopy, the comparative partial half-lives (log ft) have been measured for all their dominant beta-decay channels for the first time, including a low-energy Gamow-Teller transition and several first-forbidden (FF) transitions. Uniquely for such a heavy neutron-rich nucleus, their beta decays selectively populate only a few isolated neutron unbound states in Sn-133. Precise energy and branching-ratio measurements of those resonances allow us to benchmark beta-decay theories at an unprecedented level in this region of the nuclear chart. The results show good agreement with the newly developed large-scale shell model (LSSM) calculations. The experimental findings establish an archetype for the beta decay of neutron-rich nuclei southeast of Sn-132 and will serve as a guide for future theoretical development aiming to describe accurately the key beta decays in the rapid-neutron capture (r-) process.
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Yokoyama, R. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Domingo-Pardo, C., Morales, A. I., et al. (2023). β-delayed neutron emissions from N > 50 gallium isotopes. Phys. Rev. C, 108(6), 064307–15pp.
Abstract: beta-delayed gamma-neutron spectroscopy has been performed on the decay of A=84 to 87 gallium isotopes at the RI-beam Factory at the RIKEN Nishina Center using a high-efficiency array of 3He neutron counters (BRIKEN). beta-2n-gamma events were measured in the decays of all of the four isotopes for the first time, which is direct evidence for populating the excited states of two-neutron daughter nuclei. Detailed decay schemes with the gamma branching ratios were obtained for these isotopes, and the neutron emission probabilities (P-xn) were updated from the previous study. Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations were performed to understand the experimental branching ratios. We found that the P-1n and P-2n values are sensitive to the nuclear level densities of 1n daughter nuclei and showed that the statistical model reproduced the P-2n/P-1n ratio better when experimental levels plus shell-model level densities fit by the Gilbert-Cameron formula were used as the level-density input. We also showed the neutron and gamma branching ratios are sensitive to the ground-state spin of the parent nucleus. Our statistical model analysis suggested J <= 3 for the unknown ground-state spin of the odd-odd nucleus Ga-86, from the I gamma(4(+)-> 2(+))/I-gamma(2(+)-> 0(+)) ratio of Ga-84 and the P-2n/P-1n ratio. These results show the necessity of detailed understanding of the decay scheme, including data from neutron spectroscopy, in addition to gamma measurements of the multineutron emitters.
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Yeung, T. T. et al, Morales, A. I., Tain, J. L., Alcala, G., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., et al. (2024). First Exploration of Monopole-Driven Shell Evolution above the N=126 Shell Closure: New Millisecond Isomers in Tl-213 and Tl-215. Phys. Rev. Lett., 133(7), 072501–7pp.
Abstract: Isomer spectroscopy of heavy neutron-rich nuclei beyond the N = 126 closed shell has been performed for the first time at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of the RIKEN Nishina Center. New millisecond isomers have been identified at low excitation energies, 985.3(19) keV in Tl-213 and 874(5) keV in Tl-215. The measured half-lives of 1.34(5) ms in Tl-213 and 3.0(3) ms in Tl-215 suggest spins and parities 11/2(-) with the single proton-hole configuration pi h(11/2) as leading component. They are populated via E1 transitions by the decay of higher-lying isomeric states with proposed spin and parity 17/2(+), interpreted as arising from a single pi s(1/2) proton hole coupled to the 8(+) seniority isomer in the PbA + 1 cores. The lowering of the 11/2(-) states is ascribed to an increase of the pi h(11/2) proton effective single-particle energy as the second nu g(9/2) orbital is filled by neutrons, owing to a significant reduction of the proton-neutron monopole interaction between the pi h(11/2) and nu g(9/2) orbitals. The new ms isomers provide the first experimental observation of shell evolution in the almost unexplored N > 126 nuclear region below doubly magic Pb-208.
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