A high efficiency, low background detector for measuring pair-decay branches in nuclear decay

We describe a high efficiency detector for measuring electron-positron pair transitions in nuclei. The device was built to be insensitive to gamma rays and to accommodate high overall event rates. The design was optimized for total pair kinetic energies up to about 7 MeV.Comment: Accepted for publication by Nucl. Inst. & Meth. in Phys. Res. A (NIM A

Synthesis and magnetic characterization of co-axial Ge1-xMnx/a-Si heterostructures

A method for synthesizing Ge1–xMnx/a-Si core–shell nanowires (x = 0.3(1)–1.0(2)) using a supercritical fluid deposition technique, with a homogeneous distribution of manganese along the entire lengths of the crystalline Ge cores but not in the a-Si shells, is reported. Investigations into the magnetic properties of the heterostructured nanowires revealed a significant influence of the amorphous Si shell covering the surface of the core Ge0.997Mn0.003 nanowires compared to pristine Ge0.997Mn0.003 nanowires with no a-Si coating. The magnetic data revealed diminished values of both the remanence and the saturation magnetization for pristine Mn-doped Ge nanowires at higher temperatures when compared to the Ge1–xMnx/a-Si core–shell nanowires, whereas both parameters increased as the temperature dropped down to 5 K. Differences in the temperature-dependent evolution of the coercivity were observed in the magnetically harder core–shell nanowires compared to the pristine Ge0.997Mn0.003 nanowires, showing a drop of 26% at 5 K vs room temperature compared to a drop of 66% for the pristine nanowires. The low dopant concentration (0.3(1)%) of Mn in the core–shell nanowires, combined with the observed ferromagnetic properties, suggests a combination of hole-mediated exchange and confinement processes are responsible for the observed properties. Our observations show the importance of a protective layer in covering the oxidation-sensitive dilute magnetic semiconductor nanowires

TOF-Brho Mass Measurements of Very Exotic Nuclides for Astrophysical Calculations at the NSCL

Atomic masses play a crucial role in many nuclear astrophysics calculations. The lack of experimental values for relevant exotic nuclides triggered a rapid development of new mass measurement devices around the world. The Time-of-Flight (TOF) mass measurements offer a complementary technique to the most precise one, Penning trap measurements, the latter being limited by the rate and half-lives of the ions of interest. The NSCL facility provides a well-suited infrastructure for TOF mass measurements of very exotic nuclei. At this facility, we have recently implemented a TOF-Brho technique and performed mass measurements of neutron-rich nuclides in the Fe region, important for r-process calculations and for calculations of processes occurring in the crust of accreting neutron stars.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Journal of Physics G, proceedings of Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics II

Observation of a μs isomer in 134 49In85: Proton-neutron coupling “southeast” of 132 50Sn82

We report on the observation of a microsecond isomeric state in the single-proton-hole, three-neutron-particle nucleus 134In. The nuclei of interest were produced by in-flight fission of a 238U beam at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. The isomer depopulates through a γ ray of energy 56.7(1) keV and with a half-life of T1/2 = 3.5(4) μs. Based on the comparison with shell-model calculations, we interpret the isomer as the Iπ = 5− member of the π0g−1 9/2 ⊗ ν1 f 3 7/2 multiplet, decaying to the Iπ = 7− ground state with a reduced-transition probability of B(E2; 5− → 7−) = 0.53(6) W.u. Observation of this isomer, and lack of evidence in the current work for a Iπ = 5− isomer decay in 132In, provides a benchmark of the proton-neutron interaction in the region of the nuclear chart “southeast” of 132Sn, where experimental information on excited states is sparse

Beta-decay half-lives and beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities of nuclei in the region below A=110, relevant for the r-process

Measurements of the beta-decay properties of r-process nuclei below A=110 have been completed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, at Michigan State University. Beta-decay half-lives for Y-105, Zr-106,107 and Mo-111, along with beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities of Y-104, Mo-109,110 and upper limits for Y-105, Zr-103,104,105,106,107 and Mo-108,111 have been measured for the first time. Studies on the basis of the quasi-random phase approximation are used to analyze the ground-state deformation of these nuclei.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, article accepted for publication in Physical Review

Beta-delayed proton emission in the 100Sn region

Beta-delayed proton emission from nuclides in the neighborhood of 100Sn was studied at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The nuclei were produced by fragmentation of a 120 MeV/nucleon 112Sn primary beam on a Be target. Beam purification was provided by the A1900 Fragment Separator and the Radio Frequency Fragment Separator. The fragments of interest were identified and their decay was studied with the NSCL Beta Counting System (BCS) in conjunction with the Segmented Germanium Array (SeGA). The nuclei 96Cd, 98Ing, 98Inm and 99In were identified as beta-delayed proton emitters, with branching ratios bp = 5.5(40)%, 5.5+3 -2%, 19(2)% and 0.9(4)%, respectively. The bp for 89Ru, 91,92Rh, 93Pd and 95Ag were deduced for the first time with bp = 3+1.9 -1.7%, 1.3(5)%, 1.9(1)%, 7.5(5)% and 2.5(3)%, respectively. The bp = 22(1)% for 101Sn was deduced with higher precision than previously reported. The impact of the newly measured bp values on the composition of the type-I X-ray burst ashes was studied.Comment: 15 pages, 14 Figures, 4 Table

Beta-decay of nuclei around Se-90. Search for signatures of a N=56 sub-shell closure relevant the r-process

Nuclear structure plays a significant role on the rapid neutron capture process (r-process) since shapes evolve with the emergence of shells and sub-shells. There was some indication in neighboring nuclei that we might find examples of a new N=56 sub-shell, which may give rise to a doubly magic Se-90 nucleus. Beta-decay half lives of nuclei around Se-90 have been measured to determine if this nucleus has in fact a doubly-magic character. The fragmentation of Xe-136 beam at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University was used to create a cocktail of nuclei in the A=90 region. We have measured the half lives of twenty-two nuclei near the r-process path in the A=90 region. The half lives of As-88 and Se-90 have been measured for the first time. The values were compared with theoretical predictions in the search for nuclear-deformation signatures of a N=56 sub-shell, and its possible role in the emergence of a potential doubly-magic Se-90. The impact of such hypothesis on the synthesis of heavy nuclei, particularly in the production of Sr, Y and Zr elements was investigated with a weak r-process network. The new half lives agree with results obtained from a standard global QRPA model used in r-process calculations, indicating that Se-90 has a quadrupole shape incompatible with a closed N=56 sub-shell in this region. The impact of the measured Se-90 half-life in comparison with a former theoretical predication associated with a spherical half-life on the weak-r-process is shown to be strong

Relation entre la régularité de fractals 3D et celle de leurs projections 2D. Application à l'os trabéculaire

Deux des auteurs ont récemment établi que la régularité Rn d'un fractal continu isotrope de dimension n (nD) est égale à celle sa projection Rn-1 dans un espace (n-1)D diminuée de 0.5, ou plus clairement, Rn = Rn-1 - 0.5. Dans un premier temps, l'objectif de cette étude est d'expliquer brièvement ce résultat et de l'illustrer sur des volumes fractals synthétiques, continus et binaires, et leurs projections. Pour les fractals continus, les résultats sont proches de eux qu'il convient de trouver pour H faible. Pour H élevé, il apparaît des difficultés liées essentiellement aux défauts de la méthode de synthèse retenue. Pour les fractals binaires, l'écart de 0.5 qu'il est possible de trouver entre la régularité du volume et celle de sa projection n'est pas clairement établie. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons expérimentalement étudié si cette relation est valide pour l'os trabéculaire et sa projection. Nous avons analysé 22 échantillons de tête de fémur imagés par micro-scanner. Nous trouvons une différence entre la régularité 2D et celle en 3D de 0.53 ± 0.046. Ceci indique que le la relation qui lie la régularité 3D d'un volume fractal à celle de sa projection s'applique pour cet objet binaire. Une simple mesure 2D permettrait alors de quantifier la structure trabéculaire 3D et pourrait se révéler d'une grande force pour le diagnostic précoce de l'ostéoporose