Beta-decay measurements of neutron-rich thallium, lead, and bismuth by means of resonant laser ionisation

Neutron-rich thallium, lead, and bismuth isotopes were investigated at the ISOLDE facility. After mass separation and resonant laser ionisation of the produced activity, new spectroscopic data were obtained for 215,218 Bi and 215 Pb. An attempt to reach heavy thallium had to be abandoned because of a strong francium component in the beam that gave rise to a neutron background through (α,n) reactions on the aluminium walls of the experimental chamber

Evidence for a Smooth Onset of Deformation in the Neutron-Rich Kr Isotopes

The neutron-rich nuclei 94;96Kr were studied via projectile Coulomb excitation at the REX-ISOLDE facility at CERN. Level energies of the first excited 2+ states and their absolute E2 transition strengths to the ground state are determined and discussed in the context of the E(2+) and B(E2;2->0) systematics of the krypton chain. Contrary to previously published results no sudden onset of deformation is observed. This experimental result is supported by a new proton-neutron interacting boson model calculation based on the constrained Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approach using the microscopic Gogny-D1M energy density functional.status: publishe