Nuclear vorticity and the low-energy nuclear response - Towards the neutron drip line

The transition density and current provide valuable insight into the nature of nuclear vibrations. Nuclear vorticity is a quantity related to the transverse transition current. In this work, we study the evolution of the strength distribution, related to density fluctuations, and the vorticity strength distribution, as the neutron drip line is approached. Our results on the isoscalar, natural-parity multipole response of Ni isotopes, obtained by using a self-consistent Skyrme-Hartree-Fock + Continuum RPA model, indicate that, close to the drip line, the low-energy response is dominated by L>1 vortical transitions.Comment: 8 pages, incl. 4 figures; to appear in Phys.Lett.

New pathway to bypass the 15O waiting point

We propose the sequential reaction process $^{15}$O($p$,$\gamma)(\beta^{+}$)$^{16}$O as a new pathway to bypass of the $^{15}$O waiting point. This exotic reaction is found to have a surprisingly high cross section, approximately 10$^{10}$ times higher than the $^{15}$O($p$,$\beta^{+}$)$^{16}$O. These cross sections were calculated after precise measurements of energies and widths of the proton-unbound $^{16}$F low lying states, obtained using the H($^{15}$O,p)$^{15}$O reaction. The large $(p,\gamma)(\beta^{+})$ cross section can be understood to arise from the more efficient feeding of the low energy wing of the ground state resonance by the gamma decay. The implications of the new reaction in novae explosions and X-ray bursts are discussed.Comment: submitte

Probing Nuclear forces beyond the drip-line using the mirror nuclei 16^{16}N and 16^{16}F

Radioactive beams of $^{14}$O and $^{15}$O were used to populate the resonant states 1/2$^+$, 5/2$^+$ and $0^-,1^-,2^-$ in the unbound $^{15}$F and $^{16}$F nuclei respectively by means of proton elastic scattering reactions in inverse kinematics. Based on their large proton spectroscopic factor values, the resonant states in $^{16}$F can be viewed as a core of $^{14}$O plus a proton in the 2s$_{1/2}$ or 1d$_{5/2}$ shell and a neutron in 1p$_{1/2}$. Experimental energies were used to derive the strength of the 2s$_{1/2}$-1p$_{1/2}$ and 1d$_{5/2}$-1p$_{1/2}$ proton-neutron interactions. It is found that the former changes by 40% compared with the mirror nucleus $^{16}$N, and the second by 10%. This apparent symmetry breaking of the nuclear force between mirror nuclei finds explanation in the role of the large coupling to the continuum for the states built on an $\ell=0$ proton configuration.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication as a regular article in Physical Review

Quadrupole moment of the 6− isomeric state in 66Cu: Interplay between different nuclear deformation driving forces

AbstractWe have measured the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the 6− isomeric state in 66Cu to be |Qs|=18.6(12) efm2. This state results from a weak coupling of the πp3/2 and the νg9/2 orbitals, which lead to sizable deformation at oblate and prolate shapes, correspondingly, in the 68Ni region. The interplay between these two different deformation-driving orbitals is observed at N=37 for the 6− state resulting in a most probable oblate shape

The N=14 shell closure in 22^{22}O viewed through a neutron sensitive probe

NESTER PTHInternational audienceTo investigate the behavior of the N=14 neutron gap far from stability with a neutron-sensitive probe, proton elastic and 2+1 inelastic scattering angular distributions for the neutron-rich nucleus 22O were measured with a secondary beam intensity of only 1200 particles per second using the MUST silicon strip detector array at the GANIL facility. A phenomenological analysis yields a deformation parameter bp;p' = 0.26 +- 0.04 for the 2+1 state, much lower than in 20O, showing a surprisingly weak neutron contribution to this state. A fully microscopic analysis was performed using optical potentials obtained from matter and transition densities generated by continuum Skyrme-HFB and QRPA calculations, respectively. When the present results and those from a 22O + 197Au scattering experiment are combined, the ratio of neutron to proton contributions to the 2+1 state is found close to the N/Z ratio, demonstrating a strong N=14 shell closure in the vicinity of the neutron drip-line

Inverse kinematics proton scattering from the exotic nucleus 22^{22}O

NESTER PTHInternational audienceWe have measured for the first time elastic and inelastic proton scattering from the neutron rich nucleus 22O at 46.6 AMeV using the MUST array

First g(2+) measurement on neutron-rich 72 Zn, and the high-velocity transient field technique for radioactive heavy-ion beams

The high-velocity transient-field (HVTF) technique was used to measure the g factor of the 2+ state of 72Zn produced as a radioactive beam. The transient-field strength was probed at high velocity in ferromagnetic iron and gadolinium hosts using 76Ge beams. The potential of the HVTF method is demonstrated and the difficulties that need to be overcome for a reliable use of the TF technique with high-Z, high-velocity radioactive beams are revealed. The polarization of K-shell vacancies at high velocity, which shows more than an order of magnitude difference between Z = 20 and Z = 30 is discussed. The g-factor measurement hints at the theoretically predicted transition in the structure of the Zn isotopes near N = 40

Study of β-delayed charged particle emission of 11Li: Evidence of new decay channels

5 pags., 3 figs. -- 9th International Conference on Clustering Aspects of Nuclear Structure and Dynamics (CLUSTERS'07) 3–7 September 2007, Stratford upon Avon, UKThe break-up of the 18.2 MeV state in 11Be was studied in a 11Li β-decay experiment. We report here on the study of the dominating breakup channels involving na6He or 3n2α in the final state, with special emphasis dedicated in this contribution to the three-particle channel. The two emitted charged particles were detected in coincidence using a highly segmented experimental set-up. The observed experimental energy-vs-energy scatter plot indicates a sequential breakup where nuclei of mass 4, alpha particles, and mass 7, 7He, are involved. A Monte-Carlo simulation of the sequential channel, 11Be* → α + 7He → nα6He was performed and compared to the experimental data and to a simulation of the direct break-up of the 18.2 MeV state nα6He by phase space energy distribution. The energy-versus-energy plot are explained by the sequential simulation but not by the phase space simulation. © 2008 IOP Publishing Ltd

Rb-37(97)60 : The Cornerstone of the Region of Deformation around A similar to 100

Excited states of the neutron-rich nuclei Rb-97,Rb- 99 were populated for the first time using the multistep Coulomb excitation of radioactive beams. Comparisons of the results with particle-rotor model calculations provide clear identification for the ground-state rotational band of Rb-97 as being built on the pi g(9/2) [431] 3/2(+) Nilsson-model configuration. The ground-state excitation spectra of the Rb isotopes show a marked distinction between single-particle-like structures below N = 60 and rotational bands above. The present study defines the limits of the deformed region around A similar to 100 and indicates that the deformation of Rb-97 is essentially the same as that observed well inside the deformed region. It further highlights the power of the Coulomb-excitation technique for obtaining spectroscopic information far from stability. The Rb-99 case demonstrates the challenges of studies with very short-lived postaccelerated radioactive beams.Peer reviewe