Proton-neutron pairing correlations in the self-conjugate nucleus 42Sc

Collinear laser spectroscopy of the N=Z=21 self-conjugate nucleus 42Sc has been performed at the JYFL IGISOL IV facility in order to determine the change in nuclear mean-square charge radius between the Iπ=0+ ground state and the Iπ=7+ isomer via the measurement of the 42g,42mSc isomer shift. New multi-configurational Dirac-Fock calculations for the atomic mass shift and field shift factors have enabled a recalibration of the charge radii of the 42−46Sc isotopes which were measured previously. While consistent with the treatment of proton-neutron, proton-proton and neutron-neutron pairing on an equal footing, the reduction in size for the isomer is observed to be of a significantly larger magnitude than that expected from both shell-model and ab-initio calculations. The measured nuclear magnetic dipole moment and electric quadruple moment, on the other hand, are in good agreement with simple empirical estimates and shell-model calculations.peerReviewe

Evidence for Increased neutron and proton excitations between 51-63Mn

The hyperfine structures of the odd-even 51−63Mn atoms (N = 26 − 38) were measured using bunched beam collinear laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE, CERN. The extracted spins and magnetic dipole moments have been compared to large-scale shell-model calculations using different model spaces and effective interactions. In the case of 61,63Mn, the results show the increasing importance of neutron excitations across the N = 40 subshell closure, and of proton excitations across the Z = 28 shell gap. These measurements provide the first direct proof that proton and neutron excitations across shell gaps are playing an important role in the ground state wave functions of the neutron-rich Mn isotopes.peerReviewe

Control of attention by a peripheral visual cue depends on whether the target is difficult to discriminate

The influence of a peripheral cue represented by a gray ring on responsivity to a subsequent target varies. When a vertical line inside a ring was a go target and a white small ring inside a ring was a no-go target, reaction time was shorter at the same location relative to a different location. However, no reaction time difference between the two locations occurred when a white cross inside the ring, instead of the white vertical line inside the ring, was the go target. We investigated whether this last finding was due to a forward masking influence of the cue, a requirement of low attention for the discrimination or a lack of attention mobilization by the cue. In Experiment 1, the intensity of the cue was reduced in an attempt to reduce forward masking. In Experiment 2, the vertical line and the cross were presented in the same block of trials so as to be dealt with a common attentional strategy. In Experiments 3 and 4, the no-go target was a 45º rotated cross inside a ring to increase the difficulty of the discrimination. No evidence was obtained that the cross was forward masked by the cue nor that it demanded less attention to be discriminated from the small ring. There was a facilitation of responsivity by the cue when the small ring was replaced by the rotated cross. The results suggest that when the discrimination to be performed is too easy the cue does not mobilize attention

Development of the CRIS (Collinear Resonant Ionisation Spectroscopy) beam line

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