Abstract: Isomeric states in isotopes in the vicinity of doubly-magic Pb-208 were populated following reactions of a relativistic Pb-208 primary beam impinging on a Be-9 fragmentation target. Secondary beams of Pb-198,Pb-200,Pb-202,Pb-206 and Hg-206 were isotopically separated and implanted in a passive stopper positioned in the focal plane of the GSI Fragment Separator. Delayed gamma rays were detected with the Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA). Decay schemes were reevaluated and interpreted with shell-model calculations. The momentum-dependent population of isomeric states in the two-nucleon hole nuclei Pb-206/Hg-206 was found to differ from the population of multi neutron-hole isomeric states in Pb-198,Pb-200,Pb-202.

Abstract: A new high-spin isomer in the neutron-rich nucleus Cd-128 was populated in the projectile fission of a U-238 beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. A half-life of T-1/2 = 6.3(8) mswas measured for the new state which was tentatively assigned a spin/parity of (15(-)). The experimental results are compared to shell model calculations performed using state-of-the-art realistic effective interactions and to the neighbouring nucleus Cd-129. In the present experiment no evidence was found for the decay of a 18(+) E6 spin-trap isomer, based on the complete alignment of the two-neutron and two-proton holes in the 0h(11/2) and the 0g(9/2) orbit, respectively, which is predicted to exist by the shell model. (C) 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.

Abstract: The level structures of the N = 50 As-83, Ge-82, and Ga-81 isotones have been investigated by means of multi-nucleon transfer reactions. A first experiment was performed with the CLARA PRISMA setup to identify these nuclei. A second experiment was carried out with the GASP array in order to deduce the gamma-ray coincidence information. The results obtained on the high-spin states of such nuclei are used to test the stability of the N = 50 shell closure in the region of Ni-78 (Z = 28). The comparison of the experimental level schemes with the shell-model calculations yields an N = 50 energy gap value of 4.7(3) MeV at Z = 28. This value, in a good agreement with the prediction of the finite-range liquid-drop model as well as with the recent large-scale shell model calculations, does not support a weakening of the N = 50 shell gap down to Z = 28.

Abstract: Reduced transition probabilities have been extracted between excited, yrast states in the N = Z + 2 nucleus Pd-94. The transitions of interest were observed following decays of the I-pi = 14(+), E-x = 2129-keV isomeric state, which was populated following the projectile fragmentation of a Xe-124 primary beam at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung accelerator facility as part of FAIR Phase-0. Experimental information regarding the reduced E2 transition strengths for the decays of the yrast 8(+) and 6(+) states was determined following isomer-delayed E-gamma 1 – E-gamma 2 – Delta T-2,T-1 coincidence method, using the LaBr3(Ce)-based FATIMA fast-timing coincidence gamma-ray array, which allowed direct determination of lifetimes of states in Pd-94 using the Generalized Centroid Difference (GCD) method. The experimental value for the half-life of the yrast 8(+) state of 755(106) ps results in a reduced transition probability of B(E2:8(+)-> 6(+)) = 205(-25)(+34) e(2) fm(4), which enables a precise verification of shell-model calculations for this unique system, lying directly between the N = Z line and the N = 50 neutron shell closure. The determined B(E2) value provides an insight into the purity of (g(9/2))(n) configurations in competition with admixtures from excitations between the (lower) N = 3pf and (higher) N = 4gds orbitals for the first time. The results indicate weak collectivity expected for near-zero quadrupole deformation and an increasing importance of the T = 0 proton-neutron interaction at N = 48.