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Morales, A. I. et al, Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Gadea, A., Molina, F., & Rubio, B. (2011). Synthesis of N=127 isotones through (p,n) charge-exchange reactions induced by relativistic (208)Pb projectiles. Phys. Rev. C, 84(1), 011601–5pp.
Abstract: The production cross sections of four N = 127 isotones ((207)Hg, (206)Au, (205)Pt, and (204)Ir) have been measured using (p,n) charge-exchange reactions, induced in collisions of a (208)Pb primary beam at 1 A GeV with a Be target. These data allow one to investigate the use of a reaction mechanism to extend the limits of the chart of nuclides toward the important r-process nuclei in the region of the third peak of elemental abundance distribution.
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Molina, F., Aguilera, P., Romero-Barrientos, J., Arellano, H. F., Agramunt, J., Medel, J., et al. (2017). Energy distribution of the neutron flux measurements at the Chilean Reactor RECH-1 using multi-foil neutron activation and the Expectation Maximization unfolding algorithm. Appl. Radiat. Isot., 129, 28–34.
Abstract: We present a methodology to obtain the energy distribution of the neutron flux of an experimental nuclear reactor, using multi-foil activation measurements and the Expectation Maximization unfolding algorithm, which is presented as an alternative to well known unfolding methods such as GRAVEL. Self-shielding flux corrections for energy bin groups were obtained using MCNP6 Monte Carlo simulations. We have made studies at the at the Dry Tube of RECH-1 obtaining fluxes of 1.5(4) x 10(13) cm(-2) s(-1) for the thermal neutron energy region, 1.9(5) x 10(12) cm(-2) s(-1) for the epithermal neutron energy region, and 4.3(11) x 10(11) cm(-2) s(-1) for the fast neutron energy region.
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Molina, F. et al, Rubio, B., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Gadea, A., et al. (2015). T-z =-1 -> 0 beta decays of Ni-54, Fe-50, Cr-46, and Ti-42 and comparison with mirror (He-3,t) measurements. Phys. Rev. C, 91(1), 014301–19pp.
Abstract: We have studied the beta decay of the T-z = -1, f(7/2) shell nuclei Ni-54, Fe-50, Cr-46, and Ti-42 produced in fragmentation reactions. The proton separation energies in the daughter T-z = 0 nuclei are relatively large (approximate to 4-5 MeV) so studies of the. rays are essential. The experiments were performed at GSI as part of the Stopped-beam campaign with the RISING setup consisting of 15 Euroball Cluster Ge detectors. From the newly obtained high precision beta-decay half-lives, excitation energies, and beta branching ratios, we were able to extract Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths in these beta decays. With these improved results it was possible to compare in detail the Gamow-Teller (GT) transition strengths observed in beta decay including a sensitivity limit with the strengths of the T-z = +1 to T-z = 0 transitions derived from high resolution (He-3,t) reactions on the mirror target nuclei at RCNP, Osaka. The accumulated B(GT) strength obtained from both experiments looks very similar although the charge exchange reaction provides information on a broader energy range. Using the “merged analysis” one can obtain a full picture of the B(GT) over the full Q(beta) range. Looking at the individual transitions some differences are observed, especially for the weak transitions. Their possible origins are discussed.
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Kucuk, L. et al, Orrigo, S. E. A., Montaner-Piza, A., Rubio, B., Gelletly, W., Algora, A., et al. (2017). Half-life determination of T-z =-1 and T-z =-1/2 proton-rich nuclei and the beta decay of Zn-58. Eur. Phys. J. A, 53(6), 134–10pp.
Abstract: We have measured the beta-decay half-lives of 16 neutron-deficient nuclei with T-z = -1/2 and -1, ranging from chromium to germanium. They were produced in an experiment carried out at GANIL and optimized for the production of Zn-58, for which in addition we present the decay scheme and absolute Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths. Since all of these nuclei lie on the rp-process pathway, the T-1/2 values are important ingredients for the rp-process reaction flow calculations and for models of X-ray bursters.
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Karakoc, M. et al, & Molina, F. (2014). Gamow-Teller transitions in the A=40 isoquintet of relevance for neutrino captures in Ar-40. Phys. Rev. C, 89(6), 064313–7pp.
Abstract: Background: The Gamow-Teller response of Ar-40 is important for the use of liquid argon as a medium for neutrino detection. An ambiguity about the Gamow-Teller strength for the excitation of 1(+) states at 2290 and 2730 keV in K-40 results in a significant uncertainty for neutrino capture rates. This ambiguity is caused by the large discrepancy observed between strengths extracted from Ar-40(p, n) charge-exchange data and the transition strengths for the analog transitions studied in the beta decay of Ti-40. Purpose: This study was aimed at resolving the ambiguity between the results from the Ar-40(p, n) charge-exchange and Ti-40 beta-decay data. Method: Shell-model calculations in the sd-pf shell with a new interaction (WBMB-C) were used to study differences between the structure of the transitions from Ar-40 and Ti-40. Distorted-wave Born approximation reaction calculations were used to investigate uncertainties in the extraction of Gamow-Teller strength from the Ar-40(p, n) data. New high-resolution data for the Ar-40(He-3,t) reaction were used to gain further insight into the charge-exchange reaction mechanism and to provide more information to test the validity of the shell-model calculations. Results: The shell-model calculations showed that interference between amplitudes associated with pf and sd components to the low-lying Gamow-Teller transitions, in combination with a difference in Coulomb energy shifts for Ar-40 and Ti-40, can produce the differences on the scale of those observed between the Ar-40 charge-exchange and Ti-40 beta-decay data. In combination with the difference in nuclear penetrability of the (p, n) and (He-3,t) probes, the different contributions from amplitudes associated with transitions in the pf and sd shells are likely also responsible for the observed discrepancy between the ratio of the cross sections for the low-lying 1(+) states in the Ar-40(p, n) and Ar-40(He-3,t) data. Conclusions: On the basis of this study, it is recommended to use Gamow-Teller strengths extracted from the Ar-40(p, n) data, not the Ti-40 beta-decay data, for the calculation of neutrino capture rates. Further theoretical studies are required to achieve a consistent quantitative description for the energy differences between low-lying 1(+) states in K-40 and Sc-40 and the experimentally observed Gamow-Teller strengths.
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Jordan, D. et al, Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Rubio, B., Agramunt, J., Perez-Cerdan, A. B., et al. (2013). Total absorption study of the beta decay of Tc-102,Tc-104,Tc-105. Phys. Rev. C, 87(4), 044318–14pp.
Abstract: The beta-feeding probabilities for three important contributors to the decay heat in nuclear reactors, namely Tc-102,Tc-104,Tc-105, have been measured using the total absorption spectroscopy technique. For the measurements, sources of very high isobaric purity have been obtained using a Penning trap (JYFLTRAP). A detailed description of the data analysis is given and the results are compared with high-resolution measurements and theoretical calculations. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.87.044318
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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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IGISOL Collaboration(Briz, J. A. et al), Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Guadilla, V., Agramunt, J., Estevez, E., et al. (2016). Total absorption spectroscopy of fission fragments relevant for reactor antineutrino spectra determination. Acta Phys. Pol. B, 47(3), 755–762.
Abstract: The contribution of each fission fragment to the reactor antineutrino spectra was determined using the summation method based on the existing information on fission yields and decay data contained in nuclear databases and the reactor evolution code MURE. The beta decay of some of the main contributors has been studied using the Total Absorption Spectroscopy (TAS) technique during two experimental campaigns at the IGISOL facility, in Jyvaskyla (Finland). Results on the decay of Rb-92, the most important contributor in the 4-8 MeV energy region are reported. The status of the analysis of the second experiment is presented as well.
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Guess, C. J. et al, Algora, A., Estevez, E., Molina, F., & Rubio, B. (2011). The Nd-150(He-3,t) and Sm-150(t,He-3) reactions with applications to beta beta decay of Nd-150. Phys. Rev. C, 83(6), 064318–17pp.
Abstract: The Nd-150(3He,t) reaction at 140 MeV/u and Sm-150(t,He-3) reaction at 115 MeV/u were measured, populating excited states in Pm-150. The transitions studied populate intermediate states of importance for the (neutrinoless) beta beta decay of Nd-150 to Sm-150. Monopole and dipole contributions to the measured excitation-energy spectra were extracted by using multipole decomposition analyses. The experimental results were compared with theoretical calculations obtained within the framework of the quasiparticle random-phase approximation, which is one of the main methods employed for estimating the half-life of the neutrinoless beta beta decay (0 nu beta beta) of Nd-150. The present results thus provide useful information on the neutrino responses for evaluating the 0 nu beta beta and 2 nu beta beta matrix elements. The 2 nu beta beta matrix element calculated from the Gamow-Teller transitions through the lowest 1(+) state in the intermediate nucleus is maximally about half that deduced from the half-life measured in 2 nu beta beta direct counting experiments, and at least several transitions through 1+ intermediate states in Pm-150 are required to explain the 2 nu beta beta half-life. Because Gamow-Teller transitions in the Sm-150(t,3He) experiment are strongly Pauli blocked, the extraction of Gamow-Teller strengths was complicated by the excitation of the 2 (h) over bar omega, Lambda L = 0, Delta S = 1 isovector spin-flip giant monopole resonance (IVSGMR). However, the near absence of Gamow-Teller transition strength made it possible to cleanly identify this resonance, and the strength observed is consistent with the full exhaustion of the non-energy-weighted sum rule for the IVSGMR.
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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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