Exact diagonalization of the Bohr Hamiltonian for rotational nuclei: Dynamical gamma softness and triaxiality

Detailed quantitative predictions are obtained for phonon and multiphonon excitations in well-deformed rotor nuclei within the geometric framework, by exact numerical diagonalization of the Bohr Hamiltonian in an SO(5) basis. Dynamical gamma deformation is found to significantly influence the predictions through its coupling to the rotational motion. Basic signatures for the onset of rigid triaxial deformation are also obtained.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures; to be published Phys. Rev.

Investigation of octupole vibrational states in 150Nd via inelastic proton scattering (p,p'g)

Octupole vibrational states were studied in the nucleus $^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$ via inelastic proton scattering with \unit[10.9]{MeV} protons which are an excellent probe to excite natural parity states. For the first time in $^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$, both the scattered protons and the $\gamma$ rays were detected in coincidence giving the possibility to measure branching ratios in detail. Using the coincidence technique, the $B(E1)$ ratios of the decaying transitions for 10 octupole vibrational states and other negative-parity states to the yrast band were determined and compared to the Alaga rule. The positive and negative-parity states revealed by this experiment are compared with Interacting Boson Approximation (IBA) calculations performed in the (spdf) boson space. The calculations are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data, both for positive and negative-parity states

Parity assignments in 172,174Yb using polarized photons and the K quantum number in rare earth nuclei

The 100 % polarized photon beam at the High Intensity gamma-ray Source (HIgS) at Duke University has been used to determine the parity of six dipole excitations between 2.9 and 3.6 MeV in the deformed nuclei 172,174 Yb in photon scattering (g,g') experiments. The measured parities are compared with previous assignments based on the K quantum number that had been assigned in Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) experiments by using the Alaga rules. A systematic survey of the relation between gamma-decay branching ratios and parity quantum numbers is given for the rare earth nuclei.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Nuclear structure of Ac-231

The low-energy structure of 231Ac has been investigated by means of gamma ray spectroscopy following the beta-decay of 231Ra. Multipolarities of 28 transitions have been established by measuring conversion electrons with a mini-orange electron spectrometer. The decay scheme of 231Ra --> 231Ac has been constructed for the first time. The Advanced Time Delayed beta-gamma-gamma(t) method has been used to measure the half-lives of five levels. The moderately fast B(E1) transition rates derived suggest that the octupole effects, albeit weak, are still present in this exotic nucleus

Identical transitions in the strongly deformed Sr-99 and Sr-100

The decay of the very neutron-rich nucleus Rb-100 has been studied by gamma-spectroscopy of on-line mass-separated samples. Schemes for beta-decay to Sr-100 and beta-n-decay to Sr-99 are presented. New sets of transitions in Sr-99 and Sr-100 with identical energies are observed. All identical bands so far observed in neutron-rich Sr isotopes obey a simple energy rule valid for even-even, odd-even and odd-odd bands.Comment: 31 pages, 7 figures, Phys. Rev. C, in prin